But which two, that is the question! Last night the remaining ten guys sang on American Idol, to mixed results (for me anyway.)

So, the theme this week is Classic 70’s…(stupid idea, theme weeks in the prelim rounds, but at least there is a bit more diversity in 70’s tunes - let’s hope! I do like the band and back up singers…)

They don’t make me wait tonight, and give me my Aussie Man straight up first time out. And see? I knew he was the man for me - he’s also a major tennis freak! Ha. Michael is singing Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way. It wasn’t my favorite from him, this song (and it’s a song I love) but he did get into it more as it went along. Judges could go either way I think….Randy agrees with me, Paula is Paula, (ooh, a Phil-worthy Eyebrow Pop from Aussie Guy. Wow. Must be a Down Under thing.) Simon Says it was just okay. I’m thinking the same. I hope that, plus his going first placement, doesn’t hurt him in the votes….

Wow, I get all my honey’s up front. Jason Dreadlocks Castro is next up. God, he’s so adorable. Love that he brings the guitar again. He’s singing the Bee Gee’s I Just Want To Be Your Everything. To which I say, alrighty! It’s just really great feel-good music. I heart Dread Guy. Judges…Randy says that as a music and singing act, it was good, but the singing by itself was just okay. I can see that. Paula says he’s cute and who cares. (Not me! I love him.) But she wants to see him without the guitar next time, and I think she’s right. Simon Says he also played it too safe, and I’ll agree with that. Unfortunately!

Luke Menard is up….hopefully as he was one of my bottom three last week, he’ll step it up this week. We learn he’s part of an acapella group. He picks Queen’s Killer Queen. Wow, that is a surprise from him (for me anyway.) And, well, he’s…..not Freddy Mercury. But then, who is? Michael did such a huge job knocking Bohemian Rhapsody out of the park during Hollywood week, that it’s a risk tackling any Freddy and you’d better bring it. I applaud the risk, as the first two did play it a bit safe, but…this was a risk that failed for me. Sorry, Luke! Judges….Randy agrees the risk was high and thinks it might not be his best, but liked the direction he was going. Paula liked it. Simon Says the song choice was a mistake because he’s not Freddy. And….agreed.

Now we get Robbie Carrico, he of the long hair and seriously white smile. We find out he’s a drag racer for a hobby. He chooses Foreigner’s Hot Blooded, which golf clap for choosing something more “hard” in the rock realm and less “pop” - except he doesn’t have the depth of tone to his voice to bring the rock. I agree with Simon from last week that’s he more pop oriented, even when he’s rawking out. He can’t help it, it’s just the tone of voice he has. I predict after his pre-preformance comments this week that Simon will just have to get used to his brand of rock n roll, that he’s in for a dressing down. And….sorry, but I’m going to end up agreeing with Simon. I just feel it. Judges? Randy completely agrees about the voice tone. Paula agrees in a round about way, but she thinks he can actually pull it off with the right attitude. I believe he wants to be a rocker, and so therefore he is a rocker, he just doesn’t have the depth of voice for it. Simon? Just to be perverse, thinks the vocal was okay.

Oh dear, it’s Noriega Time. We find out he was a punk rocker. Briefly. Yeah. Move on. You know, I loves me some Christian on Project Runway, but in one week Danny Boy here has managed to become what I’d have predicted Christian would be, and wasn’t. The one who makes you alternately cringe and want to smack his smart mouth. I’m sorry, but he can’t leave too soon for me, talent or no. A Singing Sanjaya With ‘tude we do not need. He tackles a Carpenter’s ballad and slows it down even further. A bit too low in register for me, from him, but he performs it well. He can sing. I didn’t care for it, but he did a nice job. Randy says he over thought it. Paula admires his madd singing skillz, but agrees with Randy. Simon Says mmkay on the song choice, but thinks he is distinct and does stand out. Yeah, he does. Just wished I liked him!

David Hernandez is up next. We find out he was a gymnast as a kid. He chooses to sing Papa Was A Rolling Stone. He jazzes it up a little, but man, this song has been SO done, so I’m surprised he’d go for it, without a distinct “sound” of his own. He does a nice job, but he’s not going to be the stand out guy from this group I don’t think. And I like him, but he’s not Wow! He does end impressively, and the boy can sing. Just don’t think he has that “it” charisma to go all the way. I like a mediocre Michael or Jason Castro over a standout David performance. Judges - Randy was happy to see him live up to his potential, as is Paula. Simon Says it was the best so far (which, isn’t really saying a ton….but still, nice.) And after pre-season dissing, he admits he does like the guy now, so that’s a bonus.

Jason White Streak Yaeger is next. We learn he plays guitar, piano and drums, all self taught. And he has a pretty nice smile, too. He chooses Doobie Brother’s Long Train Running - which, it’s a band song, not a singer’s song. He does okay, but doesn’t have the depth of voice to knock it out of the park. It’s making me wish even more that Michael had really knocked it out on the opener because there hasn’t really been a bar set tonight. I’m guessing with Archuleta up last, that will be the bar….and set too late. Randy completely agrees with me, almost word for word. Paula says ditto. Simon Says ew.

Chikezie explains the origin of his name (Nigerian) and how it is originally pronounced (which sounds quite lovely and musical.) He chooses Donny Hathaway’s I Believe, which is a a song I’m not sure I’ve heard, but bluesy and great for him, and he strides right out and owns it, which is a nice change this evening. Wish he’d been wearing another killer suit instead of the golf shirt (man, I’m being picky tonight) but that would have sold it better. Still, nice vibe, nice change. Glad he brought it after than last week. Best of the night for me - I wasn’t even tempted to fast forward. Randy loves it. Paula enjoyed it. Simon Says applauds him. And even their exchange afterward is more fun than Noriega-ish. Loved all of it. Finally something tonight I fully enjoyed.

David Red Streak Cook tells us what we don’t know about him is he’s a word nerd. Yeah. I know. Not necessarily the thing that’s going to make us all go ooooh. (And this coming from a writer who adores a great vocabulary. So go figure…) He plays electric guitar and sings The Stones All Right Now, and, you know, does an okay job for trying to do Mick. I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. But I really did. Hunh. It’s all upside down tonight. Loved the guitar which this. Randy says he’s the real rocker. Agreed. Surprisingly. Paula loves the band with him, loves him. Simon Says he pulled it off, but agreed with me on his choice of personal revelation, although, honestly, it had nothing to do with the rocker performance for me. Then David goes and kind of mouths off to Simon where he really didn’t need to. Didn’t pull any points with me, either, that particular one. Ya gotta pick your moments and that wasn’t one of them. A shame as it negated a lot of the good he’d just engendered with me. Go figure. He does seem to get it, otherwise, though. I just hope he learns to pick his moments better.

Last up is Our David Archuleta…..who gets the biggest audience cheers. He sings a ballad (sigh…) which he does, of course, stunningly well, but it’s a song I also really don’t care for (John Lennon, Imagine) and…great job, just selfishly not my fave. But he does a rock solid job and the arrangment is a nice change, which he pulls it off beautifully. Mostly I just love his hair cut - it does make him look slightly closer to his seventeen years. Every little bit helps. By far the purest voice in this competition, that hasn’t changed. Crowd goes wild. He looks sincerely touched, which I love. Judges - Randy loses his mind. Paula just loses it. David’s parent’s cry. Then you can tell he goes stone cold sober waiting Simon’s Declaration of Worthiness and that, as much as anything, makes me love him, because he so completely cares and so wants to do well, as if he has no clue how brilliant he is without even trying. Simon correctly Says how risky it was to sing anything by John Lennon and then says he nailed it and that he’s the one to beat. Which…..true. He’s so sincerely sweet and shy. Lap it up.

All in all, a weak night from the guys, but nice to see it end on a positive note with those last few performances. Who will rise to the top next week? Nice to see a different range of talent do well (relatively speaking) this week. Tonight the girls sing, and can any of them make us care? It remains to be seen.

Also - don’t forget to enter this week’s SHaQ Attack contest. Details in Tuesday’s post. You have until 8pm, EST this Thursday to enter. Good luck!

Tonight? We also get part one of the Project Runway finale. Woot! Finally a decent night of fun to watch.

Aaaaaaaand, dish! Who goes? Who stays? And, even with two people being carted off to the hospital on Big Brother, does anybody care about these people?

Tags: Writing //