It's Too Late For 1 American Idol Contestant

Tonight could be an interesting night on American Idol, because there has been an overwhelming general consensus about the contestant leaving tonight, and that can be where Producer Nigel Lythgoe can be a bit more creative, and insert some drama. But you never know for sure until it happens



Crusty tells us that a big group of fans will be disappointed their favorite is going home. The judges have their moment, with the focus on Steven. And they announce their guests tonight, Bruno Mars and Crystal Bowersox.



They have a segment on the Royal Wedding, with far too many bad British accents flying. This leads to a medley of Carole King songs, with hits like Go Away Little Girl, One Fine Day and It's Too Late, among others. After a commercial break, we get to see the Ford Music video, in which the Idols sing Our House by Madness.



The runner up from last year, Crystal Bowersox, comes out to sing her fantastic song, Ridin' With The Radio, from her debut album Farmer's Daughter.



There are questions for the Idols, and Casey is first, saying he would duet with Oscar Peterson because, well, would we expect any differently? Jacob discovered the range in his voice when he was 6 or 7, via a park ranger. Lauren said the hardest part of being an Idol is missing her friends or family, especially in the South. Scotty answered a question I couldn't understand, either Crusty's asking it, or Scotty answering it. James has been in several bands, including one with Casey, Stefano, and Paul. Haley says her favorite past Idols were Adam Lambert, Siobhan Magnus, and, of course, Kelly Clarkson. Ryan atttempts to make a Taylor Hicks joke, which seems overly petty to me.

Haley is up first, and Jimmy Iovine says she has the best voice, but her indecision as an artist might cause her to go home. After the vote, she is safe. Scotty is up next, and Jimmy says he has a subtlety that might be overlooked. We don't get an answer on him, but Crusty asks him to have a seat. Lauren is up next, and Iovine talks about her insecurities, but he thinks she is in the game for the long haul. Casey is next, and after the judge's lovefest, Iovine talks about the angry growl Casey uses every week, and that the family dog doesn't vote... But Iovine thinks he will be safe. Casey is also on hold for the results, and we take a break.

James is up first, and following the recap, Jimmy Iovine finds him believable not with heavy metal, but with Pop/Rock. And he is safe. Finally, we have Jacob and his recap, and Iovine takes a shot at the wardrobe choice, and thinks he is not safe. Crusty calls Scotty, Casey and Lauren to join Jacob, only to send Lauren to safety. As we go to a commercial break, I realize he never really mentions if this is the bottom 3 or not, so I don't know what this means. Only that we will find out who is leaving after a performance by Bruno Mars.

When we return, we get to hear Bruno singing The Lazy Song. I find the reggae beat used to be a bit overly cute, but then remember no one is voting no anyway, and just sit back to enjoy. It's not like he is singing live tonight... Come on, you know they tape some of them in advance, using multiple takes, right? You didn't? Whoops...



So we are back, hopefully learning the fate of Jacob, Casey and Scotty. This, I can assure you, is live. However, I will admit I am distracted by the commercial that says he sometimes goes commando. I wake up to hear that Jacob is safe! Going home tonight, we find out Casey Abrams is heading home, and there is no judges save to help him. Scotty is safe. There is a recap of his stay on Idol, and his plan to single-handedly bring Jazz back. Crusty reminds us that Casey is what talent looks like. I manage to roll my eyes as Casey starts singing I Put A Spell On You. He runs around, kissing ladies and young girls. And the contestants.

AI9 Which Vampire Saw The Light of Day

The top six performed last night, using the music of Shania Twain as a platform to stardom. Tonight, the show starts off with a montage of backstage and performance clips. Then Crusty emerges from the back of the audience and tells us 33 million votes were placed last night. And tonight we will see live performances by Rascal Flatts and Shakira, as well as performances by Sons of Sylvia and Lady Antebellum. So, there will be far more guests than contestants tonight. Par for the course.

To fit it all in, they go right to Rascal Flatts, and the lead singer defines the word nasal. After the song, he lap dances Crusty, and panic ensues. I had to laugh. Then we move to behind the scenes footage of the Ford video, where the idols will be portraying vampires - except for the victim, Big Mike. Is that a clue to what is to come? Mike staves off the vampires with an extra-garlic pizza, and drives off into the sunset.

Next up, the Idols get to check out a voice-over session for the movie Shrek Forever After, followed by a special screening, all the Idols wearing the 3D glasses. Afterwards, they talked about how much they loved it. The movie opens May 21st.

So, Crusty places the contestants in three groups of two: Siobhan far left, Aaron in the center, Big Mike near right, Lee far left, Casey near right and Crystal in the center. Crusty totes Siobhan to the near right, and announces her, Mike and Casey are the bottom three. Most experts said they thought Big Mike was leaving tonight, but it is still surprising to see Casey and Siobhan there with him.

Next up, the Sons of Sylvia are introduced by Carrie Underwood - they are normally her backing band. Tonight, they are young, pretty and hip - and stepping out on their own. Good for them. Crusty announced next week Harry Connick, Jr. will be the mentor, and the theme was the songs of Sinatra. Wow.

Lady Antebellum are up next, singing Need You Now. My 9-year-old niece was excitedly singing along. Excellent song - has been certified triple Platinum - good for them! Then Shakira takes to the stage, and performs with minimal intrusion by Rascal Flatts. Shakira misquotes Roosevelt, Crusty laughs, and we move on.

So, we move on to the elimination, and we find out Big Mike is safe! Shocker! This leaves Casey and Siobhan, and I am saddened, for I am a Casey fan and will miss him. What? Siobhan is going home? Really? Now that surprises me greatly, and I must say, she handles it well. She sings 'Think!' and does a great job, and hugs her family, and, finally, Simon. I am sure few saw this coming.

Tonight The Twain Shall Meet

This post was originally written for Rickey.Org.

It is Shania Twain night on Idol, featuring the music of the guest mentor stopping by to offer advice to the contestants as they sing songs she has written and performed. Paint salesman, high school student, glass blower, mother, father, and construction worker. That is how Crusty describes the lives of the remaining contestants, saying they will be changed forever. Well, that remains to be seen, Crusty, cause it is not like Idol has made 42 stars of the first 8 Top six, have they? While they were household names for the weeks they were on the show, and even extending to their perspective tours, since then, there are several who have been long forgotten. Sure, Idol gives them a chance, but it becomes up to the kids if they can take advantage of the opportunity.

Shania remembers Lee from the Chicago auditions, and he is singing You're Still The One, She convinces him to hold back on the guitar, and open the song simply with just voice and piano. Wow, that was a rough start, vocally. When he tries to reach for notes without screaming, he often misses, landing flat. The audience is loving what he does with the song, and Randy admits to him being pitchy at the beginning, but pulled it together. Ellen doesn't care about the pitchy, she loved it. Kara noticed him smiling, and feels that means he understood it was a love song. Huh. Simon tries to mention some odd facial expressions, but Kara won't let him speak. Big Mike steps up to the plate, stinging It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing. Shania loves this song, and tells him to really feel it. He changes it up, taking it to an R&B ballad, taking the falsetto a little oddly, but starts sounding a bit rehearsed by the end. The judges, however, don't see it that way, thinking he totally connected and brought Luther Vandross to the stage. Simon thought it was a little 'wet', what I interpret as a bit overdone and dewey-eyed.

Casey takes his turn, singing Don't. Casey is excited about singing a song, realizing he let his guitar take over recent performances. Shania senses a lack of confidence, but thinks he can do it. Wow, I think Casey is nailing this. This is particularly good. That was really fantastic. The judges are thinking it is his best to date, and Simon makes him give Shania a kiss. She tells him he nailed it, she is so proud. Crystal is stiffing on stage in a cute dress chatting with Crusty. She says No One Needs To Know Right Now is a message to her boyfriend. Shania tells her to lighten up, it is a happy song. That was a funny moment. Crystal is singing rather well, but it goes a big odd in the middle. The falsetto isn't great, and there is a weird stop/stop thing happening. She pulls it back down by the end, and gets the falsetto under control. The judges love her, it is not her best, but they adore everything she does. Simon didn't like it, felt Crystal lacked conviction, and felt the song was forgettable. They point out Crystal's boyfriend, and make Crystal blush.

Of course Aaron would take on the big song, It's In The Way You Love Me, and Shania immediately notices he is preoccupied, and to just let go. Wow, another one who wonders off the rails a bit, struggling with the flat side of notes, but hits the big note at the end. The judges are all very nice to him, seemingly oblivious to the first half of the song. Interesting. Siobhan goes for Shania's big hit, Any Man Of Mine, a perfect choice for her. Wow, this is not as good as I thought it would be. Siobhan is a little out of breath, but ends with the hallmark big finish, and I am surprised. Thought it was good, but that it could have been great. The judges love it, but Simon thought the 'scream' sounded like she was giving birth.

Crusty wraps it up, and cuts to the recap video. He thanks the judges, the band, and Shania. For the results show, they have Rascal Flats, Lady Antebellum, and a few more acts, including Shakira. Wow. My favorite performance of the night was Casey, and my least favorite was Lee. I, however, expect that to mean nothing. I would not be surprised to see Aaron and Michael in bottom two. It is a gut reaction, and I could be totally wrong. What do you think?