Tonight was the battle to be in the finale. All three deserve to win. All three have the talent and I like them all. My top pick starting out the night, however, is Crystal. Ryan announced that each contestant would sing two songs: their own pick and a judge’s pick.

Casey James

Casey’s pick was the Eric Hutchinson song, “OK, It’s Alright With Me.” I couldn’t believe he didn’t pick a Bob Seger song. It was a golden opportunity for him. Instead, he picked a song I’ve never heard. Apparently I’m not the only one because the judges commented on that. All I know is that if the judges didn’t pick a Seger song for him, they don’t want him to win.

Casey said it was the type of song he would write. Randy thought it was just alright and told Casey he shouldn’t have done a safe, easy song. Ellen said this was the live or die moment, the do or die moment, and she wished he’d have brought it. Ellen said that Casey needed to blow us away (but didn’t). Kara brought up the fact that it wasn’t a well known song so he couldn’t do anything special with it except to introduce us to it. Simon called it the most important night of his life and said that if we were having dinner, that song was just the salad. Simon called it a dud song choice. I agree.

Unfortunately for Casey, the judge’s pick was even worse. Apparently Kara picked the song “Daughters” by John Mayer. This song was the kiss of death for Casey. For some reason Kara considered it a brilliant song choice but to me, it was just a sappy song that didn’t do Casey any favors. It sunk him. Kara believes that sappy is the direction Casey should go in. I think she’s an idiot. Yes, a strong opinion here. There was no fire in the song or in Casey’s singing it.

Randy, however, thought the song fit Casey like a glove and hopes that Casey moves in that direction. Ugh. Ellen liked it a lot. Kara thought it showed Casey’s artistic side and of course she thought it was the right choice for Casey since she picked it. Can I say “ugh” yet again? Simon considered it a much better song choice than Casey’s but called it a “lazy arrangement” and blamed it on Kara and Randy for not giving Casey a bigger climax moment. Kara argued that this song wasn’t supposed to have that kind of moment. Simon said the song had no wow factor. I still cannot believe that nobody hears Seger in Casey.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal’s choice was “Come To My Window” by Melissa Etheridge. She accompanied herself with a harmonica and guitar. I liked Crystal singing it way more than Melissa though I’m not a big fan of Melissa or that song. Randy didn’t love the arrangement but did love her vocal and said it worked in the end. Not exactly a strong yes. Ellen called it a good song choice. It showcased the type of artist that Crystal wants to be and Ellen said that Melissa would be proud. Kara called it a good vocal but said that Crystal was capable of a moment and Kara hoped that Crystal would have that moment tonight. Simon said that from the very first day Crystal did not compromise herself as an artist. Simon said he had a lot of respect for Crystal for that and that she probably made the right song choice, congratulations.

Ellen chose the song “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney for Crystal. A very smart choice with such a well known, well loved song. Someone flashed a sign “Bow down to Bowersox.” Was it a prediction of success to come? This song definitely put her in the finals. She totally nailed it.

Randy called it a great song with great vocals. He added that “We’ve got somebody else in it to win it” referring to Lee as the other. Ellen couldn’t have asked for more. Kara noted that Crystal was out of her comfort zone with no instrument and that she really pulled it off. Simon hadn’t understood the song choice but once he heard Crystal sing it, he got it. Simon said it proved Crystal had soul. He said that she might be thanking Ellen for the song choice next week for putting her into the finals.

Lee Dewyze

Lee chose a very surprising song, “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I wouldn’t have expected him to pick from this type of artist but it was the most perfect song choice for him. Unlike Casey’s error, Lee chose a well known, popular song.

Randy called it a brilliant song choice for Lee and said that he could see Lee making a record like this. Funny they still use the term “record” over CD. Randy said, “Someone here is feeling like he could win this.” and added, “You are ready.” Ellen said he started the competition as a baby lamb and was now more like a gazelle or impala, springy. Kara said that Lee did what every contestant needed to do and said that round one goes to Lee. I agree. She said he gave it everything he had. Simon called it absolutely on the money and that the other two contestants were just okay. For the first round, Simon said Lee crushed the other two. Yup.

For the judge’s pick it was Simon doing the picking. He chose the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. Simon said we’d heard this song before but that nobody had sung it the way Lee would sing it and he wanted Lee to have his moment. It was truly awesome. Lee does have such a beautiful voice and he’s perfectly suited for the storyteller type songs.

Randy said he’d been waiting all season to see who was going to throw down the gauntlet to win this whole thing and called it “unbelievable”. Randy said Lee should be thanking Simon. Ellen called it “stunning.” Kara said that Lee is what this show is all about. She called it an incredible, epic moment and said that Lee owned the entire night. Simon said he was “very very very” proud of Lee, that he proved he was a fantastic singer, and added that he hoped Lee made it into the finals next week.

Of the self picks, Lee was my favorite. Of the judge’s picks, Lee was my favorite even though I’m rooting for Crystal to win it. I absolutely predict Lee and Crystal as the final two and with Casey’s many bad song picks through the weeks, much as I love listening to him, he just blew it too many times. Next week is the biggie. The final showdown at the Nokia Theatre in LA. Who are YOU hoping will be there?

Tags: american idol, bob seger, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, degeneres, dewyze, ellen, ellen degeneres, kara dioguardi, lee dewyze, lynyrd skynyrd, melissa etheridge, paul mccartney, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell

Category: American Idol 2010

Ryan came on announcing that last night had the highest votes of the season. This will give us our top three, who get to go home for a visit. I’m not sure why that’s such a big deal because the one voted off also gets to go home, although with much less fanfare. They showed photos of past Idols going home to crowds of adoring fans and Lee Dewyze said, “I want that to be ME!” He got his wish because he made it into the top three.

Fantasia, winner of Season 3, performed her song “Bittersweet”. That was the first season we ever watched American Idol. I remember who my favorites were that season: Diana DeGarmo, Fantasia Barrino, George Huff and John Stevens. George was a particular favorite for his joy and happiness. You couldn’t help but smile when George sang. I thought John would do well as a Vegas performer as he sang the old Rat Pack songs. That was the year that Jennifer Hudson got voted off causing a big hooha. I wasn’t a fan of Jennifer, not liking that style of music or voice.

All of the Idols were asked what they most looked forward to during a visit home. Mike looked forward to seeing his puppy. Crystal wanted to play a gig with her bass player and Casey was missing the southern term of “y’all”. Crystal was dressed to the nines in a hot, slinky black rocker chick outfit. The look actually suited her and she looked incredible. Casey got the news that y’all better be ready for him in Texas because he was in the top three and heading home for a visit.

That left Mike and Crystal waiting for the axe while Chris Daughtry of Season 5 sang “September”. Chris has been one of the most successful American Idols ever and he didn’t even win. Hours after he was voted off American Idol he was offered a chance to be lead singer for the group Fuel. He turned it down hoping to forge his own path. His success far exceeds that of many Idol winners. I saw him in concert opening for Bon Jovi and here they were together again as Bon Jovi came on shortly after singing “Superman Tonight”. Jon Bon Jovi has weathered the years well, his career spanning several generations of fans.

The moment of truth arrived and it was Big Mike to be sent home without the fanfare while Crystal Bowersox rounded out the top three. Crystal hugged her boyfriend in joy while Mike’s wife cried in sadness. So Crystal, Lee and Casey will be battling for top dog. They are three very talented singers.

Tags: american idol, Bon Jovi, bowersox, casey, casey james, chris daughtry, cowell, crystal bowersox, daughtry, degeneres, dewyze, ellen, ellen degeneres, fantasia, fantasia barrino, jon bon jovi, kara dioguardi, lee dewyze, lynche, michael lynche, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell

Category: American Idol 2010

Jamie Foxx offered the Idols his advice this week in his strange, eye to eye way. The theme was “Songs of the Movies” which left a pretty big playground to play in. Jamie brought two sets of t-shirts to hand out to the contestants depending on how they did. The shirts said either “Contestant” or “Artist”.

Lee Dewyze

Lee started the evening with “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal. Jamie had given him an “Artist” t-shirt but I don’t think he lived up to it. The song choice was a huge mistake for Lee. It was totally the wrong song for his voice. “Kiss From A Rose” wasn’t meant to be sung in a gravelly, gritty voice. Randy said he’d done nothing with the song and that it was pitchy but okay. He suggested that Lee should have gone with “Blaze of Glory” by Bon Jovi. Ellen complimented him gracefully. Kara said he had a great week last week (here comes the Kiss of Death from the Rose.) She thought Lee got a little lost, that he had out of tune issues, but said he was still great and she could hear him on the radio. Simon disagreed with the song choice as well, noting that there were so many brilliant opportunities to find a song and that Lee was verging on karaoke. He said Lee should be wearing a “Contestant” t-shirt.

Michael Lynche

Michael Lynche took on the Michael Jackson song “Will You Be There.” I didn’t think even Big Mike would be big enough to fill those iconic shoes and sequinned gloves. You’ve really got to have something big to take on a Michael Jackson song, like Season 7 winner David Cook when he took on Billie Jean. That was a memorable performance. Big Mike wasn’t quite so memorable. He didn’t do half bad with it but it just wasn’t something you’d remember a week later. Jamie was flip flopping with the t-shirts and in the end, I don’t think Mike actually got one. Randy didn’t love it and wished he’d chosen an R&B song. Ellen said, “You can’t go wrong with the sound of a choir behind you.” She said Mike was consistently good but too predictable. Kara reminisced about songs Mike had done previously that left her with goosebumps and said this performance didn’t leave her with goosebumps. Kara thought Mike was playing it too safe. Apparently the song was from the movie Free Willy which came up in conversation and totally confused Simon who asked, “What’s a Willy?” He couldn’t connect a whale called Willy with the song Mike did. Simon did note that Mike obviously gave it 100%.

So far none of the contestants offered up the wow factor. It was the perfect opportunity for both Casey and Crystal to shine brighter than they had been. Before moving to Casey’s solo performance, Lee and Crystal sang a duet from the movie Once. They sang “Falling Slowly”. Lee sounded totally karaoke, it was really rough. Crystal in contrast rang clear as a bell. Randy called it a great song by two great singers. Ellen called them the new Captain and Tennille. Kara called it one of her favorite moments of the entire season and Simon called it a fantastic song. It was odd that he used the word “song” rather than “performance”.

Casey James

Casey took on the classic “Mrs. Robinson” from the movie The Graduate. It was reminiscent of Jason Castro of Season 7 with a ukulele sound (I don’t think that’s what Casey was playing but it sure sounded similar). It made me smile. Great job, Casey, except for one thing. It’s time to get back to where you started with the jam band type songs. I can’t help but wonder if the judges overblowing the softer songs he did caused him to stay with that genre. I think it’s a mistake and that sometimes you have to be really careful about following the judges too closely. It can get you voted off.

Jamie gave Casey an “Artist” shirt. Randy wanted to know why Casey had chosen that song. Casey answered, “A lot of things…” and Randy took the opening and ran with it, giving a big guffaw of rowdy laughter at the unsaid explanation. They keep insinuating that there’s something going on between Casey and Kara which we know obviously there isn’t but no doubt it boosts the ratings to fuel that rumor. Randy called the performance cool and laid back. Ellen wished they’d given him a big boy guitar and that he’d gone further with the song. She then turned the commentary over to Mrs. Robinson, aka Kara, who said, “For me, this is you fighting to stay in the competition.” I don’t know if she meant that in a good way or a bad way but somehow I don’t think it was good. Simon didn’t think the song or the performance had the substance needed for such an important night. Simon commented that all the song choices so far had been very strange.

Crystal Bowersox

Crystal Bowersox finally broke the strange songs spell singing “I’m Alright” by Kenny Loggins from the movie Caddyshack. Jamie gave her an “Artist” t-shirt which Crystal totally earned. She changed the song so much that it was unrecognizable. Radical changes normally end up with a bad review but she basically created a brand new song which was by and far better than the original. Great comeback, Crystal! This is where she needs to be. As far as I’m concerned, she took the night, she owned it and put the other three to shame.

It wasn’t Randy’s favorite performance but he said it was a nice job and called her an “artist”. Ellen said, “That performance just got Crystallized.” Excellent phrase! Ellen said Crystal took the song and made it better. Yup. Just what I said! Kara agreed with Ellen and Randy, calling Crystal an artist. Simon said she was back in the game. We were treated to a shot of Crystal’s boyfriend dancing in American flag pants. He looked really sweet.

Casey and Big Mike closed the show with a duet, singing the Brian Adams song “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?” They both sang with feeling but of the two, if you put both side by side on the radio, I think Casey would have taken it. He’s more distinctive. Mike is good but he’s so generic. I prefer distinctive. Someone in the audience flashed a “Casey, You Move Me!” sign.

Randy said Casey’s guitar playing was excellent. Ellen said, “As a matter of fact, yes, I have loved a woman!” Kara said that the duets were both incredible. I hate when they combine their comments with other performances as it dilutes the one being commented on. Simon and Kara both thought the duets were better than the solo performances and Simon wanted to give “Artist” shirts to the duets.

Jamie Foxx closed the show with some advice to the final four American Idols. He said next week, to let go. He said he’s looking for that person who will turn from a caterpillar into a butterfly. Ryan announced that the results show would feature Bon Jovi, Daughtry and Fantasia. Fantasia was the winner of Season 3 and Daughtry, who’d been the favorite in Season 5, was voted off much to everyone’s surprise but went on to become one of the most successful Idols ever.

Fantasia could be scary. She returned once and performed a song straight out of a voodoo ceremony. I don’t know any other way to put it. She’d dyed her hair bright red and had it piled up liked a rooster comb. She jerked around the stage like a rooster and her demeanor was something you’d expect from a voodoo witch doctor trying to scare a curse out of someone. That performance was quite memorable, even after all these years.

Tags: american idol, Bon Jovi, bowersox, casey, casey james, cowell, crystal bowersox, daughtry, degeneres, dewyze, ellen, ellen degeneres, fantasia, fantasia barrino, jamie foxx, kara dioguardi, lee dewyze, lynche, michael lynche, ryan, ryan seacrest, seacrest, season 9, simon, simon cowell

Category: American Idol 2010