Ryan started out by promising “shocking results”. As I’d predicted that Siobhan might end up in the bottom three this week, that would definitely qualify as shocking. I’m sure they’d save Siobhan if she were the one. There are only 4 more chances for the Judge’s Save before it goes away.

They brought Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus and Katie Stevens to center stage. I thought maybe they’d be declared bottom three because that surely would be a shocker with both Crystal and Siobhan but nope, all three girls were declared safe.

Jason Derulo came out and sang “In My Head”. Apparently he was signed by Kara. Not a big fan but he did work the audience and pulled a couple of Michael Jackson moves, punctuating his performance with jets of fire shooting in the background. Ryan commented that in all the years he didn’t know their stage had gas, smoke and pyro.

David Archuleta sang “Imagine” as he played the piano. A strange follow up for Derulo’s performance and more suited to the Lennon/McCartney theme. The really weird thing about young Idol’s is that when you see them a couple years later they look older. Once you get to a certain age you stay put for awhile. You don’t age anymore until the next big jump.

Then it came, the promised surprise. The guys were divided into two groups of three. One group had Lee Dewyze, Casey James and Tim Urban. The other group had Aaron Kelly, Big Mike and Andrew Garcia.

When Tim stood up there were screams from the audience for him. He definitely has a following. Since Casey is the top dude for me and Tim has a huge following, I would have predicted that group to be the surprise but nope, it was the other group that made up the bottom three. So Lee, Casey and Teflon Tim ride again.

Aaron was quickly sent to safety leaving Andrew and Big Mike. Well I was still waiting for what they considered a surprise so between the two it had to be Big Mike at the bottom.

They let Mike and Andrew hang for awhile for Rihanna to sing her song “Rock Star 101″. Her outfit was a black second skin that she’d poured on. Her background singers were decked out in full sparkles, even their hair.

Finally it came, the news, and Andrew was sent to safety leaving Big Mike to sing for the Judge’s Save. He sang This Woman’s Work as his wife sobbed in the audience. The song ended with “just make it go away” which didn’t bode well for Michael.

The judges were definitely discussing his fate. Kara was highly animated as if she were trying to convince the others, particularly Simon, to save Mike. At the end she looked disgusted so I was thinking it went badly but nope, it was unanimous, Michael Lynche got the Judge’s Save. That means two go home next week. At least they all get to meet with Adam Lambert who will be their mentor for next week.

Technically I should rename this post “9 to 9 results” but if I did that, you wouldn’t have as much fun reading to the end if you didn’t already know the outcome.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, adam lambert, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, david archuleta, degeneres, dewyze, ellen, ellen degeneres, jason derulo, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, rihanna, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, urban

Category: American Idol 2010

Tonight the Idol’s had some giant shoes to fill, singing songs from the Lennon/McCartney songbook. Together they had 35 #1 hits. I wondered who the mentor would be this week and there wasn’t one. Paul McCartney, however, did send them good luck wishes from afar. Randy’s advice for this week was to “bring it”.

Aaron Kelly

Aaron started the night with “The Long and Winding Road”. Nicknamed “Yoda” by the other contestants, Aaron took on the song of the stars. I thought he did a good job but somehow it sounded a little off to me. I can’t put my finger on it. Every now and again he injected a bit of country twang which suits him very well but it didn’t save the song for me. It was a boring song before he sang it and he didn’t make it unboring.

Randy called it sleepy and wished he’d turned it into a country song. Ellen called it a “long and winding song”. Kara said that it was beginning to feel the same every week and wished he’d choose some uptempo songs for a change and move around the stage more. Simon called it boring.

Katie Stevens

Katie, who’s had five requests to the prom so far, says she’ll go with the person who can prove they’ve sent her the most votes. Katie moved a notch higher this week singing “Let It Be”. I was totally prepared not to like it but she really hooked me. I loved it. I thought it was her best week ever. She changed it up and I loved the changes. I much preferred the first part of the song where her voice was softer and more melodic. I haven’t heard that side of her voice before and I liked it.

Randy called it her best performance ever. He said, “Dude! Those were HOT vocals! That’s why you’re in the top nine.” Ellen predicted that no way would she be in the bottom three this week and called it “amazing”. Kara was very proud of Katie tonight and said she was blossoming. Simon said that tonight, she got it right. He took full credit for the improvement claiming that it was by following his suggestions that she’d done so well.

Andrew Garcia

Andrew went for an upbeat song, singing “Can’t Buy Me Love”. He may have finally beat “Straight Up” with this one. It was his best performance yet and for once, he really looked like he was having fun on stage.

Randy called it a solid performance but he wasn’t jumping up and down. Ellen declared that yes, you CAN buy love. She said the song was a lot of fun and she loved it. Kara said she hadn’t seen anything new from Andrew this week. Simon compared him to a guitarist at a wedding who decided to sing a song. He called it “irrelevant” and said that both Andrew and the band got it all wrong. Nobody mentioned his hair, which seems to get puffier every week. I kept waiting for a reference to “Snookie’s Poof”.

Michael Lynche

I wondered which love song Big Mike was going to sing, he’s been so predictable that way, but he totally surprised me by choosing “Eleanor Rigby”. Even though he sang it well, it didn’t work for me. It sounded nasal and I did NOT enjoy it. I was happy to hear it end.

Randy thought it was good enough to be on the radio. Ellen enjoyed seeing a different side of Mike. She called the song a huge risk and punctuated it with “incredible”. Kara thought it was fire. She said his vocals were amazing and that he totally sold the story. She said that Mike made that song commercial. Simon didn’t love it. He thought it was over the top and that Mike went backwards with this choice.

Crystal Bowersox

Mama Sox, as the other contestants call her, went back to her roots with “Come Together”. I was so happy to see her give up the heels and glitz and go back to being down to earth and true to herself. The other contestants said she was honest and kind. I’m glad she’s that type of person because it just fits with her whole on stage persona.

Crystal sang “Come Together” which is not one of my favorite songs. Let’s just say I wouldn’t put it on my ipod. But Crystal took the song and made me totally love it. She’s got serious talent to be able to do that. She changed it up, made it her own and totally reeled me in.

Randy said it wasn’t her best but she won him over. Ellen loved the Didgeridoo. Crystal had Ernie playing an Australian instrument called a Didgeridoo, a several foot long wind instrument sometimes described as a “drone pipe”. It looked like a giant bong and I could see goatherds calling goats with it up in the Alps. Okay, so that makes no sense but there it is. The Didgeridoo was a strange instrument indeedy.

Back to Ellen, she said she was running out of ways to tell Crystal how great she is. For Kara, it was one of her favorite performances from Crystal and she called it slinky, sexy and playful. I can’t say I saw that. Simon called it quirky and said she’d helped him prove a point on how to take an old song and make it contemporary. Simon said he could definitely hear Crystal singing this song on the radio.

Tim Urban

Teflon Tim was up next, taking on “All My Lovin’.” I liked the parts that he changed but the rest was more like karaoke for me. Randy said he was in his own category and rather than try to compare him to the other contestants, he compared Tim to Tim and said that it was a “good Tim performance”, better than the last two weeks.

Ellen called it his second best performance after “Hallelujah”. Kara said his best performances are when he has a guitar and is doing something different with the melody and tonight, he had a guitar. Simon said he wasn’t going to judge Tim on a Tim performance, preferring to compare him to the other contestants. With that opening I was expecting the worst but surprise, surprise! Simon was proud of Tim, thought he did very well and ended with “Well done!”

Casey James

Casey, who the other contestants likened to a playboy or soap opera star, chose the song “Jealous Guy”. He sang it well but the song was way too slow for my taste. It would have been better for me if he’d sped it up a lot. Overall it was forgettable. Somewhere in it he hit a note and sounded like Bob Seger. I think he’d sound really awesome singing a Bob Seger song.

Randy loved seeing the sensitive side of Casey and called the performance “heartfelt”. Ellen thought it was his best to date and called it “soulful”. Kara called it “vulnerable” and said that Casey was showing depth. Simon called him Goldilocks and said it was the best performance of the night so far. He coined a new word, “Ginormous”, in honor of the occasion. Simon was very impressed.

Siobhan Magnus

Siobhan came out with a curly top hairdo and frilly, floor length skirt. I really prefer her with simpler or younger hair styles. Tonight’s hairstyle was too old for her. I could see it on someone like Barbara Streisand. It went well with the dress and the song but for me, it just wasn’t Siobhan. It was like watching someone else, someone older and more hoity toity. One thing you’ve got to say about Siobhan is that she definitely follows her own path. Casey said she was the most interesting person he’s ever met. From Siobhan, I do not expect ordinary or hoity toity. I expect different, quirky and fun.

Randy said that nobody screams artists more than Siobhan. While he thought the song was sleepy, he loved the artistry. Ellen said she’s a big fan of people who march to the beat of their own drum. Kara said that while she hit the notes, it was restrained and polite, not what we’re used to seeing from Siobhan. Simon thought it was better than last week and liked her unpredictability.

Lee Dewyze

Lee, known as the Worry Wart of the bunch, sang “Hey Jude”. It didn’t work for me. I thought he should have changed it to fit his voice and style. A man in full Scottish dress accompanied Lee with a bagpipe. While it added a touch of flair it didn’t save the song for me. Lee, however, looked delighted overall.

Randy talked about how Lee is a bundle of nerves before every performance and told him he should stop worrying because he’s got this. Ellen loved it. Kara said there were good moments and off moments but that it was hot and she could hear it on the radio. Simon said he wouldn’t have done the bagpipes.

I predict that Tim and Siobhan will be in the bottom three. Yes, I hate to say it but Siobhan might actually hit bottom. If she gets voted off, the judge’s would likely save her. I don’t know who to predict for the third slot.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, ellen, ellen degeneres, john lennon, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, miles, paul mccartney, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, the beatles, tim urban, urban

Category: American Idol 2010

The Idols all looked utterly miserable as they faced results night. At least being voted off at this point doesn’t take them off tour. However, being voted off this early doesn’t give them as big a leg up in their career.

The show opened with Simon being compared to the Kraken (a big, mean monster) in Clash of the Titans. Then Ruben Studdard, winner of Season 2, came out and performed. He’d lost a lot of weight and attributed it in part to becoming a Vegan (vegetarian). The whole time he was singing I kept thinking how big he was, like Big Mike, and I wondered who was bigger. I guess I wasn’t the only one because they brought Big Mike out to stand next to Ruben and believe it or not, Ruben won. Amazing!

Big Mike was sporting a pony tail. Hair comes and goes when you’re on stage, doesn’t it? Glue it on, peel it off, dye it pink. The pony tail looked blonde to me but Ryan called it a pink squirrel’s tail. Surely Big Mike wasn’t sporting a pink pony tail?

Finally they started the countdown to the bottom three. Lee Dewyze was first up. He attributed his successful night to finally relaxing, not worrying over the judges or being on stage and just letting loose to do what he would normally do which is feed off the audience. Relax and ye shall rise to the top because Lee was pronounced safe.

Casey James was up next. Casey’s secret to success was to go with the flow, pick songs he likes, and just give it his all. It worked because Casey was also pronounced safe.

Aaron Kelly had to sit through the judges discussing his love life and asking whether he’d ever been in love at such a young age. Simon finally let him off the hook by saying it wasn’t the Oprah Winfrey show. He was sent to safety to ponder singing love songs if you’ve never been in love.

Siobhan Magnus and Katie Stevens were called out side by side. I feared for Siobhan to be paired with Katie because Siobhan is so much more talented and entertaining, I thought surely it could only mean that there’d be an upset and Siobhan would be first in the bottom three. When asked about the judge’s harsh critique of her last night she answered, “It’s not my favorite Idol moment…” and added that she wasn’t defeated. She was right. No defeat for her this week because it was Katie who was sent to the stools while Siobhan cried tears of relief. Simon expressed his frustration that Katie wasn’t taking their advice.

Ryan announced that next week’s theme was the Lennon McCartney songbook. I know they’ll have fun with that! I sure will! Usher came out singing “OMG” from his Raymond vs. Raymond CD. I’m not a big fan of the song but I’ve got to hand it to him, Usher definitely has the flash and the dance moves. I’ll bet he blows ‘em away in concert.

Didi Benami was the next to get the news. They talked about how much better she did when she played the guitar and asked why she’d stopped playing the guitar. She said she was still basically a beginner on guitar and just wasn’t comfortable enough with it to bring it every time. The voters must have missed the guitar too because she was the next one sent to the stools.

Big Mike was next up with Ellen telling the world she called him Tiny Mike for his big, sensitive heart. I’m not sure I understood that right as it makes no sense to me but hey, we’re talking about Ellen who talks about Snookie’s Poof and compares the Idols to bananas. Mike was declared safe and he picked Ryan up off the floor and held Ryan up almost over his head.

Earlier they’d talked about Crystal playing the piano instead of the guitar. Apparently she’d taken lessons at one point but switched to a guitar because you can pick up a guitar and carry it around with you. I much prefer her with the guitar. Either way, Crystal Bowersox was sent to safety while Tim Urban and Andrew Garcia got called up side by side which is the kiss of death for one of them. They talked about Tim’s smiling in the face of the judges critique and he replied, “Every time I step on stage it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” I love his attitude and was sad to see him sent to the bottom three while Andrew went to safety.

Diddy was the next big entertainer to take the stage with his song, “Hello Good Morning”. He didn’t have the moves that Usher had and for the most part, his show was mostly smoke and mirrors, literally. If you can’t move me with the song you need to move me with the visuals. It didn’t move me.

They finally got down to the fate of the bottom three and Katie was sent to safety leaving Tim and Didi. Teflon Tim smiled while Didi looked utterly miserable. The smile really does help him because I wanted him to stay just for that reason. It’s hard to stick it to someone who keeps on smiling. There’s a life lesson in that.

It wasn’t the first time that Tim stood in the bottom two. He was there with Paige just one week ago and survived it. This week he survived the cut again and Didi was the American Idol to be sent home. She sang “Rhiannon” for the Judge’s Save. As hard as the judges have been on her through the weeks I didn’t anticipate a save for her. The judges could be seen in the background talking and laughing which was the kiss of death for Didi. It meant they weren’t having a truly serious debate and were just passing the time. The song ended and Simon told her that while it was a million times better than what she’d done last night, it didn’t save her. So the axe fell for Didi Benami.

Tags: aaron, aaron kelly, american idol, andrew, andrew garcia, benami, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, diddy, didi benami, dirty money, ellen, ellen degeneres, kara dioguardi, katie stevens, lee dewyze, lynche, magnus, michael lynche, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell, siobhan magnus, stevens, tim urban, urban, usher

Category: American Idol 2010