Top 10

This will be the lightening round for me...I couldn't get online last night and I'm swamped at work...

It's Motown Night. Man. Really? Again? Nothing against the motor city and it's fine musical legacy...but I'm so not in the mood for Motown. Unless the Idols really kick out some creative arrangements...but I'm not holding out hope.

As my father says, I'd complain if I was hung with a new rope. Which is true. The good news is that, honestly, all these folks can, indeed, carry a tune. Not one Sanjaya in the bunch. But, just because you can sing, doesn't make you a good performer. And a boring singer is still boring. So...you better bring it, Idols. Bring it.



MATT - Marvin Gaye's it up. Does a good job, not too goaty, but the little dance thing seemed too planned out. The reason you rehearse a performance over and over is to make it seem natural, effortless and spontaneously in-the-moment when you're in front of an audience. You don't want to go to a concert and ever feel like your watching a robot who just did this same dance in front of crowd who came last night. Nothing earth shattering about the arrangement either. A for the vocal, B- for the performance.

KRIS - Again, a nice vocal, very Jack Johnson meets James Taylor, which is exactly who Kris is...strike that. Kris is Jack Johnson meets James Taylor meet Shaun Cassidy (circa 1977.) He's all Tiger Beat, soda pop and bubble gum. He does his style very well...but I'm being to grow weary of what is essentially a coffee-house open mic week after week. It's not bad, per se...there's just no variety. And I'm getting tired of "vanilla" - tasty, yes! But, I'm ready for some rocky road.

SCOTT - Started okay and then just went into...the way the song always sounds. He sounds fine, but I'm bored. Stiff. Bah. Although, "vote for the pink pants" and the back and forth that followed cracked my crusty layer for a bit of a chuckle. Well, played, sir. Well played.

MEGAN - Absolutely the worst she's done so far. No doubt, she's a beautiful girl and I'm all about her rocking her tats with her fashion...but what up with those freaky tights? I didn't know hose came in zombie flesh tones. It makes me throw up in my mouth a little just thinking about them. So very...gah. Also, I'm pretty sure Stevie Wonder went just a smidge more blind because of how she sang that song. Word. And I take back what I said. Megan is the Sanjaya of this Top 10. Double word.

ANOOP - What up with that jacket, yo? I know you're trying to rock the preppy/casual thing, but that jacket looked like something kids wore in little league circa 1972. I fear Anoop is addicted to the "layering" trend. Much like apples, one bad layer can destroy the whole bunch. He sounds awesome and nails the vocal, but I agreed with Simon. The performance was overly serious. The song is about apologising and wooing someone back...not about the need to revise the stimulus bill.

SARVER - You, sir....are the weakest link! Actually, no, Megan is the weakest link, but her train crash is much more interesting to look at than your performance. I too, couldn't wait for it to end. I think he'd be an awesome addition to your church choir or your buddie's cover band...but he's no Idol. Nobody will be buying his records, it's time for him to go. I'm hoping tonight is the end el line-o for Sarv-o.

LIL - Lil had the most sincerely sweet "mentor" time with Smokey. That was nice to watch. While I like Lil's dress, her hair and makeup looked a wee bit too costume-y. Kinda like Beyonce on crack...or something you'd see Carol Burnette wear on her show. It distracted from rather than enhanced her performance. I think she could have picked a better song - one that was more a singers song than one with such a limited and shouty range. Points for yelling "Obama!" on a live reality show. That made me laugh too (and gave me a happy feeling! Yay!)

ADAM - If Adam isn't the poster child for how a little eyeliner can go a looooong way, I don't know who is. With some angles, his Elvis-like appearance really works...at other times, he looked like a bad Vegas lounge lizard. Vocally though, he nailed it. AGAIN. Good night to go acoustic too. Best of the night. AGAIN.

DANNY - Whoops! I totally forgot about Danny. Well, that can't be good. His voice - great. But his performance seems cheesy? Forced? Rote? Super cheesy? I don't know. He's selling the "happy" too hard. He's like two rights make a wrong or something tonight. I'm just not into him at all.

ALLISON - While I hated her outfit with a fiery passion (please go away 80's-retro, you blow), she really held her own with a classic. Again, no real change from the original, but that gravelly voice of hers really suited the song. After following Adam, she did hella good.


At this point, I'm beginning to believe this is Adam's crown to lose. If he keep bringing the heat, he should be able to flick Danny off his sleeve like a bug.


Going home? I'm putting all my pennies on Sarver.