The boys strutted their stuff on “American Idol” tonight, (Wednesday, March 10^th), and, as usual, I’ll try to predict who’s in trouble and who is going to sail through tomorrow night. The fact that I’m so rarely correct shouldn’t stop you from reading this and feeling superior tomorrow night.

The show began with one of the front-running favorites, Lee DeWyze, singing “Fireflies” while clad in a blue/black/green Woodsmen-fell-that-tree plaid shirt.  The remarks were not Lee’s usual high ones, with Simon saying, “There was nothing to rave about. You are better than the version of the song you just did.” Randy didn’t much care for it, either, saying, “For me, it was a strange choice. But you made it work. You worked it out.” Randy also criticized some pitch problems and Ellen concurred but added, “I know a lot of people like you.” Kara was the most complimentary, saying, “You look confident. I think the song was a better song with your interpretation. A solid job.” So, is Lee in trouble? In one word, No.

Next up was Alex Lambert, who sang “Trouble.” If Alex weren’t such a cutie-pie, I’d say he was IN trouble. He has a nasal quality to his singing and Ellen, who has previously compared him to an unripe banana that needs to ripen, said, “Don’t become a cocky banana, because nobody likes that.’ The “vulnerability to be you…to let go” was discussed and Kara said, “That’s what we need from you,” while Simon added, “Relax and have a good time.” I think Alex is too cute to get sent home.

After Alex came Tim Urban, who is usually crucified by the judges. Tim sang the Jeff Buckley version of “Hallelujah” and Ellen went so far as to get out from behind the judges’ table, walk up, and give him a hug, while saying, “That was fantastic.” Randy said, “You walked in some pretty big shoes, and I think you did a pretty good job.” Kara commented, “I actually think you’re kind of in it now.” Simon then took responsibility for Tim’s sudden improvement saying,”I kind of feel responsible for you doing well, because I gave you confidence. It’s not the best version I’ve ever heard, but, for you, it was terrific.” In other words, it was a compliment along the lines of, “For a fat girl, you don’t sweat much,” hug or no hug.

Andrew Garcia was up next and, for the umpteenth time, he sang a female star’s song, this time Christina Aguilara’s “Genie in a Bottle.” Nobody really liked it. Simon said, “It was a little bit desperate. You’ve overthought it. You’re kind of still going backwards at the moment.” The backwards remark was from Andrew’s earlier version of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” during Hollywood week, which is the only thing anyone wants to talk about with Andrew. I thought he was bad last week and his suit was worse. Ellen said, “The genie came out of the bottle too late.” Kara remarked, “You peaked so early. I couldn’t hear the melody.  It just wasn’t great, and I wanted it to be.” Randy commented on the fact that it was “pitchy” and “It made us feel like the whole song was only 3 notes.” Wave good-bye to Andy.

Casey James, another favorite of the judges…(or, at least, of Kara’s)…sang a Keith Urban song “You’ll Think of Me” and was criticized by Randy for having chosen a song that was “a little bit of a safe choice. I feel like you’ve got more of that edgy Stevie Ray Vaughn in you.” Ellen, however, said: “I thought it was great. I really liked it.” Kara commented, “This was better than last week. It was honest, definitely.”  Simon thought it was Casey’s second best performance, so far and said, “It made you sincere. You sounded great.” No way is Casey getting kicked off with his sex appeal, but his hair looked really scraggly/awful this night.

Aaron Kelly, who is only 16, came out and sang “I’m Already There,” a song about a father calling home and talking to his son, which Kara felt was pushing it, (for a sixteen-year-old.) Simon disagreed with Kara’s comment, calling it “complete rubbish,” and Randy advised, “The thing you should work on is your lower register.” In my opinion, Aaron should also work on his upper register, which was annoying in the extreme. When he sang the word “hotel,” he was flat and his attempts to sell the song by bobbing back and forth reminded me of the one-year-old, Elise, who does the same thing which her parents (my son and wife) have dubbed “The Dora Dance,” because she does it while watching “Dora the Explorer” on television. The video is posted on YouTube (Elise does the Dora Dance.) Ellen’s comments to Aaron were; “I love you. You’re 16. You have the confidence of someone 30 years old. I just didn’t think that was terrific.” Ellen was right, and I think Aaron’s song title (“I’m Already There”) sums up where he will be after tomorrow night: already back home.

Last, but certainly not least were Todrick Hall, singing “Somebody to Love” by Queen, which was refreshing after so many male singers sitting on stools singing quiet, desperate songs. Todrick did have on one of his odd outfits, which resembled nothing so much as a riding outfit with jodhpurs and a slash-zippered jacket and single glove. Simon even commented, of Todrick, “So you’re a Broadway singer” remarking, especially on the one glove. He said, “There were so many boring performances with people sitting on a stool playing a guitar. That performance may have saved you.” I certainly hope so. Randy commented, “Todrick is back. That was one of the best vocals.” Ellen liked the way Todrick made the song sound “like a Gospel song. Man, you’re great, and I commend you for doing that song.” Kara also commented “the singing was good.” Todrick should be able to hang on, unless America thinks Aaron is too cute to send home, but there is no comparison between the talent level of the inexperienced Aaron and the Broadway veteran Todrick, so do the right thing, America, and send Aaron home to grow up a bit and try out again another year.

All the judges were “wowed” by the final performer of the night, Michael “Big Daddy” Lynche, who sang “This Woman’s Work.” He was wearing a suit jacket with sneakers and blue jeans and began with a high falsetto. Randy: “Really? That was crazy.  Yo, Mike, that was hot!” Ellen: “You are the one to beat now.” Kara; “It’s amazing. It brought me to tears.” Simon: “This was so needed tonight. It was all so boring. You 100% nailed it. Best of the night and of all these lives shows so far.”

So, who’s going home? Should be Andrew and Aaron…. alphabetically, at least…with an outside chance that Todrick isn’t the favorite of the teeny-boppers of America who actually pick up the phone and vote.

The 82^nd Academy Awards were broadcast to millions on Sunday, March 7, 2010, and history was made. The first woman won the Best Director Award, Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker” and the Best Picture of the Year was an upset: “The Hurt Locker,” a little-seen film about bomb defusers, starring Jeremy Renner.

“Avatar” won 3 Oscars, when all was said and done, one for Visual Effects, one for Cinematography and one for Art Direction. “The Hurt Locker,” meanwhile, raked in the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Original Screenplay (Mark Boal), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Mixing.

After those two gorillas in the jungle, the numbers dropped off rapidly: only “Crazy Heart” (with 2) and “Crazy Heart” and “Precious” with 2 apiece challenged for awards this night.

The evening opened with a lame song-and-dance number by Neil Patrick Harris, who had actually been good in this role on an earlier awards show. Neil Patrick Harris sang a song whose message whose message was “No One Wants to Do It Alone.” This is true, and is probably why Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin shared hosting duties for the 82^nd annual Oscars. I was disappointed in their performance, as they are both so funny and quick-witted, individually, but their scripted stuff was somewhat weak…although not as weak as Kathy Ireland’s red carpet interviewing. None of the people doing the red carpet interviews this year impressed, least of all Kathy, Sherry from “The View” or the editor of “People” magazine (I think). I never thought I’d say it, but give us back Joan and Melissa Rivers. Army Archerd just died, so he’s definitely out. What about somebody like Mario Lopez or Joan Hart or, really, just about anybody but this trio.

The winners this night were as follows:

Best Picture: “The Hurt Locker”

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (first woman director to win)

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges (for “Crazy Heart”)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:  Mo’Nique in “Precious”

Best Animated Feature Film:  “Up”

Best Original Screenplay:  “The Hurt Locker” by Mark Boal

Best Adapted Screenplay:  “Precious”, Geoffrey Fletcher

Best Foreign Language Film:  “The Secret in Their eyes” (Argentina)

Best Original Score:  “Up” (Michael Giacchino)

Best Original Song:  “The Weary King” from “Crazy Heart

Best Art Direction:  “Avatar”

Best Cinematography:  “Avatar” by Mario Fiore

Best Costume Design:  “The Young Victoria” (Sandy Powell)

Best Documentary Feature:  “The Cove”

Best Documentary Short Subject:  “Music by Prudence”

Best Film Editing:  “The Hurt Locker” (Bob Murawksi and Chris Innis)

Best Makeup:  “Star Trek”

Best Animated Short Film:  “Logarama” (French, 16 mins.)

Best Live Action Short Film:  “The New Tenants”

Best Sound Editing:  “The Hurt Locker”

Best Sound Mixing:  “The Hurt Locker”

Best Visual Effects:  “Avatar”

Sandra Bullock’s acceptance speech was the most affecting of the night, for me, as she said, “To that trailblazer who allowed me to have this extraordinary opportunity—and to my lover, Meryl Streep.” Sandra also referenced a time when George Clooney had thrown her into a swimming pool and almost choked up during her acceptance speech. I also enjoyed Mo’Nique pointing out that, at least in her case, the award was truly given for the performance. I agree with that, having seen all the nominated performances, but it didn’t hurt any that Oprah got behind the film Big Time, so that somewhat contradicts Mo’Nique’s comment that politics was not a factor in her win. (She also shared TMI during her Barbara Walters interview, telling the world that she does not shave her legs and has an open marriage with her spouse.)

The evening ended on as always-hurried note, with the dynamic duo of Steve Martin and Alec Baldin signing off very quickly.

Most of the winners were not a surprise, with Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock and Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique winning, as expected.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It’s so tempting to use that clichéd division for Tuesday night’s Girls’ night on “American Idol,” but I’m not as cruel as Simon, so I’ve chosen The Good, The Bad and the Okay as my categories. To spare you a lot of reading, the shorthand version of my opinion is this:

The Good: Crystal Bowersox and Didi Benami.

The Bad: Katie Stevens and Paige Miles.

The Okay: Everybody else, which means Siobhan Magnus, Lacey Brown, Katelyn Epperly and Lily Scott.

Ode to “American Idol,” 2010

John Park is in the dark

Haeley’s right behind him

Michelle has gone; she did her best

Jermaine’s gone back to hymns.

The final 16: there they are

I’m still a fan of Lee’s

I also like that Crystal girl

And Siobhan’s cool with me.
Expect the ads to start up now

With cars the kids are driving,

And, after that, we’ll lose a few:

While others will be thriving.

I’m picking Lee and Crystal girl

With Katelyn, Siobhan, Lilly.

I think we’re going to watch some go

Say: Paige, Tim, Alex, Silly.

I cannot see how Katie stays

I’m not real big on Andrew

Lacey’s pale and rather stale

Didi’s on life support, too.

But Katelyn’s there, Chicago style

With Lee and Paige and Casey,

Crystal’s shining like a star,

This picking drives me crazy!

“American Idol,” March 3, Wednesday, Girls’ night:

Best of the night: Crystal Bowersox, Siobhan Magnus, Lilly Scott, Katelyn Epperly.

Worst of the night:  Didi Benami, Haeley Vaughn, Katie Stevens.

Just okay:  Michelle DeLaMor, Lacey Brown, Paige Miles.

Prediction:  If Crystal stays healthy, the group mentioned above will be the last 4 girls standing.

I hope that everyone stays healthy!

The big news on March 2, 2010 (Tuesday) was that the boys had to compete first (rather than the girls as originally scheduled) because of a medical emergency that took female contestant Crystal Bowersox to the hospital. No further details about the Ohio native’s health could be gathered, even by Internet search of such papers as the Toledo Free Press.  . (Crystal is from Ohio).

Jill Hudson, spokeswoman for “American Idol” said that the show’s policy was not to comment on the personal lives of the contestants.

The best vocal performances for the night were turned in by Lee DeWyze (also a Chicago contestant, as was Crystal), Michael “Big Daddy” Lynche, and Casey James. Most of the rest of the boys were various levels of forgettable, insipid or terror-struck.
Most likely to be cut this week?

If singing is the criteria (and not good looks) Andrew Garcia, Aaron Kelly, Tim Urban and—if Simon is right—-Jermaine Sellers. However, with the lackluster, uninspired, flat performance of John Mayer’s “Gravity” that Northpark, Illinois native John Park turned in, he’s not out of the woods, either.

Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox, both Chicago picks, were emerging as crowd favorites and gifted performers. Let’s hope that Crystal’s front-runner status is not jeopardized by her hospitalization and that she is able to compete on tomorrow night’s (March 3^rd’s) show.

What’s to be said about the “American Idol” Thursday night program, where 2 boys and 2 girls were axed?

General observations: I was glad to see Tyler Grady go, but, in a way, he was right when he said that the “advice” to quit being a Jim Morrison poseur came “too late” to help him. Kara absolutely crowed about how “cool” he was during the early stages of the competition, and I think Tyler had enough of a big head before that. The film of him practicing in cowboy boots, white socks and a bathrobe pretty much says it all. I was not sorry to see him go. The “cuteness” and “humbleness” factor saved the other lowest vote getter, Alex Lambert. It is poor Alex who had only performed about 3 times in local coffee shops, before his Idol audition. Obviously, Tyler has been posturing as the Lizard King and others for a while. Simon said he acted as though he had gone to “Rock Star School” on the boys’ night. So, good-bye, Tyler, and don’t let the door hit you in the fake leather pants on the way out.

The other boy eliminated was Joe Munoz. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but that didn’t work for him. He needed some of the animal magnetism of Casey James or the cute fresh-faced attractiveness that kept Tim Urban in the competition, when he was definitely one of the weakest, vocally.

Now, as to the girls’ elimination. Big mistake there. Eliminating Ashley Rodriguez, one of the prettiest of the girls who had the “total package” and who can be found singing as Ashley Benami online, seemed unfair. I have to admit, after saying that, that her farewell song did not really move me.  None of the girls really stood out much (although I liked Crystal Bowersox), except that Katy was way off key during her entire performance and seemed to be channeling her elderly grandmum. I do not understand how she was able to stay, while Ashley was voted off.

Last girl to go was the blonde rumored to be Tim Teabow’s (Florida quarterback) girlfriend, Janell Wheeler. There was a quick shot of Janell making a funny face, which just made her appear unattractive. Then a quick shot to Mom. Janell was never going to win this thing, so I can live with her sudden death in the competition, but she seemed better, to me, than some others.

As I was driving all the way across the state of Illinois (width, not length), I was listening to Adam Lambert’s album and to Melinda DoLittle’s album. I was immediately nostalgic for last year’s great talent, especially after both Allison Irahito and Chris Allen performed. This year’s crop looks very pale and dull, by comparison. I looked forward every week to seeing what outrageous thing Adam would do THIS week. And Allison, the gutsy Hispanic rocker chick, was equally intriguing. I even pine for the days of the Dueling Davids: David Cook and David Archuleta.

Even the “hits” on AC are down this year, which may be due to the Olympics in Vancouver, or it may just be that this year’s crop isn’t cutting it

There is no one in the entire crowd, with the possible exception of Crystal Bowersox (for the girls) and Lee DeWyze (of the boys) who I really even care to hear sing again. I’m not that “ga ga’ over Casey Jones. Big Daddy Mike Lynche isn’t doing anything much for me. I did enjoy watching Todrick Hall own the stage, but I had no idea what he was singing (and, as the judges said, neither did they).

I was happy to see 2 things I had said echoed by Simon Cowell: 1) Angela Martin should never have been cut and (2) this year, the girls are stronger, which he was quoted as having said in the New York Post.  After mentioning that, however, I am very disappointed in almost all of the girls, so far. I do think that Katelyn Epperly will step up, as Crystal Bowersox already has, but I really pine for the Dueling Davids and/or Adam Lambert/Allison Irahito days. And when Simon leaves? What then?

What to say about “American Idol” boys’ night? Another “meh” set of performances.

Let’s categorize them as we did with the girls: The Good, The Bad, and the Okay.

THE GOOD

My favorites: Lee DeWyze, 23, of Chicago sang Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars’ and he has a unique quality in his voice. He accompanied himself on guitar and has a raspy edge that is very unique. Comments were made by the judges that were “so-so” but Simon seemed to get it: “I thought this was the best performance you’ve given so far. This guy is a naturally good singer.” I think Lee did well.

Casey James: The blonde 24-year-old sang “Here’s Heaven” and, despite all the goofing-around, which included Randy grabbing Kara’s arms and having her wave them to and fro and Kara’s comment, “I don’t recognize you with your shirt on,” (he removed it at her suggestion during auditions) I thought he gave a good performance. Ellen said, “I could feel Kara undressing you with her eyes. You were great.” Even Simon got into the act, commenting that they were both “cursed with good looks.” Simon called Casey’s performance “Honest. Sincere. Likeable,” and added, “This was the best performance I’ve heard from you, so you did great.” I agree.

Joe Munoz, 20, of Huntington Park, California:  He sang the Jason Mraz song “You and I Both Hear It.” Ellen said, “You’re so comfortable. Great stage presence. “ Randy commented, “You’ve got a great voice. I think you did a great job with it, Dawg. You worked it out.” Kara called him “up front and center. The best so far in terms of the singing.” Simon was the only dissenter calling him “okay, safe, a bit forgettable, a bit limp.” I think the 3 to 1 who thought he did a good job were right.

Michael Lynche, 26 sang “This Love” by “Maroon 5” accompanying himself on guitar. He did not get much support from Simon, who said, “You’re sort of like the support act before the main act, kind of like a vague, jazzy performance.” Ellen disagreed, saying, “I think people are gonna’ love him.” Michael has been given so much extra airtime because of the birth of his daughter while he was auditioning that people feel like they know him. Big Daddy will still be here for a while.
THE OKAY

Todrick Hall did appear to be what Simon accused him of: “I think you came over as a dancer trying to sing.” Yes, he did. The next part of Simon’s critique I disagree with, “What you did was completely verging on stupid.” What he did was dance around a lot, since he has danced and sung on Broadway with Fantasia in “The Color Purple.” He moved around a lot and, as Ellen said, “The chorus was a little rough,” I had no idea what he was singing, to begin with. Randy said, “I didn’t know what song it was. I still want to see you sing.  You’ve got mad chops vocally.” I think that Todrick needs to NOT change the song as much as he did (he said he heard it this way in his head) but I liked his acrobatic touches. Not everyone can both sing and dance well. Needs to sing something we all know and love.

Jermaine Sellers, 27, from Joliet, Illinois, sang “Get Here” while wearing his trademark hat. I actually liked his light voice, with the lilting quality, although it took him a long time to slide up to the right pitch on the last note. Ellen declared herself “A huge fan” and said, “I love your look. More a performance than feeling it, though. A couple of times you went off or out as though you were trying too hard.” Randy wants him to sing something more contemporary like Neo or Maxwell and added, “You’re trying to do too much vocally, Dawg,” referencing some of Jermaine’s runs. He wanted them to be meaningful runs. Simon was brutal: “It’s the kind of song that, if you were playing piano in a piano bar, people in their 50s would request it. I think you’ve totally blown your opportunity with that (song choice).”  {*Note: he is not in the “BAD” category, for me, but it was just okay.)

Aaron Kelly, 16, from Sonestown, Pennsylvania, a high school student: Simon was kind to Aaron, saying, “Bearing in mind that that was your first live appearance, that was very good.” All of the rest told him, “Dude, believe in yourself.” Randy added, “16. What a voice! Wow!” Ellen said, “I think you’re gonna be here a long time. You’re just gonna’ get better and better.”

John Park, 21, of Northbrook, Illinois sang “God Bless The Child” and that was universally panned as a song choice. Simon immediately kicked his chair back and began to look bored, before John had even sung 3 notes. After the performance, he said, “You have got to have an incredible voice to take that one on and you don’t. It was flat, zero emotion. A pointless performance,” which he compared to a copycat knock-off of Michael Buble. I didn’t like the choice of songs, either, but I’ll share my theory about that at the end of this list. Randy said, “It made you feel old,” and Ellen agreed that “A different song would show us who you are. I like you a lot.” John has real talent and can come back.

Andrew Garcia, 24, of Moreno Valley, California sang “Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” Simon said he was disappointed…that the song was “too serious, too indulgent.” Kara thought it was “a really strange rendition, but a risk, and added, “You’re great.” Everyone kept referencing his earlier rendition of Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” Ellen said, “I’m one of the fans, but this was too closed, too indulgent. I think you’re gonna’ stick around. We like you.” Agreed.

Alex Lambert, of North Richland Hills, Texas, was the 19-year-old who sang “It’s A Wonderful World” by James Morrison. Simon was so mean to him that I think he will get sympathy votes. Simon said, “I don’t know who was the happiest for that performance to end, you or us. It was the most uncomfortable performance of the night.” Ellen hit the nail on the head when she talked about a banana and how Alex “just needs to ripen” (like a banana). He had only sung publicly 3 times, previously, in coffee shops. He’s a very cute young man. I think he will make it through and people will forgive him his first-night jitters and his relative inexperience, when compared to a performer from Broadway like Todrick Hall.

THE BAD

Tyler Grady, for me, was by far the worst. He sang “American Woman,” but he is a poseur, a Jim Morrison wannabee. It’s getting old. That pretty much sums up the judges comments, as they said he needed to find some new schtick, rather than continuing to mimic rock singers from the past that he has admired.  Simon put it this way, “You come over as someone who has gone to ‘Pretend to be a rock star school.” Agreed. Kara referenced his obsession with the seventies (although Jim Morrison was the sixties,) and randy criticized his “style over substance.” Ellen said, ‘You’re copying. Work on the singing. Be an original.” Good advice.

Tim Urban, 20, of Duncanville, Texas, DID get cut previously. I knew I remembered he had been cut after group week, but then he was back. (Reason was said to be that Chris Golightly did not reveal a previous record contract and got cut, so there was an opening.) Tim sang “Apologize” by One Republic, and he is very cute. He looks like the Lost Jonas Brother, but his voice was weak. Simon said, “There was nothing to take from that. I just don’t think your voice is good enough.” Kara said, “The music overpowered you and swallowed it up. Here you were just buried under the arrangement.” Randy told Tim it was “just the wrong song. Honestly, I personally think you are better than this.” (So do I).  Ellen said, “If the sound was down, just looking at you, because you’re adorable.” Ellen has hit on what may keep Tim Urban around: he IS adorable. (Remember Sanjaya?) Nevertheless, Simon said that he felt the judges had made the right choice when they cut him the first time, and I can’t argue with that after hearing him tonight. Now, if he only sang as good as he looks…..

On the previous night, when the girls sang, all the songs were dreary. There were no “up-tempo” performances, really. The only one this night was the “American Woman” attempt, but we’re getting tired of seeing Tyler Morrison…err Grady. Honestly, he’s NOT that adorable or sexy, despite the long mane of hair and the possible pleather pants. Why don’t the producers insist that so many songs be “up tempo” and so many be slower? I’m sure this could be arranged. It is just common sense. All bands, when putting together their play lists, make room for a slow song every once in a while, but if the entire concert is slow, dirgy music, it gets pretty boring. I think what is bringing this year’s performances down are the song choices, which, so far, have been less-than-stimulating. Makes you long for Adam Lambert and company of last year. I want some fast and some slow, but no more Jim Morrison wanna-bees need apply.

Thinking back over Wednesday night’s “American Idol” girls-only show from Hollywood, my overall impression? Dull. Dreary. Mostly boring.

That doesn’t mean that there weren’t some strong voices on display, but the ones that were strong chose songs that the judges almost universally pronounced to be “the wrong song” and the entire energy of the show just felt washed-out, dried up, blown away.

THE GOOD

The singers who impressed me this night were Siobhan Magnus, who sang “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. She began the song in a nice, very low register and soared to the “I don’t wanna’ fall in love” refrain with a lilting voice that was great. Ellen DeGeneres probably echoed my thoughts the best when she said, “I loved it. I really liked it a lot.” Simon followed up saying, “You really are a funny little thing, aren’t you?” He asked her why she had chosen that particular song, and she responded that she found it “haunting” and “memorable” and “I have a softer side, too.” Simon called it “a very, very dark song,” while Randy encouraged her to “reach for bigger things, but the short snippet that showed her being whispered about as “ a dark horse” were interesting, because Siobhan said, quite disingenuously, “What’s a dark horse?” as though she had never heard the term.

Another singer who has consistently impressed me was the multi-talented Crystal Bowersox, age 24, from Elston, Ohio, who auditioned in Chicago. Crystal sang a song by Alanis Morissette, accompanying herself on guitar and harmonica. The best summation of her performance was, “You were good tonight, but you have greatness in you.” Ellen DeGeneres said: “We are lucky that you auditioned for ‘American Idol.’ You add something fresh to the show.” This on the heels of Crystal’s admission that she had not been a big fan of the show in prior years. Other comments: “Originality. I loved the honesty. I like what you do. I like that honesty. I’m a fan,” from Randy. Crystal, A.I. watchers will recall, is the mother of a young son and got his name tattooed on her back after winning. Her back-story is interesting, too. The only negative remarks were, as usual, from Simon, who, while saying, “I really, really like you. I think you’re refreshing,” urged her to try a song by someone like David Bowie, to present herself in a different light.

Another standout performance was that of Littleton, Colorado’s Lilly Scott, who said, “It means so much to be here right now.  Everything I’ve done musically has led up to now.” Lilly has the gray hair and the look of a vampire bride, but she sang, quirkily, with her guitar “Fixin’ a Hole” by the Beatles. She wears eye shadow that makes her resemble a raccoon, but she has a very different quality. Ellen said, “I think that’s what we’re talkin’ about. You sounded great.” She praised Lilly’s “random song choice” but other less positive comments were: “I’m still not feeling much Star Power.” Both Simon and Randy commented on Lilly’s honesty and believability. Simon: “Best so far. Well done. You’re believable.  You come from your heart.” “ I could feel you were comfortable in your performance,” said Kara and Randy chimed in with, “I love the honesty.  I thought it was great.”

THE BAD

Worst of the night, for me, was final contestant Katie Stevens, singing Michael Buble’s “Feelin’ Good.” Katie was way sharp when she went up for the high notes. When she sang, “Birds feelin’ high”,that was the sharpest off-key note of all of the many. She was pitchy and off-key throughout the song, (Grandmother with Alzheimer’s or not, she seemed to be channeling Granny this night in her performance and her appearance). She  looked “old.” Her hair was done in an old-fashioned way, her dress, her demeanor: antique. Ellen DeGeneres said, “I want to see you be 17. The song was a little old for you.” Simon agreed, saying, “I totally agree with Ellen. So much so that it started to become annoying. Very pageant-y.” Kara finally pointed out the elephant on the dining room table, saying, “You were all over the place” on the pitch, and Randy finished up the same critique I would have given her singing saying, “You were pushing so hard that all the notes were going sharp.” Another comment: “Wow! That was not on key.” (Kara) This is never good in the finals of an “American Idol” competition.

Others that were not good: Lacey Brown (Dull. Bad outfit.) Simon said, “It was quite depressing. After about 15 seconds I wondered how much longer we’d have to listen to this. It was just boring. Sorry.”  The Dixie Chicks need fear nothing here.

Haeley Vaughn: I have not been a fan of Haeley’s since the would-be black C&W singer made it through to the Final 24 over the far superior (vocally) Angela Martin. I found her song, her voice, her rendition of the Beatles “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” to be just a little too chipper. I made the note, “Painful” at one point, and then Simon started in saying, “I’m being honest.  For me, it was verging on terrible. A complete and utter mess. It wasn’t very good.” (Don’t hold back, Simon. Tell us how you really feel.) Ellen DeGeneres countered, “If it was a mess, it was a hot mess,” as she had previously praised Haeley, the person, saying, “Sixteen and so much presence.  You just shine.”

Ashley Rodriguez, who was so promising initially, disappointed with a Leona Lewis song. Kara pointed out “Moments that weren’t great. I couldn’t really see you take a risk.” Simon called her performance “clumsy” and said he “didn’t like the arrangement.” He accurately said, “I think you are going backwards from the first time we met you Just someone who sings other people’s songs not that well” was how he characterized the Chelsea, Massachusetts college student’s performance (Ouch!). Ashley had said in previous clips, “This is the dream. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.” The dream may have to be deferred to another year if Ashley doesn’t step up her game.

Paige Miles, 24, from Naples, Florida had the dubious honor of going first.  It wasn’t a memorable performance and telling us that she was sewed into her black dress with the white sash and had been “waiting 5 hours to pee” was a little bit TMI for me. She sang “All Right Now” and, although she was told she “had the best voice out of all the girls” by Simon, and told “You’ve got a ridiculous voice, girl” by Kara, the consensus seemed to be “It’s about self-belief.  You have to believe you’re a star.” Paige was not a star this night, but, in all fairness, she had to sing first (always a disadvantage, I feel).

THE OKAY:

Janell Wheeler, 24, of Orlando, the wine representative who is supposed to be quarterback Tim Teabow’s girlfriend tried a “Heart” song while wearing skin-tight black leggings of some sort. Randy felt that “the song choice didn’t work for you. I like your voice.” Ellen said, “I like that song. I thought you sang it well and I like you.” Simon brought some reality to the bleating of “What about love?” by saying, “You gave it 100% effort and delivered 65%. (Leave it to Simon to articulate the thoughts of the masses.)  He did say there were “moments in the song when I did like your voice,” while telling her she had gone off-key at times.  He advised Janell, a fairly attractive (but not stunning) blonde, to “try to do something that makes you original” and both Simon and Kara warned her that taking on an Ann Wilson song was “too big” for her voice.

Katelyn Epperly, age 19, from West Des Moines, Iowa is a personal favorite (as an Iowa native). I put her in the “okay” category tonight, because she adopted a black strapless dress with a chanteuse look, a thing in her hair (feather, I think), big earrings, and a much “dirtier girl” look. I liked her better when she first auditioned with her wild fly-away “Witches of Eastwick” hair, and so did Kara, who commented on her look. Simon said, “I actually like you. You’re quirky, interesting, brave. I like you a lot.” Kara said, “You know your voice very, very well, you switched it up in a way,” but Kara was the judge who (also) pined for Katelyn’s fresh-faced look. Katelyn defended the many facts of her personality to Kara’s desire that she be “a little bit more natural.” Randy said, “Here’s the thing I really, really like about you. You concentrate on tone, not runs. I think you can go places and do stuff.” Ellen found her performance “interesting,” but said, “I felt like it was pushed, but you have an amazing voice.” Has the potential to be in THE GOOD category next time out. I think she will stay around.

For me, Didi Benami was also “okay.” She sang in a terrible outfit…a multi-colored vest-like garment, but the judges did not find her memorable, as she wanted the audience to “Take Me the Way I Am.” Her performance was pronounced, “Dreary. Missing a spark. In the real world, I think that would be totally forgettable. You’re just so sleepy for me.” Ellen probably phrased it the most diplomatically, saying, “First impression: A little low key.” I definitely liked her better than the judges seemed to like her.

Michelle DelaMor described herself as “a corporate singer” prior to her selection by “American Idol.” She is tall, dark and sexy. She is 23, from Miami and works at a clothing store.” I’m so excited because I know my family will be there in the audience, and I just hope to make them proud.” She sang Alicia Keys’ “Fallin.” She wore a cute black top and gray pants, but was criticized for mainly doing a cover version of the song that was not unusual or original. (I, in fact, couldn’t remember her at all and had to go back on my TVO and watch her performance for a second time, which means that she wasn’t very memorable.) She has “the look” and is a beautiful girl. Ellen said, “That was fantastic. I feel like it was safe and it seemed so easy for you. I feel like you have more in you. I think that you were great, but I know that you can do better than that. I thought it was amazing.” Simon said, “It sounded close to the original. Not as good as the original. There wasn’t one moment in the performance that I went, ‘Wow!’ I think you’ve done enough to get through to the next round, and you look fantastic by the way.” Kara said, “There were moments that it wasn’t great.” She urged Michelle to be technically immaculate every time she stepped on the stage and she felt that Michelle lacked believability but could “get there.’ Randy said, “You actually did a pretty good job doing it. You’ve got a great voice and a great look. All that is hot and dope and cool. But take some risks. Show me something nobody has showed me yet.”

I think that Simon’s comment about things being “a mess” (countered by Ellen DeGeneres’ saying, “But a hot mess,” followed by Simon’s saying, “Seems to be the way it’s going tonight”) was accurate for the entire program. The girls—who seem stronger than the boys this year— (even Simon was quoted this way in the New York Post) didn’t deliver. It may have been nerves, as the talent is definitely there. My top 3 for the evening may soon be joined by the likes of Katelyn Epperly or Michelle DeLaMor, but, overall, the evening was disappointing, and, without Simon’s caustic honesty, the comments of the other judges would have been fairly insipid.

My impression that the female singers, this year, are stronger than the male singers, was seconded by the Judges on Wednesday, February 17, 2010, as the Final 24 were selected to be this year’s “American Idol” contestants.

In predicting, in fact, I even found it difficult to come up with the names of 12 strong male singers and was laboring under a couple of misperceptions:

1) Stories abound on the Internet that “Big Mike” Lynche was disqualified because his father let it slip that he had made the top 24. It’s a rule that is controversial and selectively enforced, like kicking Kevin Smith off an airplane for being too fat. So far, Mike Lynche is still “in,” as far as I know, but the stories persist that his mother works for a newspaper in Orlando and his father confirmed his presence among the top 12 male singers. (His brother made it pretty far in a previous Idol competition.) Supposedly, Dad’s phone number is now disconnected. I’m wondering what gives?

2)  Another misconception I had was that Tim Urban was gone after group week. Tim Urban made the final cut, and that was good news, to me.

Others among the men who made the Final 24 contestants were:

Tyler Grady – a Jim Morrison wannabe who said, “This is huge.”

Alex Lambert

Joe Munoz

Jermaine Sellers

John Park

Tim Urban

Alex Lambert

Andrew Young

Honestly, this year’s crop of men is far less memorable than the women. I do remember John Park, Jermaine Sellers and Andrew Young. It was hard not to remember Thaddeus Johnson. He spent most of this night sobbing on his mother’s shoulder. The judges generally lauded his onstage performances, but he was not the most physically appealing of the group. Tyler’s comments in leaving: “I killed it. I just thought it was my time.” When asked if his being cut was a big shock, he said, “Yes, it’s a big shock, because they acted like they loved me, but it was kind of fake.’ (Ouch!)

I found myself focusing more on this year’s female contestants, so much so that I only gave readers a “reminder” of which females were “best,” so far. My list was not too far off the mark (8 of 12). The ones I missed, were, quite frankly, almost unheard-of and not given any airtime as they auditioned. Those unheralded contestants, who made the list for the women were:

Paige Miles

Siobhan Magnus

Michelle Delamour (she was predicted to have made the cut on some Internet websites)

Those who made the cut who had been featured prominently and nearly all of who (m) I predicted were:

Lilly Scott

Janell Wheeler

Lacey Brown

Ashley Rodriguez

Crystal Bowersox

Haeley Vaughan

And Katie Stevens

I did remember Katie’s back-story about her grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease, and I did remember Tory Kelly, (who did not make it). I accurately predicted nearly all the contestants that we, the at-home audience, had been allowed to see.

The notable exception to my predicting would be the elimination of Angela Martin. Privately, I wonder if the 6 days in jail she did for “traffic violations” was an influence on the judges’ decision, but, again, it’s hard to comment on young women like Paige Miles, Siobhan Magnus and Michelle Delamour, whom none of us at home saw. [I was paying close attention, Folks].

So, admitting that the men, this year, are not as compelling, I’m feeling okay about predicting the following contestants: Janell Wheeler, Lacey Brown, Ashley Rodriguez (again, check her out on the posted Internet video), Crystal Bowersox, Lilly Scott, Haeley Vaughan, Didi Benami and Katelyn Epperly.

That’s 6 correct female picks—8 if you accept my hand-on-heart contention that I had picked both of the 2 announced on Tuesday night (Didi Benami and Katelyn Epperly). I missed 4 out of 12 for 2/3% accuracy.

The question can legitimately be asked whether Angela Martin should have been cut. Angela’s comments after her elimination, which involved an almost full-out counseling session with Judge Kara sitting with her in one chair, were “Music heals me. I can’t give it up.”

The judges obviously knew they were doing something that would be viewed as controversial when they cut Angela. Some savvy music executive might still pick Angela up as a client, and she could be one who has a career despite being eliminated (Jennifer Hudson, anyone?). While Thaddeus Johnson did not have the “look” that the judges are seeking, and was far too dependent on dear old mom for support at every turn, making him seem less than adult,  Angela had been through a lot and deserved a shot. For me, she was far superior to Haeley Vaughan (black C&W singer), who made it through. I had speculated that Courtney Vance might make it through, but, in my notes after her first appearance, I commented, “Very small voice. Will not go far.” That last part proved accurate.

[*Note to self: must start paying more attention to the male contestants, even if they aren’t as good as the girls.]