This week the top 12 took on the legendary Lennon/McCartney songbook on a brand new bigger, better stage. Some Work(ed) it Out, but others couldn't get it right even if they'd worked Eight Days a Week. I was there, front and center. We only had tickets to the rehearsal but they asked us to stay for the live broadcast as well, so I am all over that episode (lookin' bored, although I wasn't really).
Here are my performance reviews in order of appearance:
Syesha was up first with Earth, Wind & Fire's version of "Gotta Get You Into My Life." Her performance was not as good as in rehearsal, but I still enjoyed it more than I thought I would. She actually came off as likable and a little bit vulnerable, not her usual smirky self. Syesha was also the funniest when it came to reacting to the stand-in judges (they actually pay people who look like Randy, Paula and Simon to make comments). And it's too bad the camera couldn't pick up the detail on her boots - they were kickin'. B
Chikezie got to chat with Ry on the swivel saucer stools about his time as an LAX bag-checker and how he used to give Paula Abdul a hard time. In rehearsals they instead talked about Simon and Teri (allegedly) getting stopped at the airport with a blowup doll in their luggage. Dressed as a preppy Leprechaun from the '80's, The Cheez put a new spin on "She's a Woman" which was one of my song picks for him. It started off with a weird bluegrass shtick and then (thankfully) he broke away from the banjos and the fiddles to rock the stage with a different beat. It was funky in a memorable but not totally enjoyable way. And I must say that I never imagined I'd find my head between Chikezie's legs and splattered with his sweat, but there you have it, folks. (It's okay to say "ewww!" I know I did.) B-
Lullaby was up next with "In My Life" which she dedicated to her friends on the show who have already left (aw, Danny). Ramiele finally decided to take my advice and dress it up, and looked gorgeous in her black and white cocktail dress. Her voice was clear and beautiful, and she kept things simple--opting not to alter the song, which I felt was the right choice. The song came off as a true lullaby--sleep-inducing--but in a peaceful, pleasant way. Had she commanded more presence and shown more charisma I think this would have been a home run. Oh, and if the photo is not evidence enough, I really hate the whole crowd hand-waving thing. B
Castro decided to (try) to make my day by singing "If I Fell" as I had suggested. His delivery was sweet, sincere and pleasant, although once again he couldn't hit all of the notes. Out of all of the contestants he was the most playful/cutest to watch between takes--from peeking in from the wings to wave to us to making funny faces and goofing off to singing "We Can Work it Out" while they waited around. He also told us (front row) that he was glad we were there to sing to because it made it easier and gave my friend an "I love you too" when she called out to him. B
Carly got a chance to talk with Ryan about her favorite foods and rooming with Amanda, but in rehearsals they talked about her tattoo, which she called her "wee geisha." One thing I hadn't noticed before now was that she has a tattooed diamond instead of a ring on her wedding finger. Carly blew the doors off with a rockin' rendition of "Come Together" and it was definitely my favorite performance of the night. Her stage presence was that of a true rock star. A
D-Cook came out and blinded us with his Daughtry-esque light show. His rendition of "Elenor Rigby" was pretty hot, but I personally didn't like it as much as "Hello" or "All Right Now." He seemed to be the most gentlemanly of the contestants--allowing people to walk in front of him and doling out hugs and high fives to his competitors while being genuine about it. Nigel actually made sure he hugged his brother Andrew--who auditioned but didn't make it--before heading backstage after his performance (no one else did anything like that). And I daresay D-Cook might have been flirting with me just a bit--I definitely got a wave and some smiles/looks. A-
Brooke opted to sing "Let it Be" while playing piano and it was just beautiful. The song was a good fit for her, she looked great, and it just flowed. This was my second favorite performance of the night. I was surprised to see her get so emotional at the end, because she was fine during rehearsal (I even got a wink). Her husband was literally beaming while she was up there, and Brooke is now officially on my radar. A
Hernandez had the worst song choice of the night with "I Saw Her Standing There." Everything about it was just wrong. He performed better in rehearsal, but it was uncomfortable to watch each time since it was not believable. I literally had to restrain myself from shouting "Shake your moneymaker!" or "Over here, I've got a twenty!" The only thing that stopped me (aside from the fear of getting kicked out) was that I actually felt a bit sorry for him. Out of all of the contestants, he seemed the most vulnerable and eager to earn attention from the audience, which didn't deliver (notice that NO ONE clapped/cheered for his video). Oh, and dude is shorter than he looks on TV. C-
Amanda chatted with Seacrest about what the contestants do backstage before performing "You Can't Do That" which was one of my choices for her. She rocked the house and let me tell you, the crowd f'n LOVED her. Amanda came off as extremely likeable and down-to-earth--asking us how we're doing and all that. Her fake hair is lookin' more Kelly Bundy than Peg these days (thank God) and my only true criticism was the pants. A-
Remember when Michael sang "Don't You Forget About Me" last week and I said "I'll try not to"? Well I did. And not only me, but my friend too. We were standing there trying to figure out who was closing the show by process of elimination and literally forgot about MJ until he was standing in front of us. We cheered when he announced that he would be singing "Across the Universe" in his video and I (dorkily) gave him a thumbs up, which earned me an odd look in response (note to self: no more thumbs up). I enjoyed this for the most part but did feel that he didn't really go anywhere with it. Michael looked hot and seemed fairly personable, but his wife looks older in person. B+
Kristy's countrified version of "Eight Days a Week" took things to a whole nother level of hillbilly that just shouldn't have been explored. She could have been successful at turning the same song country by just singing it with a soft twang and an acoustic guitar, instead of going balls-out country fair on us. We were looking forward to Simon's reaction the most on this one, and when he finally spoke and some of the crowd "booed" him Kristy told us, "this is normal." And the crazy eyes were back in action. C-
Archuleta closed the show with Stevie Wonder's version of "We Can Work it Out" and did not work it out. How irritated do you think we were to see that he was being given the pimp spot for the second time in three weeks? And how ridiculous was it when he claimed to not be familiar with the Lennon/McCartney songbook after just having performed "Imagine" two weeks ago? And how much pleasure do you think we found when he forgot his lyrics more than once? I think you know. Further aggrivating the situation was being flanked by Arch Angels on both sides, one of which had an "Archuleta is Betta" sign. Blarf. David is tiny and has very little stage presence (unless you are entertained by counting how many times he licks his lips). But I will give him this: the shy turning around to wave at his tween army was sweet and sincere. C-
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My b-3 prediction: Syesha, Hernandez and either Chikezie or Ramiele.
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