Since when do we introduce theme weeks straight out of the gate? What happened to making up for the notoriously bad editing of the audition and Hollywood week rounds by now giving the top 24 contestants a chance to show us, if only for a minute twenty, their style and their sound so that we can decide if we like them. How the h*ll are we, the audience, to know what kind of an artist contestants like Garrett Haley and Jason Yeager would be after not having heard them sing a unrestricted song of their choice? Why of all themes pick 60's, and then criticize them for not making the song current? It is their first week on the job for crying out loud! (((End rant)))
Here are my thought's on the top 12 guy's performances, in order of appearance:
Rudy Cardeneas--oops, I mean, David Hernandez--opens the show with Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" wearing a cream shirt with piercings and stains on it. Despite the weird faces he makes when he sings and the predictably annoying song choice, it was an okay performance overall. C+
Chikezie (No More Eze) drops a cheesy rendition of "More Today Than Yesterday" on us in a suit the color of rust and boots the Dawg himself might wear. Even though his smile is bright and his finish big, the performance is altogether lackluster and uninspiring. Paula calls him "infectious" (in a good way) and Simon stumbles and calls him "jacuzzi." Viewers are left to debate which would be worse: dipping into an infectious jacuzzi or having to watch this performance again. D-
Wannabe rocker David Cook attempts to prove that he and the mic stand can be as "Happy Together" as she once was in the hands of Bo and Chris Daughtry. Both the arrangement and the execution was good, but the flattened hair and deer-in-the-headlights look have got to go. B+
Our babyfaced Val Kilmer, otherwise known as Jason Yeager, dedicates "Moon River" to his granny. It was bland and uninteresting, and I would be honest-to-goodness SHOCKED if he weren't sent home this week. D
Robbie Carrico, our hairiest Idol hopeful, owns up to his former fame with Boyz N Girlz United (good move) before taking the stage to sing "One" by Three Dog Night amongst some flashing stage lights. Though dressed like a mechanic out on the town, Robbie hit a home run and put himself in my top three of the night. A
Fan favorite David Archuleta shows some attitude with "Shop Around" and it leaves him out of breath. He's gunna have to work on that if he ever hopes to hold a concert. I was finally able to see a bit of what everyone else sees in this guy, although I am not enamored. I was also a bit disturbed by the angry red X (cross?) on his T-shirt, I think it was trying to send a message I didn't want to receive. A-
Then, in one of the most random song choices in Idol history, Danny Noriega chooses to perform The King's "Jailhouse Rock." Methinks dear Danny must fancy himself a young Elvis, with the hair and all, but did he really think he could put Taylor's rendition to shame? He shouted his way through it, and other than a downright lethal pelvic wiggle at the end, it was a wash. C-
Dressed like he just walked in off the street, Luke Menard sings a ballad by Fred Neil called "Everybody's Talkin.'" This was his one chance to impress America, and he failed miserably. Although there were a few pretty parts, the song was overall nasal and pitch-y with a horrendous falsetto. He seems like a sweet guy but I won't miss him when he's bid adieu on Thursday. D-
Colton Berry points out his uncanny resemblance to Talk Show Host Ellen DeGeneres, then later takes the stage to sing Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" -- one of the last songs Chris Daughtry sang before his elimination. Not surprisingly, Colton lacked Chris's charisma and his showtunes background overshadowed his performance. B-
Garrett Haley, a skinny kid with a funny speaking voice (seriously, he could do animated voices), takes on "Breaking up is Hard to Do." Unlike the other guys who choose to sing ballads, this one had a fairly pleasant delivery. He revealed that he was a spontaneous auditionee, and very green--you could actually see his lips moving when Seacrest was reading from the teleprompter. Still, I think he has potential. B+
I am now officially in love with Jason Castro, despite the pageant-wave he gave before his performance and the cheesy song choice. His rendition of "Daydream" while playing guitar was all a bit too Mr. Rogers for me, but I found him uber charming and talented nonetheless. Check him out on YouTube. A
Was anyone surprised that the producers gave Michael Johns the pimp spot? I mean, could they BE any more obvious? Michael chose to rock "Light my Fire" as he and fellow contestant Amanda Overmyer had done during Hollywood week. Armed with the ever-present Idol fire screensaver and an Ivy league scarf, Michael did his best to pay tribute to The Doors. He also added some cheesy moves and hand-raising, which I cannot excuse. A
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So tell me...who are you feelin'? Who do you think is going home? And who is the next American Idol?
