90% Boring, 5% Damn! and 5% Randy in a Bikini

Once again Idol was an hour long last night so the show got jumping right from the get go.  Ryan walked out on stage and proclaimed that the Guys were ready to deliver.  The Guys were again lined-up on stage and Ryan approached and intorduced each one by one as he walked down the line.  I half expected him to yell "Goose" when he got to Aaron and then run.  Speaking of Aaron, did anyone else get the impression that he was Casey's little brother who just happened to tag along and wasn't supposed to be on stage but Mom told Casey to take him to Hollywood?  Okay, maybe that was just me.  The kid's so freakin' small and looks so out of place next to the other Guys.

Getting the party started was Lee with his rocker spin on Owl City's "Fireflies."  In what would turn out to be a recurring theme, Lee took center stage with his guitar and just stood there like a statue and belted out the song.  For anyone who is familiar with the song, the lead singer (actually the entire band unless he's playing live) is Adam Young, and he has a very distinct voice and a pretty decent vocal range.  Lee has a very distinct voice, you know when it's him on stage even if your not looking at the t.v. and you would know instantly that it was him if you heard him on the radio (something that Kara has been harping on since day 1).  Unfortunately for Lee, his voice is not suited for that type of song.  It was pitchy the whole way through and he seemed to be struggling to get through it.  As Simon said, "You're better than that performance."  For Lee I say this (to the tune "Fireflies"):  I'd like to make myself believe that that guy Lee can sing soulfully.  But every week he stands and stares while strumming guitar beats and and sounds the same on everything he sings.  And it puts me to sleep." 

As the show headed to commercial break Ryan announced that up next would be Alex and Tim.  Zoinks?  I seriously shuddered when he said that.  I then composed myself and thought happy thoughts.

In what turned out to be a marvelous surprise and not the disaster I expected, Alex chose to sing Ray LaMontagne's "Trouble."  If there was a more perfect song for Alex I don't know what it is.  The song starts, "Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble.  Trouble been doggin' my soul since the day I was born."  For Alex though, trouble has been doggin his performances.  But tonight, he performed in such a way that he should avoid trouble and land in the Top 12.  To continue the trend set by Lee, Alex also stood stock still in the center of the stage and strummed his guitar.  But what didn't work for Lee, worked perfectly for Alex.  He was able to convey feeling and emotion and didn't look as uncomfortable as he has in the past.  One thing he still needs to work on though is finishing his notes and lyrics.  The mushy banana (great visual Ellen!) is getting better and if he continues to progress each week he could just be a factor in the end.  If I were him, I'd try and put the image of Randy in a bikini out of my mind (what is your problem Simon?) before next week!!!!!  Nobody want's to see Randy in a banana hammock and matching top.

So Alex had me feeling pretty good and it was up to Tim to keep it rolling.  Did Tim bring it?  Hallelujah!  Get it?  Pretty clever right?  Anyway, Tim did Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's song proud.  Was it as good as say Jason's version from last season?  No.  Does that matter?  Maybe.  Once again a contestant stood frozen in the middle of the stage and strummed his guitar.  Does that equal a performance if you never alter what you do on stage?  While I thought it was very sweet of Ellen to run on stage and hug Tim after he sang as a way of praising him after she ripped him apart the past few weeks, I don't think that Tim is a lock for the Top 12.  Sure he will get some feel good votes and sure, he will get votes from the the texting tweens but will it be enough and does he deserve to be there?  It still seems to me like his "performances" lack feeling and emotion.  At least his vocals were in tune and he sang the song well. 

If Alex and Tim do make the Top 12 and there is a 90's theme, I have an idea for outfits for them:

 

  










Groundhog Day continued on stage with Andrew who in a shocker, stood still on stage and strummed his guitar to the tune of Christina Aguilera's "Genie In a Bottle."  Andrew revealed that he just learned the song this week in an attempt to recapture the magic he had when he performed "Straight Up" back in the auditions.  I thought that the song choice was interesting but was hoping that he would have picked "Beautiful."  It was a nice attempt at an upbeat song but as Ellen said, "kept the genie in the bottle until the end."  Will his fans vote like crazy to keep him in the competition or will tonight be the end and Ryan will blink and nod his head and Andrew will disappear from the show.

Casey "DWI" James puts his newly discovered moniker (more on that in a bit) to good use by going Country.  For future posts I will refer to this move as the "Gokey."  So Casey pulls a Gokey and sings Keith Urban's "Think of Me."  I feel like a brken record but Casey sat in the center of the stage on a stool and strummed his guitar - what is that 5 for 5?  Are these kids afraid of the stage or what?  If only Casey ahd stolen a pair of Danny's glasses last week, his total Gokey-fication would have been complete:  western shirt, stubble, country song - check, check, and check!  Yes the vocals were solid and his performance was polished but the whole thing was far too safe and stone cold boring.  Let me ask you a question Casey, Are you going to sit on a stool or stand still on stage next week when the Top 12 theme is the Rolling Stones?  Are you?

Back to the DWI nugget I dropped.  There's no need to go into the story here other than to provide this from Star Magazine:

Casey's little brother Aaron wandered out on stage next and since he's too small to play the guitar or hold a guitar and Lilly wouldn't let him touch her mandolin (because it has the word man in it not boy), Aaron could only sit on a stool in the center of the stage.  Then inexplicably the booth started playing Lonestar's "I'm Already There" and Aaron started singing.  That's when I remembered that he isn't Casey's little brother, he's actuall on the show.  How quickly I forget that....Apparently sitting on a stool causes Aaron's voice to warble like he's singing while riding in a car down a bumpy street so he stands up and assumes a Toby Keith "I'm Gonna Rock this Redneck Venue" stance to belt out the rest of his song.  Unfortunately for Aaron, there is no such thing as County Music Lite.  To quote my wife Alyssa, "This dude creeps me out and I hate his voice."  Well said Alyssa!!!  At the big finish, I thought that Aaron was being electrocuted by his microphone - not because I saw sparks but mostly because my mind wandered to last weeks episode of CSI where Rascal Flatts guest starred and Jay DeMarcus get electrocuted.  Personally, I thought the whole this stunk butRandy thought it was well done (no pun intended!).  What I found interesting about Simon's comments is that he gave Aaron very specific advice and told Kara to shut her pie hole about the "revelancy" of the song choice.  Now why couldn't they do that for Katie? 

Toderick "Radio City Music" Hall hit the stage next with Queen's "Somebody to Love."  Finally breaking the mold and utilizing the stage, Toderick started out in his falsetto before falling back into a gospel vibe and finishing with an R&B feel.  The whole thing was very Broadway but not in the Adam Lamber good kin of way.  Up until that point in the show, nobody had done anything with life so it was refreshing to see someone get up and move around and engage the audience and the band (hiding behind the Wizard curtin all night).  But what comes to mind now that I've slept on it is this:

  

With the first show stopper of the season, Big Mike took on "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush but Maxwell's version.  Looking dapper in a suit jacket, vest, power tie complete with tie bar and a matching pocket square, Mike started it off with a bag by pulling out his falsetto and nailing all the notes before dropping into a R&B jam a blowing it out the box.  Was it the best performance that has ever happened on Idol?  Not even close, but, in a season with a whole lot of blah, Big Mike is the only one of the Guys to have a WOW moment.  Let me quote Randy:  "Really?"  "Crazy!"  "Dope."  "What?"  "HOT!"  The performance left Kara sobbing like a baby and Simon having to console her.  I will now quote April who sent me this nugget:  "Okay, this is the first time ever that Randy took the exact words out of my mouth. Every single word he said about Michael Lynche's performance is exactly what I was screaming at the TV. That is one of my favorite songs EVER & it holds a special place for me & Michael NAILED IT!!! Randy was absolutely correct & he should very well call Maxwell. And, I can't even believe I'm going to say this but Kara had every reason to cry. That song is extremely powerful for a woman. Dang!! I just wish she actually was crying tears. Ha ha! I still have goose bumps! " 

I'm not going to hop on the Big Mike muscle wagon yet but her was easily the best of the night.  I will say this about his song choice - Alyssa choreographed a solo dance performance to the Kate Bush version of the song and if Kara watched that, she'd probably have dropped dead because it was unbelieveable! 

Results are on at 8pm tonight!  Get your votes in now.

~E