The Next Great American Band: Elton John Week

Performances

Six Wire - "Got to Get Away" / "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me"

I thought the original was uninteresting - like a filler song on a Jimmy Buffett album. The Elton cover was good, and they put a bit of a country spin on it. Good vocal. Dicko pronounced them "the housewives' choice".

Tres Bien - "How I Feel" / "Love Lies Bleeding"

These guys are starting to win me over a bit. There's something endearing about their dorkiness/hipster blend. Both songs were nerdy fun.

Franklin Bridge - "Love's Fool" / "Philadelphia Freedom"

I liked the original, particularly the drummer's rapping harmony. The Elton choice was a pretty obvious one for these Philly boys. Their vocalist really shone on it, and they injected a lot of soul into the tune. I see they took my advice to get a stylist seriously as they were wearing matching t-shirts. Still not in Rachel Zoe territory, but it's an improvement.

The Clark Brothers - "Country Time" / "Country Comfort"

Another good performance from these kids, who look more rock than country but definitely have country music in their veins.

Light of Doom - "Light of Doom" / "Saturday Night's All Right"

These kids rocked hard once again, delivering an original tune about their band name, in the tradition of Black Sabbath. "Step into the light of doom," sings young Eric, and I find myself ready to follow. The Elton song was a good choice, as they could play it fast. And to please Sheila E, they kept their shirts on.

Dot Dot Dot - "Stay" / "Your Song"

I loved the original - definitely radio-ready. They executed some smooth tempo shifts in the Elton tune, putting a new wave spin on it. The judges slammed the frontman, but I actually enjoy watching him. I think he has a lot of charisma even if he does seem somewhat affected.

Cliff Wagner and the Old Number 7 - "Little White Chapel" / "Honky Cat"

These guys are probably my favorite, next to Light of Doom. I loved the original and its quirky lyrics. It was about a teen Vegas wedding and Cliff dedicated it to Britney and her first husband.

The Muggs - "Should've Learned My Lessson" / "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues"

It figures my least-favorite band on this show would tackle my favorite Elton tune. Icky. I didn't think the singer delivered it with any feeling (if you want to hear a good version, check out Elton's duet with Mary J. Blige). His nasally voice grates on my nerves, and the judges felt the same way. He won't win points for sassing back to Sheila E, either.

Rocket - "Future Ex-Boyfriend" / "Rocketman"

The original was fun and spirited - kinda Blondie meets Gwen Stefani. The judges trashed the singer, but I didn't find her to be so bad.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - "All Night" / "I'm Still Standing"

I still think Denver lacks oomph and sex appeal, but the band is fun to watch and their arrangement of the Elton song was first-rate.

Evicted

The Hatch and The Likes of You were sent packing. Dicko was quite upset about the Hatch, who he felt were very commercial. I, however, wasn't upset. I feel The Likes of You suffered from having the least amount of screentime on the audition episode, coupled with a mediocre performance.

Predictions

I think The Muggs and Denver and the Mile High Orchestra will be going home next week.