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By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

With less than 2% separating Lee and Crystal the results are in…Lee was crowned the winner of American Idol…And once again, the best singer did not win…record sales will prove that out once both Crystal and Lee make their way into the recording studios and lay down their first albums…

Tonight, even the audience seemed stunned and in disbelief as Lee was announced as the winner…Crowd shots showed half the audience just standing there…not clapping…trying to figure out just what went wrong…Now don’t get me wrong…I like Lee, I think he’s a good singer, but Crystal is a great singer and should have won…in my opinion. At least the entertainment portion of the show was not a total disappointment…

The Top 12 came out at the beginning of the show dressed in school uniforms singing “Schools out for Summer,” and were then joined by none other than Alice Cooper…I thought it was a great opening number.

Kris Allen made his appearance singing his new single “The Truth” – I liked this song…once we got past the initial audio problems…like hearing Ryan talk in the opening lines of Kris’ song…It had a rock/country vibe.

And then the theme of the night kind of made itself known as artist after artist came out…pretty much from the 70’s and 80’s…joined by various Idol contestants from this past season, thus the title of tonight’s blog…Old is New Again…Old artists singing with the new talent. Some notable performances were, Siobhan and Aaron singing with the Bee-Gees; Big Mike singing with Michael McDonald; the gals of Season 9 singing with Cristina Aguilera; the guys from Season 9 singing with Darryl Hall & John Oats; & Lee with Chicago (Lee or the singer from Chicago couldn’t buy a note with their songs “If you Leave me Now” and “25 or 6 to 4”).

Some of the outstanding performances were…Carrie Underwood singing “Undo It” (LOVED IT! ONLY THE BEST IDOL WINNER EVER!!; Casey James singing with Bret Michaels (LOVED IT!); Crystal singing “Isn’t it Ironic” and “You Oughta Know” with Alanis Morrisette; Cristina Aguilera singing, “You Lost Me”; Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Jordan Sparks, Taylor Hicks and Kris Allen singing, “Together We are One,” with a bunch of past Idol contestants, including JASON CASTRO! THANK YOU AMERICAN IDOL! And the wonderful Ms. Janet Jackson performing 2 songs, “Nothing” and “Nasty Boy.” She was awesome of course. And finally a trio of Crystal and Lee singing with Joe Cocker…of which Crystal and Joe totally stole the show…Lee dropped a song cue leaving Joe hanging, but Crystal picked it up and the rest of the song was basically Joe and Crystal rocking it out, with Lee singing background…

Some humorous moments were…General Larry Platt and William Hung singing a duet to “Pants on the Ground” with some hip hop dancers with their pants…on the ground…; Dane Cook singing a tribute song to Simon called “The Things that Simon Said” – which revolved around things Simon has said to contestants over the past 9 seasons-that was funny. A satellite appearance by Ricky Jervais roasting Simon a bit…not that funny, but ok. A bit called “Simon Uncovered” – showing funny clips of Simon and the other judges taken from the last 9 seasons-and intro’d by Paula Abdul; and some other clips of Simon from seasons past.

And then…finally…after 2 hours…the announcement that stunned…Dim the Lights, Let’s get to it…After a nationwide vote…the winner is! Lee DeWyze! (crickets)…

And so another season comes to an end where the wrong person won. It’s Taylor Hicks all over again…Record sales will prove that out…but…before I get lynched by the Soul Patrol or the Lee DeWyze fans…I want to clarify…I loved both of these two…still do…I just don’t think they should have won…I for one will be first in line to buy Crystal’s CD and to get a ticket to see her perform live…& that’s a wrap…
Until next season…Nerd out!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

Well tonight is IT…The final performance show…and with over 7,000 fans in the audience the stage is set at the Nokia Theater for the final countdown…Will it be Lee or Crystal?

Tonight they’ll be singing 3 songs. Their favorite from the season, Executive Producer, Simon Fuller’s choice, and the song they will be releasing if they win…so let’s get to it!

Lee is up first with his favorite from the season “The Boxer” – DeWyze choice I must say. This one was my favorite from him too. I love this song. I think he sang it even better than the first time he performed it. Goosebumps! Wow! Awesome job Lee! Randy thought it was too slow for an opener and told him he needs to pick it up on his next song. Ellen couldn’t be prouder if she’d have birthed him herself. Kara the mimicker agreed with Randy, and Simon compared it to getting a kiss on the cheek but wanting a kiss on the lips…but not from him…he made that clear…I just simply loved it.

Crystal picked her favorite song from the season, “Bobbie McGee”; also a great choice…My favorite too! What a treat! Tonight’s going good so far. I SO loved her performance tonight…she really sank into the song and pushed herself. I loved her energy, and apparently, so did the crowd; there was way more cheering going on after this performance than for Lee’s. Love, Love, Love! Randy thought it was “dope dude” Ellen thought it was compelling and stunning, Kara said she had fire in her belly ,and Simon said the song brought back the time when they fell in love with her. Awww….Round one…Crystal (sorry Lee-she out sang you).

Now it’s time for Simon Fuller’s pick for Lee. Simon chose the song, “Everybody Hurts” (way to help him pick up the beat as Randy suggested)…I don’t think this was a good song choice. Not too many pitch changes, although lee did do some off-key pitch changes of his own. Not his best. Boo Simon Fuller! Boo! So of course Randy loved this one because he loves to contradict himself…Ellen said that during the song he’d start to bring up the energy and get the crowd into it, but then he’d pull back…so he should keep up the energy on his next song. Kara, blah, blah, blah…actually, she said something totally stupid (NO!)…after telling him he was pitchy during the song, she then said, but that’s what we love so much about you…really Kara? Have we decided that pitchy is the way we want to go now? Oh…because it makes him real you say? Well, then ok…pitchy it is…from now on…we only vote for pitchy and real. Simon had wax in his ears or owes Simon Fuller something because he then told Lee that was a brilliant song choice. OMG!…come on guys? What happened to keeping it real? It was not his best performance…SAY IT!!! JUST SAY IT!

Now it's time for Simon Fuller’s pick for Crystal. Simon picked “Black Velvet” – Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! LOVE!!! She was working the stage, working the audience and singing the pants off of this song. Such a perfect song choice….Simon Cowell?…THAT’S what I call a brilliant song choice…come on…agree with me…you know you want to! Randy thought it was hot and that she’s in it to win it…duh…Ellen thought it was fantastic and gave her a standing ovation, Kara said, you want it…I can tell…sigh…Simon said that she took a song that he borderline hated and she made him love it…that she NAILED IT! That’s right…NAILED IT! Round 2 goes to Crystal… (Not even close on this one).

Lee is now up with his last song…the song he will release if he wins…The song is called, “Beautiful Day” – Um…sounds pitchy in the beginning, some in the middle and a bit at the end…some notes were good though. I think the song was too big for him…I also think this sounds a lot like a Bono song. Anyone else agree? Anyone? Anywho…I do have some nice things to say about this performance…I loved the way he performed it. You could totally tell that he was drinking in the audience with his eyes…his emotions show totally through his eyes…he’s loving this experience and the thrill of performing…I DO love that about him. HA! Ellen said pretty much the same thing…she said that she was watching his eyes taking it all in…Kara felt he was swallowed up by the song (Wow! Kara & I had the same thought! Please don’t hold that against me?). Can’t remember what Randy said, but it was probably along the lines of, “Dawg” or “Dude” – anyways…Simon was being nice…he said that since this was his last season he just wanted to take the time to tell Lee that he is what the show is all about…a guy from a paint store (sorry Sue…had to mention it), who came from no where, and watching his dreams come true…and that he genuinely wishes the best for him…Sounds like all the judges are now jumping on the Bowerstock wagon…except for Ellen…she kept it real…she never left Bowerstock.

Now for the final “judged” performance of the season…best for last I say…Crystal is going to sing the song she’ll record if she wins…the song is called “Up To the Mountain” – OMG! Chills! LOVE! I want this song on my radio, in my car, on my ipod (if I had one), on CD, in a tree…you get the picture…THIS WAS FANTASTIC! Such beautiful vocals! I smell a Grammy with this one! I want to cry it’s so beautiful! Way to go Crystal! This is the performance we’ve been waiting for all season! And FINALLY! A good finalist song! Only had to wait 9 season for the perfect finalist song, but we finally got it! Yay! Randy said it was an amazing song and that she had an amazing voice. Ellen said she was unique and in a league of her own…said if she were in concert she’d attend, if she was on the radio she’d listen, if she made her a salad she’d eat it…you get the picture…Ellen really really loved it…also said her vocals were beautiful and clear. Kara said that finally, after waiting all season for this, that Crystal was finally emotionally invested in the song…that she was amazing….um…where has she been all season? Did she miss the one where Crystal cried at the end of her song and Kara said the same thing? Idiot…Someone please tell me why Kara is still here? Paleeeze!?! Before Simon could offer his take on the song, Crystal asked to say something first. She just wanted to thank Simon for all he’s done for the show and for her, and that she wishes him the best in his future endeavors…laughing at herself, saying, as if that means something coming from me…Ha Ha Ha…Then Simon told her that it was the best performance song of the night and that she was outstanding…Total judge love fest…Woot! Woot! I SO want to hear that song again and again and again and again…Round 3 to Crystal!

What an exciting ending…Wow! I think by now everyone can see that the Crystal ball is clearly showing Bowersox as the winner…GO MAMASOX!

To close out the show, Will Young, the 1st ever winner of UK Pop Idol sang the tribute song that’s been played at the end of every Results show, “Leave Right Now” – SO loved this…and now I finally know who sang that dang song….That’s been bugging me all season…but I guess not enough to Google it…anyhow…great ending, great night…Here’s to hoping for an equally exciting Finale tomorrow night! Wait…one last question…Why haven’t we seen Jason Castro perform yet? I’m just sayin…

Until the Finale!…Nerd out!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

With over 47-million votes, the top 2 have been decided! And America chose to BeLEEve in Bowerstock!

The night started out with Ryan chatting with the 3 remaining Idols…Casey told Ryan that going into this he had no expectations and that it turned out to be so much more than he thought it would be, and was so grateful to have made it this far. Lee said the experience was totally different than what he thought it would be and that he learned a lot about himself and about staying true to who he is. Crystal said that the show was so much more than she thought it would be too; she couldn’t believe just how much went into putting on this show and all the people that were involved…When Ryan asked each of them if they could imagine themselves winning, Lee and Crystal voiced just how much they wanted to win & could imagine it. Casey was more reserved and said that he still couldn’t imagine himself making it this far and that each day he was on the show was a blessing. Randy then chimed in with his thoughts and said that he really saw them all blossom and that they all found direction. Crystal and Lee commented that all the judges advice, both positive and negative, were all helpful and could be used to help them grow…to which Casey started laughing and said, “Well, not all the comments were usable” – and it kind of looked like he was directing that comment to Kara, who gave a real sourpuss face to his comment. I thought it was totally funny.

After the chat they showed the Ford Video commercial that was to the song, “Wild One” where the Idols are in the city creating graffiti art of themselves that come to life. The featured car is a green Ford Fiesta. Go to americanidol.com/ford to enter to win an Idol inspired Ford Fiesta…

Now on to the first hometown visit with Casey in Cool, Texas. As soon as he got off the plane he went to his knees and touched the ground and said, “I’m home!” Then the day started off at Fox4 Studios in Texas, followed by a visit to his old high School, Millsap High, then to an AT&T store where he signed a dachshund, then to Keys bar, then to Texas Health Hospital in Fort Worth where he thanked the doctors and nurses that saved his arm and his leg, and he presented his doctor with one of his guitars. He got pretty emotional with that visit. The last stop was a concert in Richardson, and there were a lot of people that turned out for him. It was a nice visit.

Next up was a Perez Hilton discovery, Travis Garland. He sang, “Believe” – I thought he was a good singer, entertaining and gave a great performance…Loved the dancing…Loved him.

Next hometown visit is Toledo, Ohio with Crystal. Her day started off at the Fox-Toledo Station and then off to the local AT&T store, followed by a parade in downtown Toledo, where the Mayor gave her the key to the City. Next stop was her dad’s house and a bar-b-que. This was followed by throwing out the 1st pitch at a baseball game and then off to Bowerstock where she performed one of her original songs, “Holy Toledo” – which she says has sort of become an anthem to her City…she got pretty emotional that they played her song on the show…it was a nice moment.

Now for the last hometown visit to Chicago, IL with Lee. He too started his day off at the local Fox studio, and then went to the local AT&T store to meet the fans. Then he got to go to a Cubs game and throw out the 1st pitch. This was followed by a visit to his old elementary school, St. James Elementary, and a meet up with his old 1st grade teacher. He then went to the Mt. Prospect Paint Store where he used to work and then some family time. He finished out the day with a concert where he sang “The Boxer” – and he got very emotional singing the song. Nice moment too.

The last performer tonight is Justin Bieber who sings “U Smile” and “Baby” – He’s ok. Nice voice. I can see why the tweeners love him…he’s got some talent. And then off to commercial…

And now we’re back with like 5 minutes to go….so let’s get to it…dim the lights...Lee is the 1st to be announced as a finalist…then joining Lee is Crystal! When Ryan said Crystal was safe, I don’t think she could hear because she kept saying, “Me? I’m safe? I’m safe?” Casey told her yup…she was safe…she ran over to Lee and jumped up on him and hugged him.

Casey gave a gracious exit followed by a touching moment while singing “Daughters” – I think it was his sister that he picked up and sat down with to sing the song…they then showed his “good times” tape and then he hugged the judges, where Ellen said she’d see him on her show tomorrow…

All in all it was a predictable night…and just like the whole season, it lacked any real excitement. Still, I think the right 2 are in place for the finale… I'm just hoping they bring some excitement and surprises to the finale night performances. Nerd out.

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

Well, tonight was nothing if not a little predictable. The judges ragged on Casey, praised Crystal and overtly pushed for Lee to make it to the Finale…

Casey started off the night with his song choice ,a song he said that he identifies with because it’s in the style that he likes and close to the type of songs he writes. The song? “Ok, It’s Alright With Me.”. The song was good, not great. The vocals were great, not wow. The overall performance was just ok. Randy thought it was just alright; Ellen wished he would have “brought it,” Kara said it didn’t work because he sang an unknown song and therefore was unable to make it his own. Simon said that if he was having dinner, that was just the salad and that it was good that he had another song coming so that he could bring the main course. Simon also said that the song choice was a dud…but did say his vocals were good. They really dumped on him. You could tell that they all want him to be the one to go…

Crystal was next with her choice, accompanying herself with the harmonica and guitar. Crystal chose to sing a Melissa Ethridge song, “Come to my Window.” I got goosebumps on her opening notes and thought the overall performance was pretty good. But like Casey, it was not a wow song…good vocals and an ok arrangement. Judges praising Crystal for the very things they dumped on Casey for…said she picked a good song, but that she’s no Melissa Ethridge, but that’s ok they said, because Crystal chose a song that didn’t compromise who she was (um Casey also chose a song that he felt showed who he was as an artist)…They said that it was not the best arrangement, but that she had good vocals…(told Casey pretty much the same thing, but said it in a way that was disparaging to Casey and uplifting to Crystal).

Lee is singing in the sweet spot tonight…The song he chose for himself is “Simple Man” by Leonard Skynard. This is really good. Nice clear vocals…Good arrangement. Good song choice for Lee. Randy loved it. Ellen said he’s taking this seriously & that he once was a lamb, but is now a gazelle….Kara said he showed us everything he’s got and that Round 1 goes to Lee. Simon said that his song choice was on the money and that he crushed the other two. Then Lee gave a special wave to his hometown…

Now it’s time for the judge’s song selections. Randy and Ellen chose “Daughter” for Casey to sing. Randy said this should be his type of song, and Kara said that this would be a good song because a song like this would play to his type of audience, mothers and daughters…sigh…Casey did a great job on this song…it sounded so good. I loved it and I agree that it was the perfect song choice for him to sing. He showed heart. Randy said the song fit him like a glove, Ellen liked it a lot. Kara just liked it. Simon said it was a lazy arrangement and knocked Randy and Ellen’s choice of song because it didn’t have a crescendo. But he also conceded that he sounded good all night. Overall consensus of the judges was approval….albeit grudgingly.

Ellen chose Crystal’s song, and what she chose was “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney….I thought Crystal showed some powerful vocals and did a great job…the only weird thing about it was that she didn’t change up the words to make it come from a girl singing the song…had to chuckle every time she said she was a man…but she did sing it well. Randy loved it. Kara said she took a risk and it paid off (meaning she did not use an instrument). Simon said that he “gets it,” she proved she’s got soul and that she should thank Ellen for putting her in the finals.

Simon picked Lee’s song, “Hallelujah” – I love, love, love this. Simon picked a song that I think everyone fell in love with the season that Jason Castro sang it (speaking of Jason…why hasn’t he been on the show yet?). Simon said he chose this song so Lee could have his “moment” and he did…he gave a great performance of this song…I do believe he just had his “moment” as Simon predicted. Randy loved. Ellen said it was stunning. Kara said he is what the show is all about. Simon said he was proud of him and that he proved tonight that he was a fantastic singer and that he really hope he makes it to the finale…

So that’s how the show went…judges trying their darndest to make sure that Crystal and Lee make it to the Finale and that Casey gets sent home…we’ll see what America decides…

Based on the performances tonight, here’s how I see it…

Lee DeWyze
Crystal Bowersox
Casey James

And in case you missed it…Chad Ochocinco got the boot on Dancing with the Stars, next Thursday, May 27th it’s the return of So You Think You Can Dance! Yea! But right now! GLEE! Yikes!

So the fight is now on…the fight to see if the judges pissed off enough people to put Casey into the Finale, or whether or not the masses agree with the judges and put through Crystal and Lee…Tomorrow night! The Results and Justin Bieber…Ah geez.

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

The search for a superstar draws closer as the Top 3 are revealed tonight! Whose hometown will we see? Well, after over 37-million votes (5-million more than last week!)…the top 3 are? Nope…not yet…

First…Fantasia kicks off the night with a song from her new soul album…didn’t catch the name of it, but I think it’s called, “When I Think About You” – It was a true Fantasia performance…full of emotion. I just wish I wasn’t so distracted by the weird hair hanging in her eyes…I’m not a fan of the song, but I am a fan of her talent. Nice to hear that after 3 years she’s finally coming out with a new album. I wish her luck. Can’t believe her daughter is now 9 though! She was only 2 when Fantasia won her season. My how time flies!

Ok. moving on…Mike, Casey, Lee, and Crystal are seated on stage while their families are seated on the couches…We now get to see the new Ford video of the week, which features the Fab 4 in a Magenta Ford Fiesta as they drive thru Japan, Germany & India to the song, “Put the Message in the Box.” Go to americanidol/ford.com to enter to win an Idol inspired Ford Fiesta…

So…what is in store for the top 3 when they visit their hometowns? Ryan tells us a parade, concert and a visit to one of their local AT&T stores…amongst other honors their hometowns choose to bestow upon them…then we get to see some shots of past contestant’s emotional hometown visits…Ryan then asks each of the remaining four what they are most looking forward to if they get to move on to the hometown visit. Mike wants to see his puppy and smell the beaches of St. Pete, FL. Crystal wants to see family and play a set with Frankie, her bass player. Lee wants to see his supporters and have some family time, and Casey wants to see his friends/family, puppy dog, smell Texas air and hear people say, “Ya’ll” again. So let’s find out whose safe…Dim the lights…Mike, Casey, Crystal and Lee….After the nationwide vote…CASEY! You are SAFE! WOO HOO! SO happy for Casey! But that’s it for now…after the break, DAUGHTRY!

Back from break and Daughtry takes the stage singing, “September” – a song that’s near and dear to him cuz it reminds him of the simplicity of his childhood. Chris sounded AWESOME! He should have won his season…but I guess he has the last laugh since he’s the most successful one from Season 5. Chris imparts some advice to the remaining 4…”Stay hungry and don’t compromise the music you love…stay true to you…”

Now back to the results…dim the lights…Mike, Lee, Crystal…Mike is told to hang tight…then Ryan tells Lee that he is headed back to Chicago! Lee is SAFE!!! WOO HOO!!! Who’s next? BON JOVI!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bon Jovi comes out and sings, “Superman Tonight” – This is a get up and dance moment. I LOVE BON JOVI!!! SO glad they could sing tonight for my sister’s birthday! Happy Birthday Sue! Jon still has “the look” that goes right to an audience member to make them think he’s singing just for them…but tonight he’s singing for Sue! Woot Woot!

Now dim the lights; back to reality…The next person in the top 3 after the nationwide vote is….CRYSTAL!!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awww, she’s sobbing…I think partly for Mike and partly for relief that she made it to the Top 3…Mike’s like her big brother…Awwww.

So now we end the show with the signature look back at happier times and then the sing out…and for his swan song Mike chose to sing his song from last night, “Hold Me” while we see shots of his wife crying & holding his new baby girl…gut wrenching…When he’s done he crosses his arms and waves to the audience, hugs the other 3 Idols and then the judges…at the end he holds his baby girl who is now crying…probably from all the noise…she is the sweetest baby! Mike is a class act folks…class act….He’ll find his style and be back bigger and better than ever…Good luck Mike! And good luck to our Top 3! Casey, Lee and Crystal. I think the right 3 are in place…Until next week America…Nerd out!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

Well, tonight it’s all about the cinema, and Jamie Foxx is the mentor. From Broadway to the movies to being an R&B artist, Jamie’s done it all. Tonight Jamie wants the Top 4 to “elevate it,” so during each of the Top 4’s mentoring session Jamie gave them a tee-shirt based on how they performed…They got either an “Artist” tee or a “Contestant” tee…Let’s see who was the contestant and who was the artist?

Lee was given an “Artist” tee for his efforts…Now let’s see if he earned it. Lee sang “Kiss from a Rose” – I’d say he earned the tee…Lee gave a good performance tonight & showed some confidence on stage. He had a few cracks in the vocals, but overall was…good. Not great. Simon thought he was a little karaoke-ish and felt that he should have been given the “Contestant” shirt…I don’t think I’d go that far…it wasn’t one of his best, but I do like the confidence I’m seeing from him growing each week.

Michael was given the dreaded “Contestant” shirt during his mentoring session, but refused to take it…said he’d show Jamie that he deserved the “Artist” tee. Mike sang “Hold Me” with the back up singers at the top of the stairs acting as his choir. It was nice, and he certainly put everything he had into this performance. It wasn’t anything new from him though so I couldn’t get too excited about it. Nice vocals, but it was just more of the same for me…I wanted him to knock it out of the park…Simon seemed more concerned with what the movie, “Free Willy,” was about than the song, but ended up giving him props…the other judges…not so much.

Next was a duet by Lee and Crystal. They sang “Falling Slowly” – While I liked the song, it seemed like Lee kept hitting some stinker notes in trying to harmonize with Crystal. Had to wince just a couple of times. But overall I liked it, but the judges seemed to be over-doing it with the gushing. Simon said it wasn’t great, but fantastic. Scratches head….really? For me it was just ok…but very likeable.

Casey received the “Artist” tee by Jamie during his mentoring session. Nice…Casey sang, “Mrs. Robinson” – I gotta say I LOVED this performance…It was cool and current. I think he could record this song. Love! Funny…after he was done Randy asked him who the song was for…referencing Kara…funny moment. Randy was so-so over his performance, Ellen thought it was great, Kara liked it, but Simon said that he needed to do more considering we are down to the final four & that it lacked substance….sour puss. So far he was the best of the night…seems to me the judges are trying to set him up to be the one to go…

Crystal is in the plumb spot of the night and during her mentoring session she earned the “Artist” tee…(duh) – Crystal sang, “I’m Alright” from the Caddyshack movie…during her sit down with Ryan before she sang, she said it was a good song choice considering how the night was going because of the judges comments bringing the mood down in the audience. I just loved this! She is back and she is awesome! I thought this was a great arrangement and I loved her energy. Ellen said she “Crystalized” the song and made the song better…Ryan pointed out her boyfriend (wearing flag pants) was dancing during her song…but apparently not so well…then we get to see a shot of those pants…funny. Crystal cracked up…

Last up is the duet by Mike and Casey…they sang a song by Bryan Adams. Yea! The song was, “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” – Great song choice and I thought this was the best duet of the night. Mike and Casey’s voices, combined with Casey’s awesome guitar skills, were magic. Ellen’s comment was….”Yes…I have” – you could hear Simon totally cracking up in the background…All the judges thought the duets, from both teams, were better than each of the solo performances….

Overall it was a good night…SO much better than last week. Let’s just hope the Result’s show is in better taste than last week too. I think it should be a pretty safe bet that with Chris Daughtry, Fantasia and Bon Jovi performing the class factor will increase two-fold.

Rankings for tonight’s performances…

Crystal Bowersox
Casey James
Lee DeWyze
Mike Lynche (I’m thinking that his 9 lives might finally run out)

I think of the 4 that are left, the ones with the most unique voices are Crystal, Casey and Lee…If I heard them on the radio I’d be able to pick them out…Mike is great, but I hear guys with his voice up and down the radio dial. He hasn’t shown me that he stands out from any other artists we hear on the radio now…Love him, but until he finds his own unique style, he’s not what I’m looking for in the new American Idol. I want different, I want unique…I want Crystal…to win….

Tomorrow night! The Results!!!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

Ok…the Nation has spoken, although it was a million less votes than last week (only 32-million this week)… spoken we have…Aaron has left the building! I’m not happy about it…more like relieved for Casey…Aaron still has some maturing to do…better that he leave now on a good note so he can go on to pursue a bigger brighter future for himself, be young again, and rest up for the tour…from Portland to Pittsburgh, the boy is gonna need some rest.

And here’s how we got there…We started out the night with the group sing…but get this! IT WAS LIVE! NO KIDDING! The Top 5 performed a medley of ole blue eye’s songs and sounded great & were much less robotic than past group sings…take note producers…live is always better. Then we go right into the Ford commercial with the Top 5 singing 1, 2, 3, 4, as they stroll down a French city street while singing. The commercial features a cute lime green Ford Fiesta. Check it out on Americanidol.com and enter to win your own American Idol inspired Ford Fiesta…it’s easy…especially since I just gave you the answers :-)

Then Ryan gets right to it…dim the lights, here we go…Lee is asked to join Ryan center stage…after some chit chat he tells Lee that he is safe! The audience, and me, are very happy! But that’s all we get for now…Lady Gaga is next with her song “Alejandro.” In true Gaga fashion, the performance was one that will be talked about in all the blogs & around all the water coolers tomorrow…We saw tush hanging out, Christian symbols spewing fire, guys groping guys…it made for a controversial performance for a “family friendly” show…and they were worried about Adam Lambert? I’m not saying I didn’t like it…just saying that I could totally hear Adam chuckling over this one…as did I.

And how do you follow Gaga? You follow it with a hilarious behind the scenes look at Harry Connick Jr. and the Top 5 while they were being mentored…It was laugh out loud funny. Then Harry sang, “And I Love Her.” It was beautiful…This was followed by a humorous exchange between Harry and Ellen and then he was joined by the Top 5 singing a medley of Harry’s songs. They all sounded great…especially Casey who seemed to be featured a lot in this group sing. Then Harry told a funny moment he had with Frank Sinatra when he performed for his 75th birthday…I won’t retell it cuz it won’t be the same…but it was funny.

And now we are finally to the end…we FINALLY find out who joins Lee in the Top 4….so the lights are brought down once more…Crystal is sent to the far side of the stage…Michael is told to stand on the near side. Aaron is told to join Michael, and Casey is told to join Crystal. Ryan then asks Lee, if he had to choose which group was the safe group, would he?…Lee, thankfully, says nope…wouldn’t choose. SO glad Ryan didn’t try to make him do that…I always hated that…Anywho…Ryan then tells us that Michael and Aaron are the bottom 2 tonight and that Crystal and Casey are safe! Whew! Got so excited I had to call my sis…who hasn’t seen the show yet cuz of the time zone difference, and let her know what was going on…Stayed on phone until Ryan finally revealed that Lil Aaron would be leaving us tonight…Screams could be heard from Arizona to Missouri…Woo Hoo! Sorry…no disrespect intended…just Woo Hoo that Casey, Crystal and Mike are safe…and Awww gee, for Aaron…a talented kid that just needs a little more time to cook before he can be served to the public. The tour should take care of that…then I expect to hear great things from him…Then I just might be inclined to purchase his CD to add to my country collection.

So now we end the show with the signature look back at happier times and then the sing out…and for his swan song Aaron chose to sing his song from last night, “Fly Me to the Moon” – Personally, I would have liked him to sing something country so we could remember him for who he is and who he’s going to be…a country artist…but for whatever reason that’s not what he chose to do…Oh well…I wish him the best of luck and we’ll be seeing him on the tour.

Next week the mentor will be Jamie Foxx and the theme will be Cinema’s…Here’s to hoping that next week is a lot better than this week…fingers and toes crossed! Until next week America…Nerd out!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

Wow! The start of the show might have been the biggest hype of the night for what was to follow…Frank Sinatra’s songbook is not my idea of a good time…Sorry. It was nice that they had a big intro for Harry by having him come down the stairs onto the stage instead of just in the audience. It was also nice that Frank’s two daughters were there, Nancy and Tina…and even nicer that they gave Simon a monogrammed handkerchief that once belonged to Frank (Simon is a HUGE fan of Frank)…Awww…

I liked Harry Connick Jr. as the Mentor, and as the mentor I think he did a great job pulling from these guys what he could, given that the songbook tonight really only favored maybe 2 of the remaining contestants…To me it was kind of like asking guys to sing songs from a singer that are mostly about the empowerment of women…. I thought it was great though that Harry took on the task of arranging the songs and performing with each of them. His advice to them tonight? Sing the words, not the lyrics…don’t forget the melody. So let’s see how tonight played out.

First up was Aaron with “Fly Me to the Moon” – My first thought is wow…very karaoke-ish. Weak vocals in the opening, but as the song wore on he managed to pull his performance up a bit…but not enough to make it great…For me this was only an “ok” performance at best, certainly not one of Aaron’s strongest vocal moments to-date. Mixed opinions from the judges leave me thinking they are trying to get him some votes.

Casey’s up now with “Blue Skies” – He says the song is about the groove…I loved his opening vocals & the arrangement, but it all seemed to kind of fall apart for my beautiful boy…No guitar, he was stiff on stage, and even had some pitch problems…something I’ve not heard from him until tonight. Wow…I’m gonna say he picked the wrong song and hope (fingers and toes crossed) that the peeps will save him for another week. I don’t want him to go out on this performance…He is so much better than this. Judges really hatin’ on my boy…Kara said he sounded like a sheep with his vibrato…um…that vibrato he has works for other types of songs…If I remember correctly Chris Daughtry also had that same vibrato, and with the right song it works. Simon told him it was a good thing he had another gig to go to next week, referencing a chat Ryan had with Casey before he sang about of friend of Casey’s not knowing he was on the show and asking him to perform on Tuesday for 50 bucks and free food. Comment was in poor taste Simon…

Crystal’s up now with “Summer Wind” – So beautiful and bluesy. Wow! I didn’t know she had those power vocals (or I did and just forgot), but in any case, what a vocal range! Very, very nice and I love love love! Judges dissin’ my girl now…Randy called it sleepy, Ellen wanted her to loosen up but was impressed, Kara “kind of “ liked it, and Simon said the last two weeks she’s just been ok and she needs to not lose herself. Poopheads…except Ellen…always love Ellen.

Mike’s up now with “The Way you Look Tonight” – Now this is just beautiful. The song & style are right up his alley. Nice big note at the end. This was the best so far tonight…even though I love love loved Crystal. Gotta give it up for the big guy, he sang it beautifully…Randy gushed and said the gauntlet had been thrown, Ellen said he is the most comfortable and seasoned on stage, Kara loved, and Simon said the other 3 performances were just ok, but his performance clicked…that it was fantastic…Gotta agree…

Lee is the last to perform tonight singing “That’s Life” – Can I just say I was wrong about Mike?…Lee is the best of the night! This is the most comfortable I’ve ever seen him. I love this arrangement and what Lee brings to this song. He was actually the only one tonight to make one of Frank’s songs sound current. And can I just say…his vocals were great! Randy said he stayed true to himself, Ellen was distracted by Harry’s organ….that he used to accompany Lee, and said that if this was the last show and he had sung that song like that, that he would have won. Kara told him to write over and over again, “I can win,” and Simon said the song brought out his personality and confidence and said this was the best of the night…Agreed.

Rankings for tonight’s performances…but not the ranking of my favorite singers…

Lee DeWyze (wow! wow! wow! talk about the little engine that could!)
Mike Lynche (This genre was right up the big guys alley)
Crystal Bowersox (she can’t be first all the time, right?)
Aaron Kelly (I still say Aaron’s got some growing to do and should leave tonight)
Casey James (I REALLY don’t like putting him here…but look at last week…Lee was here and now he’s first…just goes to show you anyone can have an off night! Pleeeeze save him!!!!!!)

Tomorrow night! The Results!!! Harry Connick Jr and Lady Gaga perform…

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My bottom 3 last night were Aaron, Siobhan, and Lee, but never even dreaming that it would be Siobhan that would get cut…This was a hard one…All 6 that are left are deserving to be there…that said, I did think that it would be Aaron that would get cut. My reasoning is this…He is still young and needs to mature some more. I just don’t see him as the Idol winner. I’m a big fan of country music, and because he doesn’t really have a unique sound I just don’t see myself buying one of his CD’s…at least not right now…he’s not ready, the others are…But I guess that’s the way it goes…right? We get down to these last 6 and it’s always hard to see one of them go. So let’s get started with how we got to saying goodbye to Siobhan…

Tonight started out as a treat because we didn’t have to muddle through the lip sync that IS the group sing… one plus, right? But the best part about tonight were the musical guests; Rascal Flatts, Sons of Sylvia, Lady Antebellum, and Shakira; who we find out will be singing a duet with Rascal Flatts later in the show…should be good.

So with 33-million votes under Idol’s belt last night we start off the show with a performance by Rascal Flatts singing their latest hit, “Unstoppable” – Loved it! It was a great way to start off the night. Then it’s off to commercial with the promise of some results when we come back.

Back from commercial, but before the results we get to see some behind the scenes video of the Ford Music Commercial…This one has a dark theme with all of them dressed like vampires trying to attack Mike in his red Ford Mustang Convertible, but he manages to foil them with his extra large, extra garlic pizza and make them disappear…the commercial was to the song, “Believe” – I liked it. Go to Americanidol.com and enter the contest to win an American Idol inspired Ford Fiesta…I just gave you all the answers…(smile).

I know I said that results were next…but they weren’t…we then get to see the Idols try to do some voice-overs for the new Shreck movie, Shreck-Forever After, and then we get to see them attend a screening of the new movie where our very own Ryan has a part…3 lines to be exact…Ryan then brings out Antonio Bandaras and Cameron Diaz to talk a little about the movie and then he has Antonio say the famous, Dim the lights, here we go, verbiage to begin the process of Idol elimination…

So…as Antonio stated, “Dim the Lights, here we go.” Ryan separates the contestants into 3 groups of 2. Siobhan and Lee form the far side group; Aaron and Crystal form the center stage group; and Michael and Casey form the near side group (uh oh)…Ryan then pulls Siobhan from her group and says he’s going to walk her towards the couches and then stops at Michael and Casey’s group and says, “America, here is your bottom 3, the others are all safe!” As I’m screaming “NOOOOOO” at my TV, out comes CARRIE UNDERWOOD!!!!!!!!!!! I’m ok for now…Carrie introduces the band, Sons of Sylvia, who she’s been with practically since leaving Idol, and who she also sings a duet with on her latest CD…SO hoping she sings too! But no…not tonight…(sad face). Ok…distraction gone. I’ll see her in concert in December…so I’m happy again! Anywho, Sons of Sylvia sing “Oh Whatcha Waitin’ For” – It was pretty darn good! See!?! The Pro’s can sing on-key on an Idol show! Country folk don’t mess around.

Commercial time…but it’s a good one! So You Think You Can Dance will be back on in May! Yea! More happy! Next up is Lady Antebellum singing their #1 hit, “Need You Now.” LOVE! Happier! and NOW Shakira is singing with Rascal Flatts! Really happy! They sang “Gypsy.” IT WAS AWESOME!

And awesome time is now over…Dim the lights…its sad time again…Michael, Casey and Siobhan are the Bottom 3…Ryan sends Michael back to safety and we are left with Casey (gasp!) and Siobhan (wince!) – This sux…Ryan then tells us that the one going home tonight will be….Siobhan, Casey is safe (now I’m happy AND sad!) – They show her montage of happier times, which makes me sad again but proud of the classy way she handles herself. After the montage Siobhan belts out “Think” and it was awesome! I wish she would have belted out her song last night like that and then we wouldn’t be saying goodbye to her…But I’m also happy for Casey because he really did the best last night and deserved to be rewarded for such a great performance….But back to Siobhan. After she finished singing she went into the audience and hugged each of her family members and then the judges, right down the line…Simon, Kara, Ellen-who told her she would see her on her show tomorrow where she would sing again, and then Randy…They all told her she is amazing and will go far in her career…I believe it…Still sad though…I loved seeing my quirky little pixie each week just to see what she’d sing and what she would wear. But that’s it…the quirky fun has left the building…I just hope the others will be able to carry the show without her quirky spirit….

Next week I have no clue as to what the theme is so check out next weeks show or some of the other blogs to find out. Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to Ryan. So now that Siobhan is gone, my officials Top 3 are…drum roll please! Crystal, Lee & Casey! These are the hometown visits I want to see. My ultimate hopeful winner is….Crystal Bowersox! GO MAMASOX for the win!!! So until next week America…Nerd out!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My Favorite Quote of the Night – Ellen to Siobhan…”Way to pull the Shania Twain into the station” (Hmmm…I hear crickets… trust me though…it was funny.) Ok…down to the business of Idol…Shania is the mentor and her songbook is the theme.

Lee DeWyze kicks off the night with “You’re Still the One” – He slowed up the tempo and put the growl into it. It was a bit pitchy at times and just a tad too slow for me though; and I felt like the song ended kind of abruptly…not a fan of the arrangement tonight…Still a fan of Lee’s, just not this performance…Lucky for Lee that the judges were over the moon for him…

Mike Lynche is next with “It Only Hurts When I’m Breathing” – Now this is a performance. I got goosebumps. It’s like he’s telling a story with song…Love it! This was just beautiful! Simon thought it was a bit too wet…when prodded by Randy to explain he told him it was the opposite of dry…when asked to clarify that…Simon said the song was too girlie for him…Well duh, the other judges say…the songs tonight were written by and for a woman! I for one loved it and thought more of rainbows than water…so I’ll just put it out there…Mike was singing rainbows tonight.

Casey James is up now with “Don’t” – Oh my! This is a side of Casey we haven’t seen yet…tonight he is giving us a whole song of singing, and can I just say, “WOW!” He is AMAZING! This is his song and this is his moment! I love, love, love! Simon made Casey give Shania a kiss for her mad mentoring skills…and he did…SO jealous…See ya’ll? He’s not just a pretty face! The boy has vocal talent…My fav so far! Sorry Mike, you just got bumped.

Crystal Bowersox is next with “No One Needs to Know” – She’s singing this song for her boyfriend in hopes that the song will hit him over the head with hints about their relationship…The song kind of drags in the beginning, but then she gets a little more into it towards the middle and the end…she gave it good ole country flavor…it was different than anything we’ve heard from her before…I was kind of scratching my head over this one, but the more I replay it back the better I like it…it’s not one of my favorites from her, but it wasn’t bad…just different. I’ve decided that I like it…It was funny after the judges all pretty much said the same thing…not their fav, Simon said that she lacked conviction, to which Crystal popped back with, “What do you mean lack of conviction? He’s right there” (pointing to her boyfriend in the front row). Funny moment…Showed Crystals wit and sense of humor…I love her more every week.

Aaron Kelly is up now with “You Got a Way” – This is nice. Good emotional vibe and I like that he changed up some of the words so that he could dedicate and sing this song to his mom. He was definitely in his comfort zone with the country theme this week. Was it my favorite from him?…No, but I think he did a decent job performing this song.

Last up is Siobhan Magnus singing “Any Man of Mine” – Um, she’s singing this song too “pretty” when it needs to be “gritty”…almost choir-ish. At the end she finally gets to the gritty and her money note along with the attitude that needed to be throughout this song. Not my fav from her. Tonight she was just ok for me…still a huge fan though. Judges loved it, so that’s a good thing.

Rankings for tonight’s performances…not my ranking of my favorite singers though…I love um all…

Casey James
Mike Lynche
Crystal Bowersox
Aaron Kelly - even placing here, I sadly would have to choose my lil guy to go tonight :-(
Siobhan Magnus
Lee DeWyze

Tomorrow night! The Results!!! AND a Star studded night of country performances by…Rascal Flatts, Sons of Sylvia (they’re on Carrie Underwood’s new CD singing a duet…love them!); Lady Antebellum and…huh? Shakira? Not exactly country, but still great! Should be a good show…until they boot someone, then it’ll just be sad…I don’t want any of these 6 to leave…

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My bottom 3 picks were Tim, Aaron, & Mike, picking Tim as the go-guy…and tonight…Teflon Tim finally slid off the plate and went home…but not before some Idol Gives Back moments…

After a nice intro speech by the Obama’s, with Michelle telling Simon to be nice, and the Pres telling the Top 7 that they were all his dawgs, we get things rolling. Performing tonight will be the Black Eyed Peas, Carrie Underwood, Jeff Beck & Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige, Annie Lennox, and Sir Elton John.

I won’t go into too many details…show ran a half hour long and there was a lot going on…so I’ll start with the passionless group sing featuring the Top 12. They sang…Hmmm?…I don’t recall! I just remember being bored…sorry; but it was nice to see some old favs back on stage.

Interspersed between performances were some notables showing tapes of places they visited that have been helped by the over $15 million dollars that have been raised by Idol Gives Back (IGB)…now that’s an impressive amount…Keep giving folks! Some of the stars that were on included, Jennifer Garner, Victoria Beckham, Captain Sully, Morgan Freeman, Russell Brandt, Jona Hill, George Lopez & Wanda Sykes providing some comedic relief, David Arquette, Bill & Melinda Gates, David Cook, and shots of Simon, Randy, Ellen & Ryan visiting places within the United States and abroad, highlighting the great need for us to keep giving. Some of the organizations directly benefiting from the IGB money are Children’s Health Fund, Save the Children, & Malaria No More, to name a few. All very touching footage of the need for funds to help those who can’t help themselves…

The performances tonight ranged from, wow!…not good, to totally awesome…The Black Eyed Peas left a lot to be desired with their song “Rock That Body” – it was, and I’m being kind…really, really not good. Jeff Beck and Joss Stone were amazing with “I Put a Spell on You.” Alicia Keys sang 2 songs, “Do the Unthinkable,” which was a totally inappropriate song and not sung that well, and “New York,” which also hit the stinker machine. Then…finally! Some real talent…CARRIE UNDERWOOD! NOW THE SHOW HAS BEGUN!!! 1 hour and 13 minutes into the show, we finally get to hear some sweet beautiful music. Carrie sang her song “Change,” and it was of course, AWESOME! This wonderful performance was followed by another awesome performance by Annie Lennox. I didn’t catch the name of the song but I know I loved it! The next performance was by Mary J. Blige and the All Star Band, which included Randy Jackson on guitar, Travis Barker on the drums, and some others that I didn’t recognize or catch the names of. The last performance by a star was of course, Sir Elton John singing “Your Song,” and we all know Elton just can’t stink at anything…He was great.

Now to the results, which were drawn out between performances…First Crystal and Casey were called center stage, one safe, the other…not so much…Crystal was safe and Casey was not (sob!). Next called to center stage were Aaron and Lee…same thing, one safe, one not…Lee was safe and Aaron was not…these results took place after the Ford Commercial featuring the Top 7 singing, “We’ve got a big mess on our Hands.” And after those results I have to agree with the song selection of the video. The next group to join Ryan center stage were Siobhan, Mike and Tim…Siobhan and Mike are safe, and Tim…not so much…He joins Aaron and Casey in the stools. So finally…after running a half hour late we get the results…Aaron is the first one sent back to safety (yea for Aaron! Oh No for Casey!)…but finally…Teflon Tim gets da boot…Ryan quickly says we’ll see Tim’s montage and good night…so the credits roll during the montage of Tim’s happier times…and then…that’s it…Show’s over…No swan song for Tim…I think that is totally unfair…the show was already running long, they couldn’t give him a minute and a half to sing his final song!?! There will be outrage by the fans on this one…I guarantee it. I know if my fav got booted & I didn’t get to hear one last song I would be one pissed off viewer…

So that’s it for this week…Next week will be Country night and the guest mentor will be Shania Twain… So until next week America…Nerd out!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My Favorite Quote of the Night – Ellen to Tim…”Tim, you’re like the soup of the day, sometimes I like it and sometimes I don’t…tonight I didn’t like it…

Really short night tonight…only 59 minutes of Idol…but that’s ok, tomorrow night Ryan says to set your DVR’s to run long! Woo Hoo! 1 more day till Idol Gives Back!

The mentor tonight is Alicia Keys…and keeping in with this week’s theme of giving back tonight is all about inspirational songs…So here we go!

Casey kicks off the night with “Don’t Stop” – I just love his voice and I think he’s looking and sounding great! He’s having fun with this song and even moving around a bit with his guitar. I feel he was relaxed, happy and connected…the judge’s thoughts? Not so much…Go figure…inspirational songs don’t all have to be sappy/feel-good songs…listen to the words judges…this song is inspirational; and Casey? Well…he certainly inspires me!

Tim Urban is next with “Better Days” – and, pun intended, he has seen better days …The vocals just didn’t seem to be all there…good song choice; he just couldn’t deliver. Good sincere effort though. Ellen told him that he was like the soup of the day…sometimes you like it and sometimes you don’t…tonight…she didn’t.

Aaron Kelly is taking on a big song tonight…He’s singing “I Believe I Can Fly” – At first the song seems too big for him…it’s just plodding along, but somewhere in the middle he picks up steam and eventually pulls it out…Not one of his best, but he has a lot of fans so I think he’ll be safe…I just wish he would have picked a country song that he could have really sunk his teeth into…Oh well, there’s always next week!

Siobhan Magus is next and looking like a little pixie with butterflies adorning her outfit and body…Awww, so cute! Siobhan sings “When you Believe” – I for one loved her outfit, though the judges (Simon) found it distracting…Thank God for Ellen, who is the voice of the people…I, and Ellen, thought she did great! Love her vocals and love her sincerity. Some of her notes gave me goosebumps. I just love this quirky little pixie!

Big Mike (Lynche) is up now with “Hero” – I think this is a good song choice for him, however, I don’t think that he quite brought the song to the level it needed to be…He had great vocals, it’s just that the song didn’t build like I would have liked. It just wasn’t all there…but I still love the big lug.

Last up is Crystal, who is looking SO beautiful tonight! Crystal is sans instrument tonight…just her and her favorite mic. Crystal sang “Get Ready” – This was such a moving performance! I SO love her! She began the song acapela, and it was just….sigh….beautiful! By the end of the song I think everyone had tears in their eyes…including Crystal who was openly crying by the end of the song…she just took us on an emotional journey with this performance…and she just had a moment…this competition is now hers to lose…I for one am SO glad she hung in and didn’t quit…Season 9 would be over without her. VOTE PEOPLE! VOTE MAMASOX FOR THE WIN!!!!!

My top picks from tonight’s performances:

Crystal Bowersox
Lee DeWyze
Casey James
Siobhan Magnus

My bottom picks are:

Tim Urban (my pick to go…his time has finally come…)
Aaron Kelly (gotta put someone here and it shouldn’t be any of the top 4)
Mike Lynche (gotta put someone here and it shouldn’t be any of the top 4)

Tomorrow night! The Results!!! AND IDOL GIVES BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

…To recap my picks…
My bottom 3 picks were Andrew, Aaron, & Tim. I had a feeling after his performance last night that Andrew would go home, but it was a toss up for me on the 2nd one that would be leaving…Tim did great, but hasn’t had a good track record, & Katie did great too but has been a frequent flyer in the bottom 3. Aaron did so-so last night but has a huge fan base; so that really only left Tim or Katie as the other one that would likely get the boot...And the results were….tonight we said an emotional goodbye to Andrew and Katie.

And here’s how we got there…After 34-million votes…a record high for this season, we begin the countdown…but not until we find out that Brooke White, Justin Gaston and Adam Lambert will be performing live tonight…unlike the lip-sync that is the group sing. Tonight the group-sing was a medley of Elvis classics…I don’t like that they don’t sing live…You don’t get as much out of a performance when they are not singing live, so the group-sing was BLEEP hum…good singing, just not much energy.

Back from a commercial we go right to the Ford Music Video featuring a Ford Fusion and a green theme…You can check it out online at americanidol.com. The song in the commercial was “Light & Day/Reach for the Sun.

Ok…here we go...Result time…Dim the lights. Ryan starts with Casey, Aaron and Andrew all joining him center stage…he does some idle chit chat with each of them starting with Casey, then Aaron, then Andrew….Ryan asks Andrew how the week has been since the save last week…uh oh…we know where this is going…Andrew says it was pretty stressful…Ryan then ends his suspense and tells him he is the 1st one to go tonight…Awww…I really like the guy…I just wish he would have done a different song last night…I think if he had done maybe, “Love Me Tender” and sang part of it in Spanish he really could have had a moment…Anywho…Andrew sings…I think…”You Give me Something” – if it ever was a popular song I sure couldn’t recognize it…When he’s done he says a few words to Ryan and the audience…it was a very gracious exit. We’ll miss you Andrew!

Next Ryan talks a little about next week and Idol Gives Back, and said we will start seeing some updates of what has happened since the last time we saw Idol Gives Back…and with that we go to a tape of Elliot Yamin and Kara in Africa where they visit the groundbreaking of a new dorm for the 51 children that are currently living in a temporary dorm…they also distribute some more lifesaving mosquito nets. It was very touching…Next week some of the confirmed big names that will be performing are Black Eyed Peas, Carrie Underwood, Mary J. Blige & Elton John to name a few. Should be a great show!

Next up are Brooke White and Justin Gaston with a duet of “If I can Dream” – O Wow! This was such a beautiful performance…I can’t believe they’ve only been working on it for a week! This will be available as a free download on iTunes….check it out.

Ok…Here we go again…Dim the lights…Ryan then asks for the whole bottom row to join him on stage…then one by one he goes down the line…Lee, Siobhan, Katie, Michael, Crystal and Tim…he then reveals that the following are safe…Crystal, Siobhan, and then teases Lee by asking him to take a walk with him and walks him back to the safety of the couch…whew! So that leaves us with Tim, Michael or Katie that will be leaving us tonight. Wow…Me thinks the producers are psyching us out…

Before we find out who will be leaving us we get to hear from Adam Lambert!….And can I just say…OMG!!! NOW THIS IS A PERFORMANCE! I was SO feeling this song…I SO LOVE him! After he was done I was so excited I called my sis and screamed into the phone when it was answered. My poor nephew Dal’s ears will never be the same…My daughter came running back to my room to see what was wrong and why I screamed…Awkward! I shoo’d her away, got my sis on the phone…apologized for Dal’s recent hearing loss and screamed again! ADAM WAS SO AWESOME!!!! You see, she is 2 hours behind me and has yet to hear the performance, so I had to gloat-that’s what little sisters do ya know…Sigh…You SO have to find this performance online and hear & see for yourself if you missed it….It was awesome! I didn’t want it to end!

But end it did and now we get back to the business of crushing someone’s dream…who will it be, Tim? Nope…he gets sent back to safety…so is it Mike? Nope…he wasn’t even in the bottom 3 Ryan tells us…so it is poor little Katie…Awww, and she did so well last night….but she has been the bottom 3 frequent flyer so not totally unexpected…but it is totally sad cuz she is just so sweet. For her swan song she sang, or at least attempted to sing, “Let it Be.” She had one heck of a time trying to keep it together as she sang, the audience and the other Idols cried, and even I got misty…It was very emotional. Ryan hugged her after it was over and told her she had half the room crying…then they top it off with the montage of the time Andrew and Katie spent on Idol and she just sobbed through the whole thing…very draining…I SO felt for her. Andrew was just the rock she needed to lean on…As sad as it was for him too he just put his arm around her and comforted her…so sweet…

So that’s it for this week…Next week will be Inspirational Songs and the guest mentor will be Alicia Keys…AND….IDOL GIVES BACK! So until next week America…Nerd out!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My Favorite Quote of the Night – Actually…I have two…Ryan to Adam, “My tongue isn’t nearly as talented as yours…….(awkward pause)…I mean with singing…” – Awkward moment but totally hilarious; and…Ellen to Katie, “That was a very horny song…it had a lot of horns in it…”

Short night tonight so we get right to it…after, of course, Ryan chats a little with Adam…WHO’S IN THE FRONT ROW!!!!! HE’S SOOOO PRETTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HI ADAM!

So it’s Elvis night and Adam joins the Top 9 in Vegas for a little one on one mentoring…I have to say, he gave some good advice tonight…kept it real…

First up is Crystal singing “I’m Saved” – Crystal asked Adam, “Acoustical or Electric guitar?” – he says Electric…and some more stuff, but I was too busy staring into those beautiful eyes of his…sigh….Oh yea…Crystal…Crystal is AMAZING! Loved her energy! She was really having fun with this tonight and made the song sound totally original. Loved it!

Next is Andrew Garcia singing “You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog” – Adam told him his rendition bored him and to step it up and show some energy…but did Andrew listen? Nope…It was a lackluster performance. He did change the song up, but it was just not there for me…Sorry Andy….

Tim is next with “Can’t Help Falling in Love” – Adam encouraged him to hit the falsetto for his ending notes…but he didn’t…darn, it sounded so good in practice…oh well, Tim still did great…the only real critique I have for this performance is that his voice was just a bit too soft…it was hard to hear him at times…but other than that he had spot on vocals. Nice job Tim! You’re slowly turning me into a fan.

Now up…Lee DeWyze with “A Little Less Conversation” – Love his rock vibe. Great vocals. Nothing really standout about this performance, but he was solid…and he really connected with the audience and seemed to be having a lot of fun with this…he took Adam’s advice and just loosened up and had fun…Yea!

Aaron’s song choice is “Blue Suede Shoes” – Not a good song selection in my opinion. He did step up his performance factor and have fun with it, but to me it was just an ok, karaoke-ish performance.

Now up…Siobhan Magnus with “Suspicious Minds” – Adam told her to up the beat a little…Did she? Not really, but she still managed to pull off a great performance…in my opinion…I love her voice, it is amazing.

Next is Big Mike with “In the Ghetto” – this song was suggested to him by Siobhan…and was it a great suggestion…had my daughter near tears…it was such a beautiful rendition…it was like he was telling a story in song…just beautiful…SO glad he got the save!

Now we have Katie Stevens with “Baby What You Want Me To Do” – WOW! This is great! Amazing vocals tonight! Great blues quality. She had just a couple cracks in some power notes, but who cares…this was just great. Love the look tonight too. This is where Ellen tells her that the song was a very horny song…it had lots of horns in it…LOL moment.

Last up is Casey James singing “Lawdy Miss Maudy” – LOVE IT! He is really stretching his pipes tonight. Very bluesy rock n roll vibe. LOVE IT! Judges panned it…must mean it was great!

My bottom picks are:

Andrew Garcia (the whole thing just was not there for me tonight)
Aaron Kelly (wrong song choice)
Tim Urban (great tonight, but I gotta put someone here)

My top picks from tonight’s performances:

Crystal Bowersox
Mike Lynche
Casey James
Lee DeWyze
Siobhan Magnus
Katie Stevens (totally unique)

Tomorrow night! The Results!!! AND MORE ADAM LAMBERT!!!! YEA!

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

...To recap my picks...My bottom 3 picks were Aaron, Andrew & Tim, & I thought that either Andrew or Tim would get da boot…but who did America pick as the bottom vote-getters? Aaron, Andrew and WHAT!?! BIG MIKE!?! ARE YOU CRAZY!!???!!! Even crazier still is the fact that our beloved Big Mike was THEE bottom vote-getter! How did we get here America? How?!?!

Well I’ll tell you how! To get there we first plod through the lip sync that is the group sing…with the Top 9 dressed in black and white and singing a medley of songs from the songbook of Lennon & McCartney…then, Yea! Commercial for Glee!!! Double-yea! Glee starts up again next week! Oops. Sorry, got a little distracted…I’m such a Gleek though…saying Glee to me is like saying squirrel to a dog…(you had to see the movie “Up” to appreciate that). Anywho, back to the show…quickly…we get through the Ford Commercial to the song, “Will it Go Round in Circles,” Yada, Yada, Yada, go to Americanidol.com to enter contest to win an American Idol inspired Ford Fiesta…ok…now let’s get to the meat of the show….Dim the lights!

Siobhan, Crystal and Katie…go to center stage…Crystal, go back, you’re safe (I’d say, duh here, but since Big Mike was the bottom feeder tonight I’ll refrain)….Ok, so down to Siobhan and Katie…one of you, no, both of you are safe! All girls are safe! (breathes sigh of relief…remember…I don’t know yet that Big Mike is in the bottom, so I’m still blissfully happy)…Ok….so Ryan now tells us that 3 of the 6 guys left make up our bottom 3…really?…I can say “duh” here cuz there are only guys left…let’s state the obvious Ryan, ok? Oh wait sarcastic me…he said, WHICH 3 of the 6 guys left will make up our bottom 3…Ohhhhh….ok…that makes more sense…I take my “duh” back.

Ok…more filler now with Kara’s protégé, I think Ryan said his name was Jason Garulo? Not sure about the last name…anyways…he’s really good! Now that’s a nice surprise. Kara can actually spot talent!

Next up before we find out which 3 guys are in the bottom is our own little David Archuleta…Awww, he’s so stinkin cute! And his voice has really matured too! He sounds amazing! Love him! Ok…let’s move on…DIM THE LIGHTS!

Ryan now forms 2 groups on stage…A far-side group and a near-side group…Lee, Casey and Tim make up the far-side group and Big Mike, Aaron and Andrew make up the near-side group…I think we all know where this is going…Yup…far-side group is safe…Yea! And Gasp! Near-side group, not so much. Ryan sends 1 back to safety, and I’m sure you were all like me…oh, got this one in the bag…Big Mike is safe of course…But NOOOOOO, not to be! Big Mike is part of the Bottom 2 with Andrew; Little Aaron is spared any more torture & sent back to safety, and then GASP HEARD ROUND THE WORLD! BIG MIKE IS THE LOWEST VOTE-GETTER! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yah…before Ryan told us that, Rihanna sang. She looked great, but I did not like this song…I’m guessing the songwriter wasn’t really a wordsmith….I believe whoever wrote the song got stuck on the words, “I’m a Rock Star.” Sorry to Rihanna fans, of which I am one (so sorry to me too)…but I just absolutely, positively hated this song, sorry…hate is a bad word. I strongly disliked it…

Ok. back to Big Mike…Now…you may not believe me, but I do have witnesses… before BM sang his beautiful song, “Woman’s Work” (wait…can’t use BM for his nickname…that’s the acronym for Bowel Movem…well, you know…)…So Anywho, before Big Mike sang I predicted that the judges would use the “save” IF Big Mike was the bottom vote-getter…and guess what!?! I WAS SOOOOO RIGHT! Yea me! I’m SO glad they used the “save” on Big Mike…I of course would have preferred that they not have to use it yet, but since they had to, I’m glad it was to save Mike. I mean…Its Big Mike! Now next week 2 people will have to go…and sadly, that will be right before the big Idol Gives Back Night…which is in 2 weeks…but not to worry, they usually bring back all of the Top 12 to participate so they’ll all get to be there….So…what we have here tonight is justice…Thank you judges for letting cooler heads prevail and for saving Big Mike. I thank you, thank you, thank you….

But to be clear…I still want my Crystal, Casey, Siobhan and Lee to the end, I just want Big Mike to be there too…I think that would be an awesome Final 5…

One more thing before I forget…if you want to start donating now to Idol Gives Back, then go to idolgivesback.org and start your giving now…The judges have also donated items up for auction so check it out.

Next week Adam Lambert will be the guest Mentor and the guest singer! Yea! I get to see my beloved Adam on my TV 2 nights in a row! So until next week America…Nerd out!

American Idol Season 9 – Top 09, 04-06-10

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My Favorite Quote of the Night – Simon to Aaron “Sweetie.” That’s it…just sweetie…I thought it was an, Awww, moment.

The show starts off with a behind the scenes look from the control booth…then shots from the booth of the judges and the contestants backstage. Then we get the standard, “THIS is American Idol,” from Ryan and the judges come out on stage to take their seats, then Ryan descends down the stairs and brings out our Top 9. Songs tonight are from the Lennon/McCartney songbook, and there are no mentor’s tonight…just clips of what the other contestants think of each other…some cute/silly moments from that. And now…here we go…

First up is Aaron Kelly singing “The Long & Winding Road” – Nice vocals in the opening notes; he hits a couple stinkers along the way, but overall; on key. The song is a little boring and plodding, but he had a nice ending note. This was just ok for me…not one of his best. Judges pretty much said the same thing…could be in danger with this one…but then again, he does have some fans that could save him. Simon asked him why he sang the song, and when he was answering him, Simon called him “Sweetie.” Truly an, Awww, moment.

Next is Katie Stevens with “Let it Be” – Beautiful start. Chills! I am totally feeling this performance! This is the best I’ve heard from her...EVER! Wow…I think she just had a moment! This was a totally beautiful & emotional performance. Nice job Katie! And just when I had written her off…nice comeback…but was it enough to save her from the bottom 3?

Andrew Garcia is next with “Can’t Buy Me Love” – Good vocals, but not an entirely exciting performance…His vocals are upbeat, but he barely moves…He’s standing behind the judges with guitar in hand…I really think he should have been on stage and moving around a little to make it a more exciting performance to match his vocals. Hmmm, not loving this one…and after he made such progress last week. Darn it.

Big Mike (Lynche) is next with “Eleanor Rigby” – He’s giving this song some R&B flavor. Nice power up on the vocals. Good stage presence. It’s nice with the strings all behind him in a semi-circle too. I like the way he changed up the song to make it more contemporary. I disagree with Simon…I think he did make the song relevant and I liked it.

Now up is Crystal Bowersox with, “Come Together” – I SO Love her! I love her funk. I would totally buy her CD today. She really let loose with her vocals tonight and had some fun. I just love her voice and I love that she showed her personality on stage tonight. As the judges said to her…She is in the zone! Loved the didgeridoo that accompanied her. Some fun moments with her and Ryan and the guy on the didgeridoo after her performance…good stuff.

Next is Tim Urban with “All My Lovin’” – He’s pulled out the electric guitar tonight…Good vocals. I think that he changed it up in a good way…Didn’t knock my socks off, but he did really well tonight. Nice that the judges were finally kind to him and apologized for knocking him so much…Simon even told him, “Well done,” and that he was proud of him…Awww. Still, was it enough to keep him safe? Hmmmm.

Casey James is up now with “Jealous Guy,” with nothing to accompany him but his acoustic guitar and a cello. This is so beautiful! I LOVE this softer side of Casey. Great song choice. I totally loved it and I totally felt this performance…He just had a moment. This was a nice heartfelt and soulful performance. Sigh….Simon even said he was the best of the night so far and that he was impressed…Um…me too!

Siobhan Magus is up next with “Across the Universe” – She is singing a nice soft song with very controlled vocals. This is very beautiful and I love her outfit. She looks and sounds great tonight…A couple pitch issues but who cares. This was nicely done…I love that she runs with a beat all her own; and apparently Earl from the audience does too. Ryan lets him come up on stage and give her a hug. Awww. That was nice.

Now for the last performance of the night with Lee DeWyze singing, “Hey Jude” – He is totally enjoying himself tonight…seems very happy. He is also connecting with the audience and getting them involved in his performance….then a laugh out loud moment when the bagpipe guy comes down the stairs and joins him towards the end…Lee is really having fun with this now…totally what was needed to end the night on a good note…This was a fun performance and I loved it.

My bottom picks are: Although no one was a real stinker tonight…based on the performances this is how I see it…I think that either Andrew or Tim might get the cut tomorrow night…Aaron is still a fan fav and should be safe.

Aaron Kelly (slow and plodding tonight, but I forgive this kid anything)
Andrew Garcia (bored me, but great vocals)
Tim Urban (great vocals, but not unique enough vocally to stand out)

My top picks from tonight’s performances:

Casey James (sigh…)
Crystal Bowersox (fun, upbeat performance…great vocals)
Lee DeWyze (fun performance)
Katie Stevens (vocally great)
Siobhan Magnus (totally unique)
Mike Lynche (gotta love the big guy)

Tomorrow night! The Results!!!

Oh yea…And in case you missed it…Buzz and Jake were in the Bottom 3 and Buzz was booted off Dancing with the Stars.

American Idol Season 9 – Top 10 RESULTS! 03-31-10
By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

…To recap my picks…
My bottom 3 picks were Tim, Katie & Didi, and I picked Tim to go, but would settle for Katie…Who did America pick? Tim, Katie and Didi for the bottom 3 (love it when I’m right!)…but who went home? Well, Katie was sent back to safety and Didi was the next to go (Dang it…I SO hate it when I’m wrong)…

…And here’s how we got there…
We start out the usual way…intro of the judges and a brief intro of the Idol Contestants on the couch…a little chit chat and right into some music…The first musical guest is none other than Ruben Studdard. Seems he’s dropped a few LB’s…looks good, sounds good too…I’m just not a fan of the song…Ruben and Clay will be touring this summer…should be a fun concert…then we’re off to break…

After the break it’s time for the Ford commercial to the song “Kung Fu Fighting” – it was a cute one. Go to Americanidol.com and register to win an American Idol inspired Ford Fiesta…

Ok…enough of that…dim the lights here we go…Lee-Safe; Casey James-Safe; Aaron Kelly-Safe; Siobhan and Katie, stand up together…Siobhan is safe and Katie is not (again) – By the way…during this time while Siobhan and Katie are standing it becomes very uncomfortable when Ryan and Simon bicker back and forth with each other…then Kara keeps talking to Simon and distracting him so he’s not paying attention and then when it’s announced that Katie is in the bottom 3 it’s a little unclear what happens because it’s so chaotic, but it seems that Ryan felt that Simon was gloating about Katie being in the bottom 3…which he wasn’t, but it again made for very uncomfortable watching…they were all very rude and very insensitive to what was going on with Siobhan and Katie…poor Siobhan is crying, Katie just looks confused…it was just awful…shame on you judges and Ryan for taking away from this very stressful time for these kids…shame on you!

Ok…enough…Usher is up next and is looking and sounding mighty fine…love his dance moves….He’s singing OMG with Wil I Am. Nice break from the chaos.

After Usher we move on to the bottom row and Didi is called up first to find out that she too is in the bottom 3. Then Michael Lynche is teased by Ryan to walk on up (as if he’s going to the bottom 3) and then told he’s safe…He then grabs Ryan and practically turns him upside down…funny moment…Ok…now on to Crystal who is also told she’s safe; and then Tim and Andrew have to stand together to find out that Andrew is safe and Tim is not…so the bottom 3 are Katie, Didi and Tim…which while sad, was predictable…then not so predictably…Katie is sent back to safety, leaving Didi and Tim onstage to await their fate…but before we learn who is leaving, a surprise performance by Didy. Now THIS was a nice surprise…I actually had to get up and dance with this one…it was great!

Ok…now for the results…Tim is safe and Didi must now sing for her life and she chooses to sing Rianna. Good song choice, but not good enough to save her…sadly the judges let her go…This is just so wrong…tonight the wrong person went home…I wasn’t ready to let her go just yet… tonight just sucked eggs all around…except for Usher and Didy…they were the highlights in a show full of bad behavior and really wrong choices. The only one who showed any class tonight besides the contestants was Ellen, who looked a little mortified at what was going on…I just hope that next week Kara and Simon can find a little class.

Next week it’s the Lennon & McCartney songbook. So until next week America…Nerd out!

American Idol Season 9 – Top 10, 03-30-10

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
http://www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My Favorite Quote of the Night – Ellen to Tim, “You were walking like you were sneaking into a bedroom.”

The show starts with a backstage look at where the contestants stand before going onstage to perform; and then we see the judges in a group huddle. Ryan tells Simon to give Ellen a kiss and he does…cute. Then Ryan goes out onstage and we see the audience as the contestants do…Gee, I always thought the theater was much bigger than that…Anywho, the judges come out on stage and then take their seats. Ryan then introduces Usher who is in the audience and was the guest mentor this week…Good, finally a mentor that can really be a mentor…By the way, Usher’s new CD came out today…it’s titled Raymond vs. Raymond.

First up tonight is Siobhan singing “Through the Fire” – Wow…she’s very nasal in her lower register; and this is the first time I’ve heard her be pitchy in her upper register with the big key changes…I am not loving this at all…Wow…very disappointing. I still love her though.

Next up is Casey James singing “Hold On I’m Comin’” – That’s it…I’m in love with Casey! I LOVE this! His voice is so awesome! He seems more comfortable on stage too. He is giving a performance tonight, and receives a standing ovation for his effort. Great song choice…Loved it! Woot! Woot!

Big Mike (Lynche) is up next with “Ready for Love” – Nice, soft, and soulful; that’s how we like our Big Mike, and that’s just what he gives us…He gave me goosebumps. Nice ending power note finished off with a soft touch. Very nice, great vocals. He had his moment.

Didi Benami now sings “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” – Well…it’s pretty, but pitchy in some spots. Not the emotional song that I thought it was going to be from the lead-in with Usher…This didn’t really do it for me…it didn’t move me. Dang…she’s lost the originality that IS Didi…Ryan tries to help her tug at the heartstrings of America by asking her to tell us just why this song is so personal to her…she doesn’t bite…too bad…could have helped…Just didn’t feel this performance. Sorry Didi…Love you, but this was not your night.

Now Tim Urban sings “Sweet Love” – He starts out sitting on the stairs, then gets up as he sings and very slowly walks towards the audience and the end of the stage…Nice vocals, but like with Didi’s song…it just didn’t connect for me…This is where Ellen tells him that when he was walking towards the stage it was like he was sneaking into a bedroom…Judges were pretty funny when they were critiquing him…they were actually making fun of the fact that he always smiles, even when they’re being mean to him…He can’t believe that out of all the things they could say to him they would knock his smile…funny moment…and of course, Tim smiles…

Andrew Garcia is now up with “Forever” – with acoustic guitar. Well FINALLY! Andrew is back! Thank God! I was SO ready to write him off…I really, really liked this…Welcome back Andrew…It was unique, his own, and sounded current. Great mentoring Usher!

Now Katie is going to sing “Chain of Fools” – She’s got the attitude…a tad pitchy in some spots, but overall, very powerful vocals…It’s just that something is missing for me…I can’t put my finger on it though…I’m just not feeling the connection to her like I did when she sang to her grandma…Hmm.

Lee DeWyze is up next with “Treat Her Like a Lady” – Seems he’s got walking pneumonia…Awww…he shrugs it off though…doesn’t want that to become a distraction…good for you Lee….and WOW! I love this performance. He’s going all out…Great vocals! He doesn’t look so scared either. Now I know why people like him so much. I loved this performance! Great job Lee!

Crystal’s up next and is supposed to surprise us by doing something different…Oh…she’s going to play the piano instead of the guitar…ok…that’s different…and she’s in heels too! Crystal is singing “Midnight Train to Georgia” – I LOVE this! She is SO awesome! I love that she started at the piano and then stood up as the song built….She had awesome vocals tonight by hitting some really sweet notes. LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Um…can you tell she’s one of my favorites?

Last, but certainly not least is little Aaron Kelly singing “Ain’t no Sunshine” – Well…this is good, but his vocals sound a little weak in the beginning…gets better as he powers up though. This was just a good performance….didn’t blow me away…but he did ok. I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere.

My bottom picks are:

Tim Urban (my pick to go – either him or Katie)
Didi Benami (sad that I even have to put her here)
Katie Stevens (I think she’s lost her connection with the audience)
Siobhan Magnus (Vocally, she was the worst tonight but I don’t see her being in danger)

My top picks from tonight’s performances:

Crystal Bowersox
Casey James
Lee DeWyze
Mike Lynche
Andrew Garcia
Aaron Kelly

Tomorrow night! The Results!!!

Oh yea…And in case you missed it…Shannen Doherty was booted off Dancing with the Stars.

American Idol Season 9 – Top 11 RESULTS! 03-24-10
By: ImTHEIdolNerd
www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

…To recap my picks…
My danger zone picks were Paige, Katie & Andrew…Who did America pick? Paige, Katie and Tim.

…And here’s how we got there…
We start off with the judges already in their seats, and after a brief intro of the judges we’re off and running with the group sing, which is a song from Wham, “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” – The group sing was good, but they need to show a little more energy, but I am seeing progress. After the group sing we move on to the Ford commercial with the song “Our Time Now” – Cute…You can go to Americanidol.com if you want to see it.

Back from a real commercial and Ryan engages Siobhan in some chit chat…her boss is in the audience and vows not to shave as long as she’s on the show…looks to me like he’s gonna have one long beard by then…sitting next to her boss are her friends who call themselves the Siobhambi’s dressed up a little bit like zombies…funny. Ok…enough of that…

Dim the lights, here we go…Siobhan, pack your bags cuz you’re going on tour! You are safe! Lee and Casey, both are asked to stand up together, after some chatting with the judges about their performances last night they are told to “hang on” and Ryan then asks Tim and Paige to stand up...After some more chatting with the judges about Tim and Paige, Ryan then tells Tim and Paige that they are both in the bottom 3…and then we go to commercial. Um, Ryan? What about Casey and Lee?

Back from commercial and we are told that Usher will be here next week and that Miley is now going to sing her new song ”When I Look at You” – Um…what about Lee? What about Casey? Guess we’ll still have to wait on that verdict….Oh yea, I already told you…they’re safe…but we don’t find that out until after Miley sings and after another commercial…sigh…Anywho, back to Miley…she’s seated at the piano in a nice evening gown and begins to sing…It’s a nice song but she’s so nasal. When she powers up she loses the nasal-ness, somewhat, but it’s still a nice song, although I don’t know that head banging in an evening gown to a ballad is really the way to go…she does love to fling her hair…After Miley’s done, she and Ryan do a little chit chat and then we are off to another commercial…

After the break Ryan tells us that Idol Gives Back is in four weeks (can’t wait!), but that we can start now by going to Americanidol.com/idolgivesback and start thinking of creative ways to raise money for this cause; and that if they like some ideas they’ll be highlighted on future shows…nice. NOW we can get back to the results…and Ryan FINALLY tells us that the top row, which means Siobhan, Lee and Casey, are all safe and that we are now moving on to the bottom row….

Bring down the lights and Aaron, stand up…You are safe! Didi – after much torturous bantering with the judges she is finally told that she is safe (whew!), Michael Lynche, stand up please – you are safe! Crystal – Ryan asks her how she feels about the conflicting comments from the judges about using a guitar and not using a guitar, he asks her who she will listen to…she says, “Me.” Love it! Oh yea, and she’s safe! (duh). Now on to Andrew and Katie, they are both asked to stand up…Andrew is safe and Katie is not…So Tim, Paige and Katie are the bottom 3…Off to a break, & when we return Demi Lavato and Joe Jonas will sing “Make a Wave.”

So we’re back now & Demi and Joe sing, “Make a Wave,” with some really inappropriate wiggling and overacting for the inspirational meaning of the song…actually pretty funny. They sing well, it was just funny to watch. Awww, youth. When they are finished Ryan reminds Joe that he was at the Dallas auditions where he put Tim through…Joe looks over at Tim and says, “Hey, how ya doin? Oh…I guess not so well right now, huh? Well, I’m crossing my fingers for you.” It was a laugh out loud moment…Now off to commersh again and when we come back we find out that Tim is safe (guess crossing fingers works), and Paige will be going home if the judges don’t use their save…Simon tells Paige before she even sings for her life that no matter how she does on her song they will not be using the save on her tonight…they didn’t want to give her any false hopes…Awww, sad, but totally expected…she’s been melting down the last few weeks…so they then go straight to her montage of feel-good moments from the show and then she sings us out with “All Right Now.” She sings it well so it’s a good note, literally, to go out on. She’s got personality and she really does have a good voice so I’m sure she’s going to get picked up by someone and we’ll be seeing or hearing from her again.

Next week its R&B week with mentor, Usher. So until next week America…Nerd out!

American Idol Season 9 – Top 11, 03-23-10

By: ImTHEIdolNerd
www.myfoxyumaelcentro.com/myfox/

My Favorite Quote of the Night – Ellen to Lee DeWyze - “My favorite Pen is Back!”

The judges are introduced as they come out on stage and go to their seats. Ryan’s intro is next as he descends from the stairs…. Its Billboard’s Top Number One’s tonight…You’d think that would mean we’ll hear some current songs, right? Wrong…check it out…Oh yea, and Miley Cyrus is the mentor…sigh…

Lee DeWyze starts us off with “The Letter” – Jazz style…Lee looks more comfortable on stage. Vocals are great, but this was not an, “I want to win” song or performance. While he was more comfortable, he still looks like a deer caught in the headlights at times. Ellen’s review of him covered the analogy of having a favorite pen that you just love, but sometimes it runs out of ink and you have to light it with a lighter to warm it up to make the ink flow, and then it works again. Well, she said Lee is like that pen and she’s glad to have her favorite pen back…I like the pen too, but I think the ink needs to be warmed up a little more. A safe performance, but not a winning performance.

Paige Miles is next with “Against All Odds” – and tonight it was against all odds that she’d find the right note. This was just a mess; it was the wrong song choice in the wrong key, especially coming off of having laryngitis last week. Truthfully it made my ears bleed. If I wasn’t trying to write about it I’d mute my TV. It was that horrible. She did look good though…there’s my positive. If Miley had truly been a good mentor she would have talked her out of that song. So let’s blame Miley for this one, ok?

Tim Urban now graces the stage with Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – Really? This is the song he chose? He had good vocals tonight, but this was just BLEEP hum. Boring, but well sung….Bad song choice. Nuff said.

Aaron Kelly is next and we are told he’s suffering from laryngitis AND tonsillitis…Awww….Aaron’s singing “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” – Chills, beautiful opening notes. Nice country flavor to his voice. Me likey. He had a couple pitch issues, but he worked it out. Those high notes he hit must have killed his throat. Good song choice even though it was an oldie…at least it was a goodie. Good job Aaron!

Midway through now and Crystal Bowersox is up with “Me and Bobby McGee” – She looks great by the way…CHILLS! I love her take on this song…she totally made it her own. I SO LOVE THIS!!! FINALLY AN “O WOW” MOMENT! Now THIS is how you pick a song if you want to win! I want to hear this over and over and over again…a totally Grammy-worthy moment. I loved it THAT much!

Following Crystal is Big Mike, Michael Lynche…Only one of the few that can follow a Crystal performance…Mike is singing “When a Man Loves a Woman” – and this woman loves this man…(I know…pretty cheesy huh?) I LOVE! His voice is so powerful and beautiful. Nice sweet note at the end…Great! Me likey Mikey! Boo to the judges…I totally disagree with them…They are not loving his performance…perhaps a playback is in order judges because this was great!

Now up is Andrew Garcia singing “I Heard it through the Grapevine” – Well…this is better than last week vocally, however his movements on stage are so over the top compared to the passion with which he is singing this song. Very karaoke-ish. Good vocals, bad song choice.

Now for Katie Stevens singing “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Like Andrew, this was better than last week. She showed some personality and seemed to be connected to the song and the audience. Some pitch issues, but overall I give her a big ole…not bad…I definitely give her credit for taking notes and applying them…in a good way…

Now for a little eye candy cuz Casey James is up…(he’s so pretty) – Casey is singing “The Power of Love” – I love his voice, his tone always surprises me. Great vocals tonight and he’s so pretty with such a cute smile…He too took notes and applied them by connecting more to his audience and the camera…pitch perfect and a perfectly good performance. Only critique is I would have liked a more current song.

Didi Benami is up now with “You’re No Good” – I love her unique tone too. I think she made the song feel more current and I get what her style will be when she records. Love her nice powerful vocals. Judges need to hear the playback on this one too because I thought it was great. Nice job Didi!

Last up is Screamer…I mean Siobhan Magnus (I kid…I love her scream, I mean, her really high note) – Siobhan is singing “Superstition” Wow!…What a great voice! "Nice tone! Man this girl can sing! Nice energy on stage and an overall great performance with a powerful ending…I think this was a great night for her…Love Love Love!

My picks for danger zone are:

Paige Miles
Andrew Garcia
Katie Stevens

My top 3 picks to stay (did I say 3? I mean 4):

Crystal Bowersox
Siobhan Magnus
Mike Lynche
Didi Benami

My middle of the road, but TOTALLY deserve to still be here peeps are…and in this particular order…

Casey James
Aaron Kelly
Lee DeWyze
Tim Urban

Tomorrow night! The Results!!! Oh yea…and Miley Cyrus

American Idol FINALE! Old is New Again! 05/26/10

American Idol Review of Top 2 Finalists! Is Lee DeWyze Choice? Crystal Ball says Bowersox! 05/25/10

American Idol Results! BeLEEve in Bowerstock! 05/19/10

American Idol Review of Top 3 - The Fight is On? 05/18/10

American Idol Top 4 Results! THE SEARCH FOR A SUPERSTAR! 05/12/10

American Idol Top 4 in Review. Are You An Artist or a Contestant?!?! 05-11-10

American Idol Season 9 – Top 05 RESULTS! 05-05-10, DIM THE LIGHTS! HERE WE GO!

American Idol Review of Top 5-Frank's way orTheir way...It didn't work for all...

American Idol RESULTS of TOP 6! 04/28/10 - The Pixie Lost her Wings!

American Idol in Review - Top 6! Season 9, 04-27-10

American Idol Results and Idol Gives Back! Season 9, 04-21-10

American Idol in Review - Top 7-MamaSox Rocks! 04-20-10

American Idol Season 9-Top 9 RESULTS! AGAIN! 04-14-10

American Idol-Season 9-Top 9...AGAIN! 04-13-10

American Idol Season 9 - Top 9 - RESULTS! 04-07-10

American Idol Season 9 - Top 09, 04-06-10

American Idol Season 9 - Top 10 RESULTS! 03-31-10

American Idol Season 9 - Top 10, 03-30-10

American Idol Season 9 - Top 11 RESULTS! 03-24-10

American Idol Season 9 - Top 11, 03-23-10

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