So apparently tonight’s theme is “inspirational songs,” but so help me if somebody sings “Wind Beneath My Wings,” I’ll have no choice but to be done with this show FOREVER.

Oh, I kid. Obviously I am very attached to the Idol. Not even Sanjaya could drive me away. And that is saying something, my friends.

Here we go.

Casey James – “Don’t Stop” – At first I thought that this was going to be way karaoke-ish, but he put a nice little Casey spin on it. I loved the electric guitar, and he changed the melody just enough that I didn’t feel like I was sitting in a bar listening to the Tuesday night cover band (not that I do much bar-sitting these days, mind you). HOWEVER. Casey needs to surprise us. He needs to pick a song that really surprises us. And if he’s still around next week, I hope he’ll do just that.

Lee DeWyze – “The Boxer” – I thought this performance was great. It was a nice mix of tenderness and sincerity and power, and I liked it a lot.

Tim Urban – “Better Days” – I love this song so much. But this song requires an edge. And Tim, while utterly likeable, doesn’t have much of an edge. It all felt a little talent show-ish, and with the exception of the very first part, it was all the same volume (i.e., a little shout-y).

Aaron Kelly – “I Believe I Can Fly” – There were some pretty painful notes in there, and again, it was way too much like a high school talent show (I say this as if I spend a great deal of my spare time attending high school talent shows – what is it with me and the hypothetical destinations tonight? First the bar, now the talent shows). Anyway, the bottom line is this: it just wasn’t my thing. Perfect for a graduation ceremony, but nothing I would ever buy on iTunes.

Siobhan Magnus – “When You Believe” – You know what I think it is? Siobhan is a good singer. But she’s not a good performer. There’s skill there for sure – but the warmth is missing for me. And I think the absence of warmth is what keeps me feeling a little disengaged from her performances. Tonight got a little shriek-y at the end, but it was better than the last couple of weeks.

Michael Lynche – “Hero” – I liked his version of the song a lot. And I think I would have liked it even more if it had just been him and an acoustic guitar. The over-orchestration got in the way – and I felt almost like I had to fight through all the violins and cellos and dramatic lighting to hear what he was singing. He definitely keeps me intrigued from week to week, though – I’m always curious to see what he’s going to do.

Crystal Bowersox – “People Get Ready” – She’s in another league, y’all. So, so talented. And to see her get so genuinely emotional at the end? She is right where she’s supposed to be. Love her.

Best of the night: Crystal
Worst of the night: Tim, Siobhan
Should go: Tim
Will go: Tim

What did y’all think?

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I won’t get into all the completely uninteresting details, but we spent yesterday afternoon in the doctor’s office (OH, POLLEN – YOU HAVE OVERSTAYED YOUR WELCOME), then at the drug store and grocery store and back at the drug store, so by the time we got back home and I cooked supper, I was way past ready to watch an episode or two of “Friday Night Lights.” Obsessive behavior is my love language, after all.

Anyway, I am happy to announce that I finished watching the last episode of season three. Just in time for season four’s premiere in a couple of weeks. I can’t even tell you how good it feels to have set and accomplished such lofty TV-watching goals. All my years of training – all those years of watching “Moonlighting,” “Friends,” “Seinfeld,” even “The Brady Bunch” – well, they’ve definitely paid off during this critical “FNL” juncture. Perseverance is an excellent teacher.

The lesson? Hold tight to your TV-related dreams, my friends.

Finally, I mentioned a few days ago that I love the new Hanson song.

Once you watch this, I think you’ll understand why.

Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

Is that not infectious?

And is it wrong that I totally want to memorize the dance? Because I TOTALLY WANT TO MEMORIZE THE DANCE.

Anybody want to meet me in our cul de sac for practice?

So my plan was to settle in with the computer tonight and bore you to pieces with details of our weekend. You know, the parts about soccer and pollen and cleaning out closets and the fact that Alex has sneezed 338 times in the last 24 hours, but the fact of the matter is that right now I am knee-deep in season three of “Friday Night Lights,” and all I can think about is Jason Street chasing his dream and Matt Saracen getting to play wide receiver and Smash Williams recovering from his knee injury.

Not to mention the fact that I feel like Tami and Eric Taylor ARE REAL PEOPLE. Seriously. Their marriage is so realistic and so identifiable that I find myself wondering how I can get their number and invite them over for dinner. NEVER YOU MIND THAT THEY DON’T ACTUALLY EXIST.

And don’t even get me started on Tyra. I have such high hopes for her and wish with all my heart that she could figure out that the guy who treats you well and makes you laugh is always the best catch. But again, since Tyra is in fact entirely fictional, my advice will probably fall on deaf ears. Since technically Tyra’s ears are non-existent.

Anyway, I’ll be back later with some mundane details of stuff and things and whatnot. But in the meantime I’m going to stop by the Alamo Freeze. Maybe listen to a little Crucifictorious. Try to make Grandma take her heart medicine. And cheer loudly for Tim Riggins.

Oh, Tim Riggins.

Texas Forever.

Go Panthers.

Amen.

Well.

I see that Casey is wearing his hair in a ponytail tonight.

The evening feels full of promise and possibilities.

Crystal Bowersox – “Saved” – Every time I hear Crystal sing, I can’t help but think that she’s doing exactly what she was put on this earth to do. And tonight’s performance? Oh my word. I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Great song choice, great delivery – and great things ahead for Ms. Bowersox.

Andrew Garcia – “Hound Dog” – I definitely think that the version he sang tonight was way better than what we saw from rehearsal with Adam Lambert. Once again, I liked what he did with the bridge (I always do), but I think he’s not a strong enough vocalist to just stand on stage and sing. A funky arrangement and an acoustic guitar go a long way in terms of making him someone who’s fun to watch.

Tim Urban – “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” – He sounded a little hesitant at the beginning of the song, but he got stronger as the song progressed. And besides the fact that I REALLY wanted to cut his hair, I actually liked this performance. He didn’t oversing and came across as utterly sincere – not to mention that the arrangement was absolutely beautiful.

Lee DeWyze – “A Little Less Conversation” – I say this every single year, but this is my all-time favorite Elvis song. And I ADORED Lee’s version of it. If I heard it on the radio, I’d turn up the volume. In fact, I just rewound the DVR and listened to it again. Right up my musical alley, it was. Definitely my favorite of the night (so far).

Aaron Kelly – “Blue Suede Shoes” – It was actually a lot better than I expected it to be. He has a great voice, and I much preferred tonight’s performance to hearing him sing a Touching Ballad. That being said, it was very traditional and expected…it was good – but it wasn’t special.

Siobhan Magnus – “Suspicious Minds” – She definitely stayed on pitch better than she did last week, and she cranked up the volume at the end of the song, she sounded great. Unfortunately, the first part of the song sort of reminded me of some sort of mellow Dionne Warwick album, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, it didn’t exactly feel current.

Michael Lynche – “In The Ghetto” – Well. I thought that was just beautiful. Well done.

Katie Stevens – “Baby What Do You Want Me To Do” – For me Katie is the most improved singer in this whole competition. I feel like we’ve seen a little bit of a transformation in her performances over the last four or five weeks, and I like how she takes charge of the stage. I don’t know if this was the best song choice for her, but she did a good job with it.

Casey James – “Lawdie Miss Claudie” – At first I was totally into it. But it lost me a little bit about midway through – where it should have gotten funkier, it got slower and more predictable. That being said, Mr. James was totally in his comfort zone, and I think he’ll definitely be back next week.

I really enjoyed tonight’s show – it seems like the older songs always work better for Idol contestants. I also thought Adam Lambert gave them really good advice – that part was fun to watch.

Best of the night: Lee
Worst of the night: It was a strong night overall, but I think Andrew was the weakest.
Should go: Andrew, ???
Will go: Andrew, ???

What did y’all think?

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All righty. I’m a little pressed for time tonight, but I’m watching Idol because I don’t want to be left out of everybody’s post-show conversations and comments tomorrow. So basically I’m totally caving to peer pressure. BECAUSE I’M JUST THAT MATURE.

Aaron Kelly – “The Long and Winding Road” – Honestly? I was a little bored. It was just so SLOW.

Katie Stevens – “Let It Be” – That was actually really pretty. It was very understated – but at the same time it was full of emotion. She really surprised me with the originality of the arrangement and the strength of her performance. I liked it a lot. And I liked her tights, too.

Andrew Garcia – “Can’t Buy Me Love” – I couldn’t decide if he put a big band or a rockabilly twist on this song – or maybe some strange combination of the two. I definitely thought it was one of his better performances, and I loved what he did with the bridge of the song. The whole thing wasn’t as moving as Katie’s performance, but it was fun.

Michael Lynche – “Eleanor Rigby” – There was a whole lot going on in this performance: the strings on the stage, the moody lighting, the arrhythmic delivery and the big medallion on the back of Michael’s jacket. It almost felt like a Meatloaf song – overly orchestrated and very dramatic. He’s talented, no doubt – and I don’t think he lost any momentum tonight.

Crystal Bowersox – “Come Together” – Good grief I love her. And I’m almost ready for the show to be over so that I can buy a ticket to one of her shows and see her perform live, the end.

Tim Urban – “All My Lovin'” – Oh my. That was some weird mix of Greg Brady and Troy Bolton and David Cassidy and Conrad Birdie. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Casey James – “Jealous Guy” – I’ve never heard of this song in my life, but I really liked Casey’s version – it was heartfelt and tender and had sort of a John Mayer-ish/Marc Broussard-ish vibe to it. But could somebody explain to me what’s going on with Casey’s hair? I really like it when he rocks the ponytail. Not that the ponytail is what matters the most, of course. I just miss it.

Siobhan Magnus – “Across the Universe” – Do y’all remember Paula Cole? I realized tonight that Siobhan’s voice reminds me a little bit of Paula Cole. That being said, this performance just made me want to kick. I didn’t connect with it on any level. It was almost like looking at a piece of art that I know is supposed to be impressive – but then realizing that when push comes to shove, I just don’t get it. However, I’m grateful she didn’t scream.

Lee DeWyze – “Hey Jude” – This was a more straightforward arrangement than I thought it would be, and honestly I missed the original twist that he put on his performance last week. It was a decent cover, but it wasn’t all that special. And I didn’t really get the bagpipe. I love his voice, though, and I want to hear more from him.

Best of the night: Crystal
Worst of the night: Tim or Siobhan
Should go: Tim
Will go: Tim or Siobhan

What did y’all think?

If you’d like to add your AI post to the Mr. Linky, please leave a link to your specific post and not just your general blog URL.

I am a nerd. I really am. Because the opening segment where Ryan Seacrest was backstage and then we saw the audience from his perspective as he walked out on the stage? IT THRILLED ME TO NO END.

That being said, I’ve had a hard time getting excited about tonight’s episode. Last week was just so, I don’t know, BLAH, and I really, really hope that somebody has a breakthrough tonight. Because if not, then we just need to go ahead and eliminate everyone besides Crystal and Michael and then see what happens.

Hopefully things are going to take a turn for the better. Hopefully.

Siobhan Magnus – “Through The Fire” – OH, wow. That was really rough. I don’t think the slower tempo suited her voice at all. It was super-pitchy; it seemed like she spent the whole song jumping from one key to the next to the next. And she did the super-big-note-at-the-end again – but it was a dud. Definitely not her best night.

Casey James – “Hold On, I’m Comin'” – YES MA’AM. I loved it. He’s still tied down behind the microphone a little bit, but this song was perfect for him, and it showcased his blues-y style better than anything else he’s done this season.

(What’s up with all the backstage stuff? Is Idol taking a cue from Dancing with the Stars?)

Michael Lynche – “Ready For Love” – Really good – very tender and thoughtful and controlled. Given that, I have a quick question: when did The Kids start waving their arms back and forth during ballads? Is this a new phenomenon? And is it a distraction for anybody else? Because I felt like I kept looking at everyone’s arms to see if somebody was waving the wrong way. Maybe I just have a touch of the ADD. Or the OCD. Or the LMNOP.

Didi Benami – “What Becomes Of The Broken-Hearted?” – I really do like her voice. But somehow her voice and this song just weren’t a match. Her interpretation was so straightforward, but her voice just begs for something a little more eclectic. And overall it was just a little bit boring.

Tim Urban – “Sweet Love” – Oh, tread carefully, young Tim Urban. Because this song is PERFECTION when sung by the lovely Anita Baker. And I guess in light of that, it’s no wonder that Tim’s version fell so far short of the original. It felt a little bit like elevator music – very bland and vanilla – and there was no real emotion behind it. No charisma. And this song begs for both.

Anthony Andrew Garcia – “Forever” – This was a little rough at the beginning, but about a third of the way in I felt like he really started to find his way. And while it was nowhere near perfect – a little sharp in spots, for sure – I thought this was his best performance in weeks. I especially loved what he did with the song’s bridge. Very creative and catchy.

Katie Stevens – “Chain of Fools” – Katie really surprised me tonight. She had great stage presence, some kickin’ earrings, and she held her own with a classic Aretha song. She wasn’t perfect – things got a little boring in the middle of the song – but she did a nice job.

Lee DeWyze – “Treat Her Like A Lady” – Well. That was near-’bout perfect. It was soulful, original and utterly believable. Lee had A Moment, and that sound Crystal and Michael just heard was Lee catching up with them. The whole thing was even better because he’s so stinkin’ humble. LOVED IT A MILLION TIMES.

Crystal Bowersox – “Midnight Train to Georgia”- I know I’ve said it before, but this is one of my favorite songs ever. This was a little strange, because Crystal is such a natural with the guitar, but she seemed uncomfortable at the piano – which is why I was so relieved to see her stand up. The vocals were great, but I was surprised that she didn’t do anything unexpected with the arrangement. I wish she’d picked up the tempo a little bit – but who can complain, really, when somebody can sing like that?

Aaron Kelly – “Ain’t No Sunshine” – My first thought was that the version of this song that Kris Allen sang last season was so strong that Aaron’s version would have to pale in comparison. And I was right. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t special. It’ll get him through another week, and I guess that, right now, that’s all that matters.

Best of the night: Lee
Worst of the night: Siobhan
Should go: Tim or Didi
Will go: Didi

What did y’all think?

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