What?! No Rockin' Robin?!

Rock and Roll night finally arrived on Idol, which was a long-anticipated event for Thing 2. It pretty much played out like I'd expected--a widening gap between contestants, ridiculous comments from the judges, and the mosh pit full of posers. Slash was a fairly useless mentor as far as I could tell. He was good for the "is that a nose ring/watch me smoke a cigarette while playing guitar in a music video/topless guitar soloist from the 80s" sort of entertainment value, but I think all those drugs may have altered his ability to provide beneficial, constructive criticism for the contestants. They all seemed to "have fun," though, so score a point for another one-name wonder.

Now, let me make a list of my non-performance-related complaints (well, the ones I haven't listed yet). I'm just in that kind of mood, I guess.

*Predictably, Simon will start to turn on certain contestants in order to engineer a finale he's predicted, regardless of the true merits (or lack thereof) of each performance.

*What the hell happened to Kara? She and Slash must have shared a little somethin' somethin' before the show because she was out there! Maybe her hair was pulled back too tightly, at least the hair that wasn't trying to escape upward.

*Either the tower wasn't really that broken or that beverage sponsor wields some amazing power over the flow of the show because no way I do the cola interview under that thing!

*We deserve to know how the duets were picked, because the conspiracy theorist in me would say they're looking to influence the voters. The pairings were perfect, but a little transparency would be appreciated.

*I think Kara is making up words every week. It's like a new obsession with her. I've never heard of giving someone a "prop," as in one prop. I guess that's for when you're not sufficiently impressed enough to give out "props" or even better, "mad props."

OK, on to my contestant-by-contestant thoughts.

Adam Lambert: Really, all he could do this week was either hold steady or fail miserably. Obviously this is the week we really expected him to shine and that's what he did. I still think he's an amazing talent and deserves to be in the finale, but I wonder if his polarizing style will end up being much of a factor. I think there is a fairly sizable subset of the population that doesn't care for him at all. I just don't know if it 's the people that vote. His duet with Allison was great, by the way. It was so apparent that they were both in their element, enjoying the moment with each other, and I think the hugs and smiles were 100% genuine. In American Idol speak that's "1 million percent."

Allison Ireheta: She deserved way more praise than she got. What is wrong with people judging this thing? Even if they weren't crazy about the song selection, she still sounded great. I'm glad to see her give it back to Simon, and of course he was good natured about it. This girl is a great talent and based on tonight should go on without a problem. On her duet with Adam you almost get the feeling that we were watching the finale already, but there is one more week to go.

Kris Allen: I love how the judges called this legendary Beatles' song "not a great song." Give me a break. Randy made the most sense and was the most believable in his praise of Kris. Kris definitely infused his style into the song and made the most of a week where he was overshadowed by Adam before he even got to pick his song. Randy was right about his duet with Danny, too--the harmonies were great but the overall performance was just alright. Again, for a week where the genre was difficult, the duet sounded pretty good. They didn't seem as comfortable together as Adam and Allison, but it's tough to say whether it was because of the theme or chemistry.

Danny Gokey: Don't do that. Ever. No, no. Danny is no Steven Tyler. Not even close. I have no idea what he was thinking with this song. I don't know what would possess this church choir singer to try and scream at the end. I'm not entirely clear how Slash even held a straight face while discussing this song. It wasn't even a little good, and I'm sick over how the judges gave him more credit than they did Kris. There was no comparison. No, no. I like Danny, but I've got to be fair here.

I don't know how they'll break the news this week. Hopefully they just have the three guest artists perform and then hand out a single "you over there, you're going home." I'm sure there will be a bit more suspense, though.

Based on tonight, Skipping the Hometown Visit, but Still Getting One Prop from Kara: Danny Gokey

Top 4 Minus 1 - Maroon 5 and Bo Bice Perform!

David A. is first on the spot, and is safe, of course.

David C. is next. No mystery here. He's safe.

Jason and Syesha take the stage.

Now let's see just how strong Jason's fanbase really is.

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The phone calls are entertaining, as usual. I love that the girl from Pittsburgh asked out David C.

And Simon as the next James Bond. LOL!

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Bo Bice is sounding good!

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Okay, Jason and Syesha. Somebody stole my joke about Jason shooting the tambourine man. Jason's fans are not enough, which restores my faith in the voting system somewhat. Syesha makes it to the top three, and I think she's earned it.

See you next week!

Top 4 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

David C. - 'Hungry Like A Wolf' - A Steppenwolf joint that suits his voice, but it lacks the fireworks one might expect at this stage. Decent, not great. Randy agrees. Paula's appetite is piqued. Simon calls it "good enough to get you through."

Syesha - 'Proud Mary' - A good song for her dramatic flair. Her performance is a little better than her singing, but that ain't bad, either. Randy and Paula love it. Simon thought it a bad impersonation of Tina Turner. There's some truth to that.

Jason - 'I Shot The Sheriff' - The song matches his dreads. He gives it quite a twist in his stylings, but I don't think they worked, rhythmically, as well as the original arrangement. Randy didn't "get it." Paula gives props for his performing to the audience well. Simon calls his arrangement "atrocious." This makes about four mediocre performances in a row, by my count, and his fan base may not be enough to save him, at this point.

David A. - 'Stand By Me' - A good song choice, if somewhat safe. He does well at putting his personal twist on it. Good, as always, and better than David C.'s first effort tonight. The judges like it unanimously. Simon thought he struggled toward the end, but still calls it "best of the night" so far, which it was.

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David C. - 'Baba O'Reilly' - A Who song which fits his range, and he does well by it, though it could have been much better if he had more time. Still, it is now the best song of the night. Randy loved it. Paula wants more. Simon welcomes him back.

Syesha - 'A Change Is Going To Come' - Her beautiful, buxom dress is only a mild distraction. She does very well with the song. Randy didn't love it. Paula makes her cry with recognition of her own changes over the weeks, which is exactly why she chose that song. Simon seconds Paula's opinion. Call it over dramatic if you will, but I think she was being totally genuine.

Jason - 'Tambourine Man' - Forgetting the lyrics puts the lid on his coffin. Aside from that, his performance was mediocre, at best. There's really nothing the judges can say, so Randy puts it to him to judge himself. Paula clarifies that she likes him for having gotten this far. Simon suggests he pack. The feeling I got from this kid is someone who has always been relying on his cuteness-loving fanbase, and has somehow thought that to be enough to get by without really working on things. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he'd been out partying and doing drugs for the last several weeks instead of rehearsing. True or not, that's the kind of vibe I get from him.

David A. - 'Love Me Tender' - An Elvis song that he makes his own as a ballad. I like this best of all tonight. The strength and innocence of his voice is just amazing. The judges loved it.


Top: David A.

Middle: David C. and Syesha - your choice for second place tonight.

Leaving: Jason, who shot both the sheriff and the tambourine man.

Top 4 Minus 1 - Barry Gibb Performs!

Excitement settles gently into my living room as the inevitable whispers of the impending show emanate from behind the commercials on my TV screen, which are about to give way to the all too familiar American Idol theme song...

There it is!

The judges switch seats, but not in a way which distances Paula from Simon's abusive immediacy, so what's the point?

Street interviews reveal pretty well-split opinions on the finalists. It's truly anyone's guess who will be leaving, but I consider my judgments, of course, to be semi-professional, and better than a street poll...sort of how Simon feels, divided by 1000... ; )

Both Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson had interviews and performances on the Ellen Degeneres Show today. Both did well. Phil was wearing a U.S. Navy First Class Petty Officer uniform, and he noted that he wasn't sure whether he'd get to go on tour, and that his first responsibility was to the Navy. Ellen, of course, asserted that they should let him perform.

Pink performs. It was okay, but didn't disract me from typing the above and nibbling on tempura shrimp...yum!

Lakisha looks like a manager at Burger King in the contestants' Ford commercial this week.

At this point the judges have switched their seats back to normal...? Ryan seems to make a point of having the camera show this without offering any explanation.

The contestants' choral BG medley starts off with Melinda's mic on mute. Hmph.

Lakisha is talking to herself in preparing herself for the possibility of leaving.

Thank God they took the time to spend half the show plugging The Fantastic Four (okay, my sarcasm is a little rusty. and less subtle than it could be).

The contestant background histories were interesting.

Ryan wisely lays the all too gag-me-with-a backhoe "right after this" ploy at the feet of the producers. I feel for him.

The contestants' self-protective huddle was kinda cute. Jordin is first, and is safe, not surprisingly.

AI is moving into the band business, soliciting tapes and DVDs from bands for a competition. Cool!

Barry Gibb performs. His vocalization seems a little stilted. It doesn't seem that he can hold a note for very long anymore. Another burnt out singer, but ya gotta give him props as a composer. He does seem to improve a bit as the song develops.

Melinda, predictably, is safe. Simon guesses Lakisha will go, despite objections to doing so from the other judges.

Blake is safe. Lakisha is going, just as I predicted. She sings herself out with good spirit.

See you next week!

John

Double the Disco

I forgot that Barry Gibbs has been involved with so many more songs than the ones from "Saturday Night Fever." Unfortunately, I don't think this ended up translating into a better set of performances than I expected.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Are we sure Barry Gibbs actually sang that high, because his speaking voice wouldn't support that theory. This week is a "stick to the melody" week, as contrasted with past "way ta add ya own flava to the songs" weeks. Simon hates disco, just like he hates country. That's bad news for the contestants this week if you're keeping score at home. For a show they kept saying they had to rush through we sure saw a lot of Judge Judy, which makes sense since we have no interest in hearing what Simon has to say and would rather see a "judge" from a kangaroo court verbally spar with Simon. Melinda is the first contestant I've heard who pays attention to ominous lyrics. With as much as we all notice it, I'm sure others have, too. Do the judges want Jordin in the final 2? I think so.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("In-n-out Burger" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"): So, Melinda is like Ruben--always good. The judges don't even know what to do because it's all nitpicking at this point. They are right that many performances on her "uncomfortable" weeks end up lacking "it" or "shazam" or "sanjaya" or something. The first performance was a bit better than a "background" performance, however. Song #2 was much better, and Barry astutely noted that Melinda was using a recent variation utilizing a bit more jazz chord voicing (Michael Buble did a cover of it recently) which ended up helping a lot. Melinda should be safe, but next week we need da noize and da funk.

BLAKE LEWIS ("You Should be Dancing" and "Exit Stage Left (Snagglepuss's Theme)" or where I came in or something): Overall this was a lackluster night for Blake by Idol standards. I do think, however, that his fans will be quite happy with his showing. He did a great job infusing his own style into it, and he did what his followers want to hear. I know Randy's endorsing a beatbox embargo this week, but Blake's interpretations were solid. Hey, Barry like them!

LAKISHA JONES ("Stayin' Alive" and "Run Away . . .er . . . to me"): I am so shocked Lakisha picked a power ballad for number 2, and even more shocked that she selected the most well-known Bee-Gees song. And I'm a bit more shocked that she disregarded the advice of an industry legend (whose songs she was singing) and ended up doing her own thing. OK, sarcasm off (but not entirely). I am so tired of her not implementing any advice the guest give her and then not sounding great. If you're going to ignore them, at least be great! If you try to follow the advice and it doesn't work I would have greater respect for the performance. Anyway, I'm bored with Lakisha and have been for ages.

JORDIN SPARKS ("To Love Somebody" and "Woman in Love"): Is she sending a message to someone. Sounds like Jordin has a crush. Number 1 was great, number 2 was OK, but not quite "pageanty" as Simon suggested. Jordin continues to work very hard and sounds great. Her voice sounds shot from what I can tell. I hope she doesn't end up straining that young voice too much before the finale. Other young singers have suffered similar fates. As long as her voice stays healthy Jordin should be a finale participant, in the good way.

Since a Top 3 would only overlap with my Bottom 3, and thus give away my Bottom 1, I'll rank them for me last night.

1. Jordin/Blake/Melinda
4. Lakisha

BOOGIES HOME WITHOUT ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS FIRST: Lakisha

How's that? I'm looking forward to tonight's show, but only because Barry Gibbs is performing. You can decide if I'm still being sarcastic or not!

Top 4 - Bee Gees Night?

This promises to be a strange night. Bee Gees music? I mean I liked his music back in the 70s, but it's dated and their vocal stylings with their unique harmony seem like a longshot for successful AI performances...but let's see - two performances each, tonight.

Melinda Doolittle 1 - 'Inside And Out' - Yeah, she handles it well and gives it some heat, and me, some chills. It's not her best, but solid. The judges agree, essentially, that she's hard to criticize but needs to bring it more, at this late stage.

Blake Lewis 1 - 'You Should Be Dancin', Yeah' - He's gonna BEAT it! Good falsetto and echo effects, and the beat boxing is not overdone, and a GREAT touch. He could sell this one right now! Wonderful job, and has that 'Eye of Tiger' added element that puts it, perhaps, a cut above Melinda. The judges unanimously disagree with my assessment, but I think the audience and his fans will agree with me.

Lakisha Jones 1 - 'Stayin' Alive' - She does a decent job, but sounds off-key at one point, and indulges in a bit of yelling. Not good for me, compared to the last two performances. The judges agree, and Simon nails the shouting and denies her a kiss.

Jordin Sparks 1 - Jordin has a real chance to improve her standing if she just listens to the feedback the judges have been giving, and sticks to singing a clean version of her song, 'You Don't Know What It's Like'. Judging by the effect of her rehearsal version on Barry Gibb, she's got it nailed. Sure enough, she does a very good job, and gives me way more chills than Melinda's performance. It wasn't perfect - the ending was a bit of a letdown compared to the power surge - but it was definitely the best so far tonight, and the judges, wisely, agree with me.

Lakisha is on the bottom, for me, at this point.

Melinda Doolittle 2 - 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart' - She's planning to mess with the lyrics. I hope the judges don't count that against her. This is better than her first one, and very good. The judges liked it better, especially Simon.

Blake Lewis 2 - This is an obscure song choice, and he's adding more beat box. Focusing so heavily on his original style may not be the wisest move right now. It doesn't really connect with me, partly because I've never heard it before, and partly because I don't think the boxing worked as well on this song. Randy and Paula seemed to like it better, but Simon thought it sucked.

Lakisha Jones 2 - 'Run To Me' - Great looking dress and a solid beginning. The chorus adds a nice touch on this song. This is a more solid performance, and the power surge definitely brings it up a notch. The ending is a bit weak. Overall, good, but not great. Simon says she and Blake may be in trouble tonight. From his point of view, I agree, but I think Blake has more popularity than Simon believes, so I'd be more worried about Lakisha.

Jordin Sparks 2 - 'A Woman In Love' - Jordin's combination of power and vulnerability in this song put her over the top. She almost brought me to tears at the end. Randy and Paula didn't like it as much as I did, and Simon had some irrelevant critiques.

Tops and Bottoms - For tonight, Jordin, Melinda, Blake, and Lakisha. For the long haul, Lakisha may have a bit of an edge on Blake, but I think he'll edge her out tomorrow. Jordin has been so consistent for the last several performances that she has a very real chance of winning the top spot. I'd be surprised if either Blake or Lakisha unseated either one of them, unless the female listeners all align behind Blake for a boy/girl finale.

See you tomorrow!

John