The Boys are Back in Town

Okay, so Idol begins tonight with Ryan introducing the guys one by one. A good way to let us know their names, because seriously? Aside from Mike and Hotness (Casey), I don’t know any of these guys. And even Casey’s hotness isn’t enough to keep Boys Idol from being a snooze fest. Dare I admit that perhaps this show has jumped the shark? Naaah...

Kara really changes her hair up every week...curly, straight. Kara and Simon wax about their ongoing love affair, and somewhere, Paula Abdul is crossing out Kara’s face on the tv with her lipstick.

Oh yeah, one hour...no time to smooze. First up is Lee Dewyze. I do like him. He’s singing a song whose name I missed because of commotion (and when I’m watching Idol upstairs, for those who are wondering...no DVR so I can’t, as Alex says, “do that again”). Okay, so Lee sounds good tonight. I actually like him, I just don’t remember him from week to week. And that’s the problem with the guys - none of them except for Mike Lynche are memorable. Randy calls it a strange song choice, but that he made (Fireflies, by Adam Young is what Randy called it) it his own. Ellen likes that he made it a little rock-like, and that a lot of people tell her they have crushes on him. Kara says there’s now a star bubbling there and that she made the song a better song (and Casey is on his way out as Kara’s crush). Simon breaks Kara’s concentration by leaning all close to her...which, I kind of get; after all, I’ve had a crush on Simon for a while! Simon says it’s nothing to rave about, but he’s glad he’s there and thinks he’ll have a great shot at the top 12. Lee smartly says that he’s trying to focus on the critiques more than the compliments so that he can continue to get better. I like him. I’m hoping he does have a breakout moment so that I can remember him from week to week.

Alex Lambert takes on Trouble by...um...John Mayer? Nope. Google tells me it’s Ray LaMontagne. And having never heard the original I have no basis of comparison. I can never decide if that’s a good thing or not. Okay, was it me or did he stop singing before his lips did? I’m not sure how I felt about this. Something about him Randy liked it, but wasn’t jumping and down about it. Ellen even boos Randy’s comments, which means she likes it...she continues her banana metaphor from last week saying he’s getting riper and better each week. Kara says the only thing that is standing in the way of him winning is himself (and...uh, Crystal Bowersox...she needs a nickname if I’m going to keep saying her name), that he needs to believe in himself. Simon says he has to get himself mentally somewhere else because he just can’t seem to relax and have a good time. He invites him to imagine Randy in a bikini, saying he’s got to focus less on the camera and the delivery and more on his voice, which is good and distinctive. The judges are definitely having more fun this season. They have a lot more fun with each other. Or is it me?

Tim Urban does Jeff Buckley’s Alleluia, which this show has been trying to kill all season for me so far. Except for the fact that this kid’s haircut reminds me of Peter Brady, and therefore he’s just NOT current to me, I like his voice. I just can only take this song in limited doses. There, I said it. I don’t love this song, and I feel a bit like a bad Catholic for saying that. It’s just...there for me. Like this performance was, but I give him props for the a Capella version. His voice is very pleasant to me. Translation - can’t remember him from week to week either. Randy thinks he did a pretty good song with one of the greatest songs ever (Hyperbole, thy name is Randy). Ellen jumps out of her seat to hug Tim and compliments him that it was fantastic. Kara was connected, and now doesn’t think he’s getting a one way ticket out of Hollywood after that performance. Simon feels responsible for him doing well this week because of his confidence boost last week. He calls it his best performance to date. Okay...he should sail to the top 12 after those critiques.

Andrew Garcia is doing Genie in a Bottle by Andrew Garcia. I like it when he does this. It works for him, except, it was risky doing this AGAIN...taking a bubble gum pop song and making it acoustic. He’s kind of becoming a one-trick pony. I like it, but the problem is this is JUST like when he did Straight Up, but without the element of surprise. So I like his voice doing this, but I can’t say that I felt like this was exceptional. Randy likes his cardigan (translation: hated it), He says that the idea of the song was better than the execution was better than the execution. The phone rang, so I missed Ellen’s and most of Kara’s critique too, but I think I heard applause after Ellen’s and the awkward silence that usually follows a bad critique after Kara’s. Simon says he’s afraid he’s going backwards a bit, that it felt a little desperate. Yeah...Andrew, this might not work out in the end for you. I still remember his back story, and wanted him to go far, but I feel like he’s a bit out of his league now.

Casey James chooses my favorite Keith Urban song, You’ll Think of Me. He wisely takes the judges advice from last week and strips away the rock band, and this works. I really like this...so once again I say, HELLO HOTNESS! Randy thinks this was a safe choice, thinking he’s got more of the Stevie Ray Vaughn edge. Funny. I think he’s more comfy in the rock mode. Ellen agrees with me. She thinks it was great, and thinks his vibe is the softer country, sitting down thing. Kara is smiling like she wants to dip him in chocolate. She admits to kind of being back on the Casey train, but not completely as she thinks this performance was sparkless. Yeah whatever, Kara. Simon says it was a sincere performance, but probably not his best. Translation: “Stop flirting with my woman before I get you in and English choke-hold, Blondie.”

Aaron Kelly picks I’m Already There, by Lone Star. Okay, does this kid remind anyone else of a young Ed Norton? Which makes me like him more...except...this is not a great beginning vocally, for me. I do like Aaron, but the poor guy is not giving us a great performance. His voice sounds very thin, like he’s not in his comfort range...or his nerves have completely gotten the better of him. The Bon-Jovi-circa-1986 rock stance doesn’t help. Actually, this is not a great vocal, which I’m sad to say. I don’t like raking the younger ones over the coals (except for, I guess, Haeley.) I’m really REALLY eh on this. Actually, I’m closer to not liking it. Randy thought this was good (huh?). He agrees with me that it was a rough beginning, but a job well done. Ellen loves Aaron and the way he carries himself, but she thinks this song was too much for him, and doesn’t think it’s terrific. I do kind of love how Ellen apologizes for not liking stuff. Kara says at sixteen this song is just not relevant to him - how can he relate to a song about a man calling home to speak to his kids? Simon calls bullsh!t on Kara, and goes onto say it was obvious that he was trying hard and he applauds that. I honestly don’t remember if he said he liked the performance or not. He also says that if they keep saying “don’t do this, sing like that”, they are going to confuse the contestants. There must be some truth there, because they have been confusing this blogger for about 8 years now.

I can’t wait to see this movie Our Family Wedding. It looks like so much fun!

Todrick is effing up Queen’s Somebody to Love. And of course he’s full of himself on the way to commercial, and he’s kind of approaching this song without the appropriate amount of respect that Freddy Mercury deserves. It’s a pretty decent vocal, but a lousy performance, accentuated by the fact that this kid gets on my nerves. Totally gets on my nerves. Randy thinks it’s hot, saying it’s one of the best vocals of the night. Ellen calls him brave - that she couldn’t believe that he had the intestinal fortitude to sing this song. I know, right? Kara says it was good singing, but that she was tempted to laugh at his performance. Simon says it was good in parts, and said that he’s more of a Broadway artist than a commercial artist. He said it felt like American Idol: the Musical. And. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Well, I view Broadway as high praise (even though I know the contestants don’t). I kind of see his point, but still. I’m hoping that Todrick’s 15 minutes of fame is up soon. Really, really soon.

SEE? The boys put me in a bad mood.

Last but not least Big Mike Lynche is singing...This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush! And who would have thought such a comfy teddy bear had such a lovely falsetto? And isn’t it lovely that he’s singing it when his first child is barely 3 months old (if I have my math right)? Awww...this has taken me to a really good place already. This is really good. I’ve loved this song since I first heard Kate Bush sing it in the movie “She’s Having a Baby”, and he’s doing her justice. Mike is my favorite guy, and I think he’s showing exactly why that is. And really? I had to wait 56 minutes for this? That was AWESOME. Okay, Kara’s not looking at the camera...is she crying? Randy says...”really”? He has no words, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Mike’s performance renders Randy more monosyllabic than usual, and you KNOW that’s saying something. He loved it. Ellen says the competition begins at this point, and suddenly Mike becomes the one to beat. Awww...he DID made Kara cry. And she’s making ME tear up and she notes how closely that song mirrors his life right now. Kara can’t get herself together and this makes me LOVE her. Oh, and Mike’s tearing up too! These people are KILLING ME! Killing me! Simon says that this performance was exactly what was needed, and that it was the best performance of the live performances. Kara is still sniffing.Very well done, Mike.

Okay, so I’m skipping over the next 13 weeks to say that this whole thing should come down to Sweet Mama Bowersox and Mike Lynche. So really? How will I care who goes home tomorrow. But for the guys tomorrow night - Andrew might be in trouble, and...well, Peter Brady and Todrick ought to be.

Good night, Friends!