And tonight, the show begins. American Idol: The Real Deal. We get a honkin’ big theme with The Rolling Stones songbook. A lot to live up to, but a lot to choose from. What follows are my MAC (Morning After Commentary for the new Blog Babes who are asking….and welcome!) notes, written as I watched the show…

First up is Big Mike. We’re getting a bit of background with each singer tonight and I like how he portrayed his childhood so positively. Even as he talks of his mom’s death, he casts it in the manner of how it inspired him to go on to become the man he is today. Very nice. And the appeal of the big guy grows a bit more. He’s singing Miss You… He definitely has charisma and he does bring energy to the stage. Along with some kinda awkward but somehow endearing dance moves. But it’s a big stage and what could be a subdued song, he instead brings a real R&B vibe to, and me likey! Boy got pipes. Good show opener. Two thumbs up!

Didi Benami is up next. Singing Play With Fire. No guitars yet tonight. Interesting slowed down Jim Morrison-y type version, and she’s doing an okay job with it. I’m not sure I’m in love as it continues. Sort of has an overall ‘one note’ feel to it. But for the direction she decided to take with it, she did a good job. I think it will come down to personal taste. Overall, it’s a performance that should keep her here.

Casey (woot woot!) James is up next. Wait, let me get my umbrella drink. (It’s just Coke Zero. Honest. But with umbrellas, for cuteness.) Ahhh. Okay….now he can sing! Wasn’t sure about his mom at first, but when I got that they are all musicians, it made sense. And I like that James Gang. I do. Pretty sweet, actually. So, far, so good with the family stories. Yay! And double yay - electric guitar, baby! Singing It’s All Over Now... Loved the song, loved his voice, his sound. For him, this kind of performing is very, very effortless, but is truly purely him, which is why I think the judges are a bit dismissive, saying he’s Bar Band Guy. Well, this is one Bar Band Guy whose CD I would buy. It’s comfort music being delivered by a very capable performer. Goes down nice and smooth. Just sayin. I’m glad the judges finally (mostly) got that what he is, is already enough. He stays.

Lacey Brown (I’m trying to stay positive here) is next. And…okay, so I really love her dad. Rainbows, unicorns, and all. Goodbye Ruby Tuesday. Probably the right song choice for her, and the strings are a nice touch. She does the best she can with it. But, it’s the weakest tonight, so far. Sorry, Lacey. This is first bottom two performance for me. (And again…what IS she wearing? Victoria’s Pirate?)

Andrew Garcia…PLEASE, take advantage of the huge gift America gave you last week. I beg you. And, while we’re here, can I just say that I’m liking the positive angle they’re taking with the family background clips. We all have drama of some kind or other, some more than others, so it’s nice to see them focus on the positive thing that influenced each performers turn toward a career in music. I’m liking that a lot this evening. Thank you, show. So, Andrew is taking on Gimme Shelter. Wow, that’s a lot. No guitar, either. And that’s a mighty big stage. I’m scared a little. For Andrew, he does a surprisingly decent job, actually, but will it keep him here? It wasn’t a showstopper and I get why he had to move away from the guitar for a week given the criticism…I just hope that keeps him here.

I interrupt this MAC talk to tell you that I love Mark Valley in Human Target. (Yes, in that order. And yes, another round of umbrella drinks! Service in the shallow end of the pool, please.) I just caught up on the whole season in the past two weeks, and next to Leverage, my favorite new add to the Must Watch list. Move over, Simon Baker. Just sayin.

Katie Stevens… Okay, so this is going to sound cruel, mostly because, well, it is. But I hope she tanks. I do. I know, she’s a kid. I get it. But I want Andrew to stay. So, Katie must go. It’s just math, really. Don’t send hate mail. She’s singing Wild Horses. That might do it. So, she does a good job with it…maybe she should consider a country career. Her deeper, mature-voice-for-a-kid might do her well in that venue. So…the bottom two is still in question. Rats!

Tim Urban is next. He grew up in a family with ten kids. T-E-N. One shower. Think about it. No, really. He now has my complete sympathy, no matter the Jonas Bro hair or the less than brilliant pipes. That you got to where you are, and you appear well fed and well groomed? Good on ya! He’s singing Under My Thumb. With guitar. Kind of sing-songy for Jagger. Jamaican Jagger. Just missing the steel drums. No, really. Jamaican. Tim Urban. That? = Wrong. (I mean, Tim singing about dominating a woman? Possessing her? Really?) But he’s cute, with a great smile, defends the choice well. I don’t see the bottom two in his future. Unfair? Perhaps. Yet, true. Mon.

Siobhan is from Cape Cod. Interesting! And her family makes Tim’s look intimate. Yikes! Quirky family, so you get where she comes from. I’m excited to see what she does. Which is a new thing after the past three performers. So, I’m feeling pretty good. She takes on Painted Black. Oooh. I’m ready! She kind of goes all GaGa Longstocking on us. In a good way. Mostly. When the song picks up, her voice needed to get stronger, and it was still kind of too diction perfect for me. Really nasal. She needed more of that last note (sans the screechy) injected into the chorus. So…not sure how I feel overall. Definitely disagree with the judges. More potential than pay off for me. But lots of potential. And it kept my attention. (She even looked beautiful with the glasses on. They totally worked. It’s so weird. I like it.)

Lee DeWyze is up next. And he takes on my personal, absolute favorite (I know, I’m a geek, but this one is special to me…) Beast of Burden. Take care with this one, dude. Glad he has the guitar. So, he goes all Dave Matthews with it, which is to be expected. I guess. Even as it breaks my heart. It’s just not…that song. Not for me. But I get it. I do. And he does a good job. I mean, it’s not reggae. And yet…dude. You’re killing me. Hard. Crystal? Save me. That’s all I’m sayin.

Paige is up next, and I understand she had laryngitis this week, so I have no idea how she’ll perform. A shame, really. Because it’s a gift for her to be here this week, too, and she does have the pipes. Nice to see at least one person go truly old school Stones. Honky Tonk Woman. Which I’d have seen from Crystal, so this is fun. Wish she felt better. But if she was voiceless as recently as yesterday, that was amazing!

Penultimate performance is Angie by Aaron Kelly. Now, on the one hand, he’s way too young and far too sweet to be singing such an angsty, wrenching song. It’s totally not believable on that scale. And yet, he has that soulful, pure voice that lends itself really well almost despite himself. He’s not my genre of music, but he’s not going anywhere, nor should he. Well done, kid.

And they close with Crystal…because, duh. Singing You Can’t Always Get What You Want….and how perfect is that choice? She has a great deal of confidence with what she does, and she’s naturally pretty reserved, I think, other than when she’s performing, so, to some, that might be seen as cocky, but, like Casey, I just see it as honestly having a good time up there, doing what comes very, very naturally. And that? Was some sweet honesty.

Overall, pretty good Top 12 night. I miss having a Lambert in the competition this year. I mean Adam, btw. It’s really the Dave Matthews Jason Mraz season, which isn’t me. But I am liking these guys well enough and look forward to where we go next. I hope Big Mike doesn’t get lost in the crowd, having gone first. For me, I most enjoyed listening to him, Casey, and Crystal. Siobahn as interesting, but still a bit odd for me. Lee, Didi and Aaron pulled it out well, as did Katie. Leaving Lacey, Andrew, Paige, and Tim on the bubble. For me. We all know Tim’s not going anywhere. So I fear for the other three.

What say you, Blog Babes? Who did you love? Who would you send home? Oh, and don’t forget to enter the contest to win a free book this week. Check out Monday’s blog post for the details. Tune in here tomorrow to see the AI Who Goes Home MAC…but right now? DISH!

Tags: Writing //