Idol 10: the 11 perform (again)

No more second chances. This after showing all of the emotions of last week's near elimination of Casey. Okay, I confess. I got a little teary-eyed watching that recap. But ... no more second chances. The judges' save is gone. Tomorrow night, two of these young folks go home, even if all eleven are perfect while performing the songs of Elton John (who I've got tickets to see in April!).

Wouldn't it be great if we have another terrific show like last week? Here's hoping for it. And away we go:

Scotty (Country Comfort): I think I heard them say this is the only country song Elton John ever did. Well, thank you, Mr. John, for giving Scotty such a good song to sing. (And wasn't the shout out to Grandma cute?) I think the final, very low note wasn't quite perfection but it was close enough to make me happy. Judges loved it. Me too. I am such a sucker for his voice, and I totally agreed with Randy when he said how comfortable Scotty is on the stage. Starting the night with a 4.7 out of 5 from this country-lovin' woman.

Naima (I'm Still Standing): Naima puts a reggae twist on the song. It worked a little, but then the off-key stuff showed up again, ruining the effect. Too bad. It had potential but fell flat. (Randy called it corny.) The best I can give her is a 3.6.

Paul (Rocket Man): Hmm. It was quiet and likable and nuanced and yet ... Hmm. The judges seemed to say what I couldn't quite express. It was good but is it good enough? I'm not sure. I'll give him a 4.0.

Pia (Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me): Another ballad, and they made sure we were aware of it. She looked stunning. What a dress! I wasn't crazy about the arrangement of the song (the choir effect was good), but her singing transcended what I didn't like about it. I wish she owned the stage a little more. She gets a 4.6.

Stefano (Tiny Dancer): A very fine performance. The judges pointed out how much better he connected with the audience (i.e. kept his eyes open more). I'm not sure it will hold up as a very memorable song at the end of the evening. Time will tell. I'm giving him a 4.0.

Lauren (Candle in the Wind): Beautiful. Gentle, tender, sweet. Loved the little "country breaks" in her voice on a few notes. Judges were over the moon for the performance. She gets a 4.8.

James (Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting): Piano on fire. No kidding. And so was James. This kid impresses me. He is true rock. He's got a great voice for a rocker. He knows how to interact with the crowd, playing to them. I thought a time or two he was a little pitchy, but it was minor stuff. He gets a 4.7.

Thia (Daniel): Another lovely ballad. She has a beautiful voice. Randy said it was "safe" and maybe that's true. Perhaps so safe that it won't be memorable when it comes time to vote. She gets a 4.3 from me.

Casey (Your Song): The heat was on to do well, to prove that the judges did the right thing. Casey rose to the occasion, let us really hear his vocals which were quite fine. Jennifer says he has "character" in his voice, and I think that was a perfect choice of words. I think the song was enough to keep him safe for another week. I'll give him a 4.4.

Jacob (Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word): The coach warned about "over dramatizing." For me, that's my biggest problem with Jacob. He looked in such complete pain as he sang it made me miserable. What was he doing with his mouth? Ugh. He over-sang it and was pitchy in the middle, but he definitely had a glory note at the end. 4.1

Haley (Bennie and the Jets): Perfect end to the show. Perfect song for Haley's growly voice. She performed the starch out of the song. She gets the third 4.7 of the night.

My favorites of the night?

Lauren | Haley

Scotty | James

Who's in danger of going home?

and    

Comments

[Jeff Bickley]

Even my wife thought I was a little rough on Lauren last night. She probably wasn't bad enough for my bottom three. Vocally, she did well, but I didn't care for the arrangement. If I were to go back and revisit my rankings I might bump her up and put Thia or Jacob in the bottom three. You are definitely right about Jacob's facial expressions in that song. Hey, two of our favorites are the same, so that's not bad. :-) Elton does have one more "coutry-ish" song that Scotty could have sung, but it may not have been on their "list" (I'm assuming they probably have one). It's called "Roy Rogers," and is also on the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" album (along with Candle in the Wind, and Bennie and the Jets). I assume you're seeing Elton with Leon Russell? You'll have to let me know how that show goes. I've never gotten to see Elton, even though he was one of my piano inspirations in the seventies.

[Robin Lee Hatcher]

Jeff, I don't know if Elton will be with Leon Russell. Nothing on the web sites mention anyone other than Elton's name. I got to see him when he was in Boise in 1999. Had seats behind the stage, but they turned out to be very close to the piano so lousy, cheaper tickets turned out to be pretty amazing. What a showman he is!! I'm expecting nothing less this time.

Another blog I read thought Lauren's performance was a "star-making" turn. Sure shows how tastes differ.

[Birgit]

I laughed at your comments about Jacob because I was saying the same thing during the performance. "What is he doing with his mouth???"
I would like him much better if I couldn't *see* him when he sings...

James was my favorite last night - not because of outstanding vocals, but because he is so infectiously happy on the stage. He performed the stuffin' out of that song.

[Kansas Bob]

My thinking is Naima, Stephano and Casey will be in the bottom three.. unless the preteens girls come out in force. :)

And even though it was not his night I am going with Jacob to take it all.. but any of them could break free of the pack with some great performances.

[Robin Lee Hatcher]

Bob,

I will be amazed if Jacob wins American Idol. I don't think he is the right kind of singer to take the whole prize. I think he will go home before the final two, probably sooner. But you can do an I-told-you-so if I'm wrong. {{grin}}