Rolling Stones night. I was hoping we'd get to see Keith Richards mentor the kids on how to fall out of a palm tree like a rock star, but no such luck.
Big Mike always does it big. Good performance, a bit hokey and theme-park-ish at times.
Didi Benami - "Play with Fire"
We learn that Didi's mom gets too nervous so she can't come to the show to watch Didi sing. If I was Didi, this would really piss me off, but she seems nonplussed. This was a strong performance. Didi came off as confident, not ditzy or fluffy. But it wasn't all that memorable.
Casey James - "It's All Over Now"
Casey brings a bluesy, country vibe. Good guitar work. Simon might be right that's his performance isn't all that special, but it's good enough and mixed with his sex appeal, he's surely safe.
Lacey Brown - "Ruby Tuesday"
It was an interesting arrangement and a quirky performance. I thought it was one of her best, however I don't think it's good enough to keep her safe. It could be Goodbye Lacey Wednesday.
Andrew Garcia - "Gimme Shelter"
This was one odd parental interview. His ex-gang member dad breaks down crying and talks about his son while his mother just stares at the camera stone-faced and doesn't say a word. I imagine growing up in the Garcia family wasn't a million laughs. Andrew frustrates me. I think he's really talented, but his performances continue to suck. He didn't seem to get the emotion, desperation, terror of this tune at all.
Katie Stevens - "Wild Horses"
Katie has a nice voice, but I'm always bored when she sings. It reminds me of how I felt during the Diana DiGarmo year. Blah. She doesn't seem to connect with the emotion of the song.
Tim Urban - "Under My Thumb"
Tim puts a bizarre reggae spin on this one, leaving the judges baffled while lovestruck tweens hit speed-dial and wait for the Bop! magazine pin-ups to appear. I'm pretty sure "The Sanjaya Factor" will keep Tim around for a few weeks - he's a dreamboat.
Siobhan Magnus - "Paint It Black"
Thank God for Siobhan, keeping me awake. She pulls out another weird and wonderful performance, using the Adam Lambert playbook. I did think her look was way overstyled. Nerdia says perms are coming back - say it isn't so!
Lee Dewyze - "Beast of Burden"
I think Lee has a little Springsteen in him. I love the gravel in his voice. He definitely needs some Jagger swagger though. He often has a deer in the headlights look about him, and the judges told him to work on his confidence. But I'm rooting for him.
Paige Miles - "Honkytonk Woman"
Paige belted this one out with panache. We learned after the performance that she had been struggling with laryngitis, but I couldn't tell at all. Interestingly, she seemed like she could pull off a country twang. She could be vulnerable, but the judges mentioned the illness enough that it should earn her sympathy votes.
Aaron Kelly - "Angie"
Once again, I thought the song was a bit old for him, but I give him points for connecting emotionally with the material. It wasn't cheesy, and it easily could have been. His relationship with his mom seems sweet, too.
Crystal Bowersox - "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
The producers clearly love Crystal, letting her sing last. She delivers another strong performance. Great song choice, totally watchable. She avoided being too sassy with Simon when he accused her of thinking she had the competition in the bag. At this point, it does seem to be between Crystal and Siobahn, but a lot can happen. Crystal's dad's emotional interview will help her too.
Evicted
Lacey Brown
The judges didn't use their save for Lacey. In the tradition of punky haired Idol finalists, she fell short of Amy Adams, Alison Iraheta and Nikki McKibben. In the battle of quirky females, both Lacey and Lilly Scott have fallen, yet Siobhan remains strong. I think it's because Siobhan has serious pipes whereas the other two are really just Lilith Fair side stage caliber singers.
