Top 10 Guys (Well, Top 3 and the Other 7)

So I'm sitting on the couch with Stacy thinking, "I wonder if anyone will be any good this week," and by the end I have no idea who isn't moving on (well, I know one person leaving, but #2 is a bit fuzzy). I am so glad the guys got the jitters out last week because now we have an actual competition to watch in the foreseeable future.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: I learned a lot of math tonight. You need 6 guys and 6 girls to add up to 12; 866 vs. 800 numbers; joint = illicit drug, but also joint = song; and the attributes of geometric shapes (trapezoids have 4 sides, 2 of which are parallel lines). Now who's the "Geek in the Pink?" Tonight, it's actually blue. So does Jeff Foxworthy really like American Idol, because if not, what a way to spend an evening waiting to plug your show. I'm not going to watch "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" for 3 reasons: (1) I don't need another show to watch, just when I'm scaling back; (b) The last Fox show that had a premiere with multiple episodes just ended up making me feel dumber (anyone remember Ian Bernardo, Crouching X-sentrikk Hidden Talent, et. al.?); and (4) I'm pretty sure that whether or not I am smarter than a 5th grader, I don't need Jeff Foxworthy to validate that. Simon seems a bit silly tonight. Sometimes I wonder what show he's watching. Some comments seemed alright, but he appeared to be stretching for some ridiculous analogies. What the hell are they drinking?! And I guess girls aren't in the Dog Pound yet. I'm a bit confused because in the past they have been. Keep an eye on that one.

OK, one by one, song titles, maybe they're correct, blah, blah, blah . . .

PHIL STACEY ("Missing You"): This was actually a good song choice for him in that his voice came through quite well. The song itself is just OK, but he did a good enough job to stick around. First can be the worst spot in the order because I always find myself saying, "Oh yeah! That's right," when I see the numbers played back. He got 2 + 1 (that's 3) yo's, too!

JARED COTTER ("Let's Get It On"): I did say he was one of my 2 "something to prove guys" tonight and I think he did. I'm with Jared: the Love Boat would have been something with that guy singing. Great performance. Much better than last week.

A.J. TABALDO ("Feeling Good"): First off, I have real difficulties with anyone singing anything Michael Buble has done because I think he's one of the recent great artists, and he has such a great sound it's hard to beat it. With that, I think A.J. did a great job switching it up this week (overhead helicopter notwithstanding).

SANJAYA MALAKAR ("Steppin' Out"): Sanjaya is a nice kid with a million-dollar smile, but he has no power and he seems young out there. I had the same thoughts as the judges, with a bit more tact and compassion however. He did seem like a performer in a high school talent show. He'd win, no doubt, but he's just not quite there as far as A.I. goes.

CHRIS SLIGH ("Trouble"): Great song choice! These were the vocals I was waiting for. It's as if he was actually reading this blog! Big improvement on last week. Brilliant dedication. Show the talent and the rest is taken care of.

NICK PEDRO ("Fever"): I was glad he picked this song since that's the kind of thing that got him to Hollywood in the first place. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we knew he would not be singing another Richard Marx song. Maybe Jon Heeter can get him a few votes to keep him around. Oh! And the happy drummer should be good for a half dozen or so more as well.

BLAKE LEWIS ("Virtual Insanity"): Cap on sideways = beatboxing tonight (more math!). I knew he'd do it, but I loved that he kept it short, blended smoothly into a dope scat solo, and slid right back into his vocals. Awesome! It actually gave me a younger, hipper Al Jarreau type vibe, which is a good thing in my book since I like the older, less hip Al Jarreau as well. I think Simon was right in that he was out of tune in a couple of spots, but as far as originality of moves? I checked out the Jimiroquai video to see for myself, and unless I missed cockroaches, ravens, sliding couches, and enormous fuzzy top hats in Blake's performance, tonight's was quite different from the original!

BRANDON ROGERS ("Time After Time After Time After Time After . . ."): OK. My most frequently accessed memory of this song is of a Japanese guy I met when I lived in Japan, playing his guitar, and singing this song with the most stereotypical accent possible. And that version is the most interesting I've heard, including Brandon's tonight. I don't agree with Simon that sentimentality is "rubbish," and I'm not surprised that Simon can't get beyond the surface of real emotion. A heartfelt song can be quite powerful. But Simon's point is well taken: he has got to do more to stand out, or his stay will be a short one.

CHRIS RICHARDSON ("Geek in the Pink"): A few good things. Not a song done by Elliott Yamin (you're no Elliott, right Stacy?). Great song choice for him. And he had a lot of fun up there. He definitely has that boy-band, front guy type vibe, just like Justin Timberlake. And if Chris ever says that he doesn't try to look or sound like Justin, I think he's lying.

SUNDANCE HEAD ("Mustangs, Driving, Wax On, Wax Off"): The other of my 2 guys to watch this week really did his thang! I am glad to see Sundance return from the nearly dead. You can see the relief on his face to finally be out of the "box." As a father I can relate to the distraction and difficult emotions he must be feeling while he's away from his son, but it looks like he finally realized what he needed to do to stick around. If he keeps singing like this, I'll forget all about the "between auditions and week 2" period of his life.


MY QUICK HITS

PHIL: Better start this week = see you next week
JARED: Way to step it up. Now you gotta keep it up
A.J.: Unless you're planning to land on the roof of the building, your arm motions are just distracting.
SANJAYA: It's been a pleasure hosting you on A.I.
CHRIS S.: Keep picking songs like tonight, and you have a way to go.
NICK: What a shame that your best performance coincided with so many other bests.
BLAKE: Perfect blend of talents to keep that degree of difficulty up.
BRANDON: Maybe backgrounds are better for you. Prove me wrong if you get the chance.
CHRIS R.: What a geek.
SUNDANCE: Way to advertise for Ford. You'll get the check at the end of the week.


MY TOP 3: Blake, and the 2 C's (kind of like my freshman Physics classes!)
MY BOTTOM 3: Sanjaya, Brandon, and Nick (too close to really tell)
STEPPIN' OUT TIME AFTER TIME: Sanjaya and Brandon.

Admittedly, the guys are mostly on even footing in my mind, and there is no way to really differentiate them in my mind. Tweeners and Grannies make the difference tonight in Sanjaya's life. Even the Top 6 are tough to pick at this point. At least the guys brought it this week!