The theme tonight is Inspirational Songs qith Alicia Keys serving as the mentor. This week is Idol Gives Back, so all of your votes go to help save lives. Also, all proceeds from this week's iTunes performances go towards Idol Gives Back beneficiaries. Tomorrow night will be the two-hour Idol Gives Back star-studded show.
Casey James sang “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac. Casey was in his blues-rock element, but it wasn't an inspirational song or performance. However, it was still a good performance, and Casey is still a rock star. Randy said Casey's performance was good but not his best. He's looking for something special and wants Casey to step out of his comfort zone. Ellen said that people won't be talking about Casey's performance tomorrow. Kara said Casey made himself like everyone else tonight and she misses the vulnerability of his "Jealous Guy" performance. Simon said the song was not inspiring and Casey lacked emotion and originality in his performance.
Lee Dewyze sang “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel. The beginning was awkward for me, and Lee didn't always hit the high notes. However, he was connected to the song and very emotional. Randy said Lee is a great artist ready to go make great music. He predicted that Lee will have a big career. Ellen said it was a beautiful song choice. She said Lee has soul and depth and called this his best performance. Kara said that Lee had his "moment" tonight. She said connection makes all the difference. Simon said Lee made the song current and called it sincere, emotional, inspirational, and brilliant.
Tim Urban sang “Better Days” by the Goo Goo Dolls. I thought it was a good song choice. Tim has really grown in this competition. His higher register has improved, and he's hitting his stride. Randy said it was just an okay karaoke version of the original. Ellen compared Tim to the soup of the day--sometimes you like it, and sometimes you don't--and she didn't like it today. Kara said Tim's performance was not the best execution, but she still believes that he's on the right track. Simon said Tim has improved over the weeks, but tonight was a little bit of a letdown.
Aaron Kelly sang “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly. (A. Kelly singing R. Kelly!) I had high hopes for this performance. Aaron started pretty shaky, but he settled into the chorus and really belted at the key change. I also noticed that he was putting more rasp into his voice, and I liked it. Randy said Aaron did a good job with a giant song. Ellen said Aaron has a big voice and he's on his way. Kara said Aaron's performance was like taking off on a flight--rough at the start, but soaring in the end. Simon said Aaron's vocals were not very good but his personality made the performance better.
Siobahn Magnus sang “When You Believe” by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. She had too much vibrato in the beginning, but her vocals were tender (and not screaming). I thought she had some good moments and some not so good moments. Randy said Siobahn's performance was just okay. Ellen disagreed with Randy and said Siobahn showed that she deserves to be in this competition. Kara said Siobahn technically sang the song well, but she still doesn't know who Siobahn is as an artist. Simon said the arrangement was old fashioned, odd, and all over the place. He also said she progressed through the song too quickly; too much happened too soon.
Michael Lynche sang “Hero” by Nickelback. Big Mike was out of his comfort zone on this one. It wasn't my favorite, but it was okay. The chorus was rough. The verses were good. The ending was better. Randy said Mike held his own with this song and it worked out. Ellen said Mike did a great job. Kara said this wasn't her favorite performance of Mike's because he doesn't have the tone for this song. She said he made the song unrecognizable. Simon said Mike sang the song pretty well but it felt artificial. He also said the theme is inspirational songs and that song is about Spiderman. (Yes. He said that.)
Crystal Bowersox sang “People Get Ready” by The Chambers Brothers. Crystal performed without an instrument for the first time on this show, but she still looked comfortable on stage. She even used her own personal antique mic stand. Crystal's performance was fantastic. I loved the acapella introduction, and this was clearly an emotional song for Crystal. She saw her dad in the audience and started to cry at the end of her performance. Randy said Crystal's performance was unbelievable and gave her a standing ovation. Ellen said Crystal is evolving and growing, and getting better and better, and said her performance was beautiful. Kara said Crystal took a risk and she schooled all the other contestants. Simon said Crystal's performance was truly inspirational and called it fantastic. He said he was happy to see emotion from her and that she's in a completely different class from the other performances tonight.
My favorites of the night were Crystal, Lee, and Aaron.
I think Siobahn, Tim and Casey will be in the bottom three. Aaron might be in the bottom three, but I say Casey because he played first and bored us all.
Tim will probably go home, though I'd rather see Siobahn go home.
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