It’s exciting times. Top 3 is always exciting. I can’t believe the finale is next week! Well…that just means I can get back to blogging about things people might actually be interested in ;) (other than my loving, loyal fiancé of course!)
Casey, Crystal and Lee.
Personally….I want Crystal and Lee for the top 2, but who knows? I think Crystal is in, but the boys…it’s anyone’s game.
Apparently we have no mentor this week. So we start off right away.
Each contestant will be singing two songs tonight: one they pick and one the judges pick. And we’ll be seeing video from their trips home.
Casey James - Ok, It’s Alright With Me by ? (sorry…didn’t catch who it was by!)
Casey is in a suit…playing acoustic…and looks really stiff and uncomfortable. He sound like Counting Crows again. I thought he sounded good, but he looked really…odd. He wasn’t loose at all.
Randy said the song was just alright and was too safe for this point. Ellen agreed with Randy. Kara said songs no one knows are hard…and this wasn’t enough. Simon said he sounded good but it was a dud and not memorable. And Mom pointed out no one booed the judges when they were criticizing Casey…which says a lot.
Crystal Bowersox – Come to My Window by Melissa Ethridge
First thought is “Great song choice!” but we’ll see how it turns out. Crystal is armed with her guitar and harmonica…the harmonica around her neck makes her a bit immobile so I hope the judges don’t fault her for that. And my next thought is..the only problem with Crystal doing Ethridge is that they are such similar artists she runs the risk of sounding too much like the original. For some reason her harmonica in the beginning reminds me of Tom Petty….anyway…she sounds good, but honestly it didn’t blow me away. She did
manage to make it her own and the audience went crazy for her.
Randy didn’t like the arrangement, but loved her vocals on it and said she made it work. Ellen liked it and said Melissa would be very proud. Kara said she got lost in the arrangement and thought it should have been acoustic, but was a good vocal and that she is capable of a moment and hopes she has one later. Simon agreed with the others, didn’t think it was a stunning version, but said he really likes that from the beginning she hasn’t compromised herself as an artist and this was a very honest performance and completely her. And he is completely right. And I can’t really disagree with any of them.
Lee Dewyze – Simple Man by Leonard Skynard
Ryan says Lee has been different since he came back from his trip. I’m assuming that’s a compliment.
Lee opened with acoustic and then the band joined in.
Wow…THAT was a performance. It’s the first time I think I like his performance better than Crystal’s. He was amazing. The vocals were rough and modern…from the sly, up-to-something one sided grins to the props to the band…he was performing. Mom says he’s in it to win it…Dad said 4 bars in he knew Lee had taken the first round.
Randy said that could be on Lee’s record and somebody thinks they can win it tonight. Ellen loved it and remarked how confident he is. Kara said every other contestant needs to do what he did….bring everything they’ve got. And she gave the first round to him. Simon…slowly got into his remarks…and finally said contestants song choices have been ok…but this one…was absolutely on the money. He said he crushed the other two contestants. And I have to agree…he was awesome. We could have been at a really good concert for that one.
And now…the judges choices!
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First we see Casey’s at home clips back in Cool, Texas. Yes…the man is from cool.
Casey – Daughters by John Meyer
Chosen by Randy and Kara
We’re not sure about this choice. Kara said they picked it because he needs to know his audience and they’re women and girls…ok whatever. He’s still not that kind of artist….he likes rockin out and playing blues.
Dad was hoping he’d rock it out…simply because that’s not how the song was done originally. But Casey played it safe and stuck fairly close to the Meyer version. He sounded good…but it was kind of boring. Personally, I think the judges screwed Casey. At the end he got a bit more blues to his voice…and his playing was good as always.
The audience doesn’t seem as into Casey tonight as normal…the screams aren’t as loud…Dad thinks the judges torpedoed him.
Randy said this fitted him like a glove, Ellen agreed and said it was beautiful, Kara said it showed the more artistic side and that’s where he shines (BS!), and Simon…(please save us)….was laughing…Casey asked what he was laughing at :-) Simon said they chose a song that has a limp guitar solo as it’s climax and the they needed to give him a better vocal moment. Simon said Casey sounded good, but the song didn’t have a wow factor. Kara defended the choice by stating the song wasn’t written to have a wow factor…oh gee…then maybe YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE PICKED IT FOR HIS TOP 3 SONG!!!!!! Ugh! I’m rooting for Lee and Crystal…but Casey still got screwed and that shit ain’t fair.
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And Crystal goes home to Ohio!
Crystal – Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul McCarthy
Chosen by Ellen
No guitar….might have been just me…but it felt like Crystal was struggling with this song. It was alright…I don’t know…it feels like something is missing. Maybe it’s the feeling she has when she sings a song she chooses.
ok. Sigh…maybe I wasn’t listening right…the vocals were awesome…I’m gonna give this one to the judges and the parents cause apparently I’m way off with the whole something is missing thing.
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Lee Dewyze – Hallelujah by (sorry didn’t catch it again)
Chosen by Simon
Dad called Simon a word I can’t repeat…which is a point because this song has been sung amazingly by a couple o people on Idol. That combined with the amazing professional recordings and Lee has some mighty big shoes to fill….but Simon said he ….sorry…had to pause to watch. It stopped me in my tracks. Anyway…Simon said he didn’t think we’d ever heard it like Lee will sing it.
My goodness. It was amazing. There was a tone of desperation and sadness and his rougher voice brings a more jadedness than purity that I haven’t heard in the song before. It was truly amazing and touching….I gotta admit…I got a little teary eyed. And so did Lee. He felt that. You can’t say he didn’t connect that time.
Randy loved it and said he threw the gauntlet down. Ellen said it was stunning. Kara said it was an epic moment, he owned the entire night and he is the heart of the show. Simon is very very proud and said what a great person Lee was and how much he sincerely hopes to see him next week. And Lee says the audience and judges’ reactions really got to him.
Dad says Lee is a shoo in.
Interesting...they didn't show nearly as much of the home footage as they usually do...
Watching the play back…
Casey – got so screwed. And was just eh.
Crystal – really good as usual
Lee – A-MA-ZING!
Sorry…I just loved both of his performances so much…it truly is the first time I’m thinking I might be rooting for someone else to win besides Crystal.
Regardless…Lee and Crystal need to be in the finale. I like Casey and all, but he’s not on the same level.
Ok…time for Glee!! With Neil Patrick Harris!!!! So exciting!!!
Here’s to Glee!!
Cheers!
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