I'm with the band

I'm with the band Show begins with a mashup of a bunch of songs. What really hits me about this year is there are some definite stand out performers and some that just come across really amateurish and immature...and others that just are not that great. For me...Caleb, Alex and even Jessica stand out. Sam, CJ and Jena are just ok....and the rest just don't seem to cut it for me. I'm anticipating a Caleb/Alex finale at this point. First up Alex - Classic Alex. I'm being a bit of a hypocrite here, because I ragged on Phillip Phillps a lot for always doing the phil phillips version of a song...and Alex does much the same. I just tend to really dig Alex's versions a lot. Second - Majesty. I liked her energy but the song really didn't do much for me. Third - Dexter. This is one of his better performances. This song is exactly the type of music that he needs to be doing. "This is who I am"...yes Dexter, tonight you are right. Overall that was pretty good. Funny....the judges all said the exact opposite (oh well). Fourth - Melaya - Parts of it were good, but some parts were just screaming. Fifth - Sam....Sam, Sam , Sam....you completely let me down again and this time, it might be fatal. Sam, in my opinion has so much potential, but he has no judgment or sense. He needs someone to guide him. Harry is looking at him like...Dude....what were you thinking. He looked great in the opening group number, now he's back to the hokey style that doesn't suit him or do anything for him. Sixth - Jessica. Fleetwood Mac was a great choice. Jessica has a good look, she has a great voice...the problem I have with Jessica is that she seems incapable of taking it to that next level, which means that she will always be a small venue musician. She needs to break out of her shell and kick it up a notch if she wants to win or succeed. Seventh - CJ. Interesting number, but I'm a little afraid that the obscure nature of the song might be trouble for CJ. I think he performed it well, but I'm not sure that this style of song attracts votes. Eighth - Jena. The song showed her range, but I'm sure that it suits her well. Wow...enough tough ranking. Rubbertoe's bottom 3 - Cj, Majesty and Sam America's bottom 3 - CJ, Majesty and Sam Going home: CJ - Now....will the judges save him....my guess is no.

"Sing it like it feels, not like it sounds" --wtf?

Tonite's theme" "I'm with the band"? Whatever that means. I guess the band is onstage with the Idols. Seems tailor-made for some of the idols, don't you think?

Fall Out Boy is a "mentor" this week? Could be my generation but I could not tell you one song these guys did. OK, it's Top 9 so we're getting the filler content now, with the terrible off-key group number. Almost makers you long for the days when Idol did the super-Autotune versions of these numbers. Remember that?

So now, the real show begins. Alex, doing No Doubt. Changing it up, sounds good at the start to me. This may not be the best performance ever, but it was the first time so far I have seen him do a song that had a vibe that I might buy. He's in the KOD spot but he's probably OK. Harry stealing Ryan's shoe and then grabbing his butt was comedy gold.

Up next,  Majesty. Shake it Out By Florence and the Machine. This is definitely a more energetic performance than Alex, but she should have picked a more widely-known tune. Started shaky, too. I don't think the judges praise will help her. I like her but for some reason she's not connecting. Her outfit looked kinda waitress-y to me.

Dexter is next. doing Little Big Town, the Boondocks. Great song choice for him, he's the master of this so far. It was a solid performance, and really seemed to mesh with the band. Harry always wants him to find a song that he stands out from, but his choices have taken him this far. Keith dug it. Reminds me of the old days when Simon would push a contestant to do something, next week they did it, and then they went home.

Malaya -- doing the Beatles' Long and Winding Road. Her voice is pretty, but this arrangement is a snoozefest. She tried to blow it up with the big note at the end, but it just seemed tacked on to some musical Ambien. Maybe the grannies across America are voting for this. I almost forgot she was 16, this made her sound 60.

Sam -- Hey There Delilah. If I close  my eyes, I really like his voice. I think coming out of his Hardy Boys-looking mug I don't give him credit. This was a kind of slow song, verging on coma time, but it managed to stay a little more buoyant than Malaya.
The tweentards love him, so he's probably got the votes.

Jessica -- honoring her post-Apocalyptic redneck within. Doing Stevie Nicks, Rhiannon. I thought she was a little stiff, but her voice is really nice, and she looked great. This was a good performance. I think she's getting it together. If she holds on, she seems to get better every week.

CJ Harris -- doing a Steel Drivers song Dr. L actually heard in Nashville last week. This was awesome. I think this was a great song choice for him. I like the bluesy sound of his voice. The judges were kinda hard on him, but maybe they really believe in him -- and is he safe with the Southern voting block?

Caleb -- when I said earlier that this Theme Week was tailor-made for some Idols, this was what I was anticipating. Doing Zeppelin, Dazed and Confused. I like this song, and he's up to it, but vocally it doesn't really give him anywhere to go? I'm sure this song will be a hit with the Classic Rock FM crowd, and the Idol studio loved it too. I just wish he had picked one of the other two dozen classic Zeppelin songs. But he definitely has the swagger to pull off being the frontman of a band. Ricky and the band did a kick ass job. He's not going anywhere.

Jena -- doing Evanescence. Idol PTB obviously love her. Her voice is so freaking annoying to me. During the group numbers, she just kind of disappears. I think she has the capability to sing better; she just has this pretentious stylized crap with the phrasing. How will she do on this song? Started off strong, then fell apart for a while. Gotta give it to her,  she's got the right vibe for this kind of emo psuedo-goth metal music. But is it breath  control? She seems to have no real power in spots. It was a big song, and in the studio I can see her doing something like this, where she can do ten takes to fill it out. But she's probably safe -- I think Idol would love to see a Jena/Caleb final two.

Our Top 3: Caleb, Jessica, CJ
Bottom 3:  Majesty, Malaya, maybe Alex just because of placement. I think Majesty is going home.

Dr. L & K out!!

The Good, The Bad and the The Ugly

The performances were definitely a mix of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly..... Lets start with the good: Best of the night- Alex. Other good ones last night also included Caleb who's version of Lady Gaga's edge of glory could have been horrible. I thought he did a great job with it. And finally, Malaya. Like Jennifer, I was all prepared to hate on her when I heard what she was doing.....Suprisingly her tone was really good. The bad- (or...not that bad...but not great - Sam, he makes a comeback from last year. Jessica - I actually thought she was better than the judges gave her credit for. The Ugly - Cj. Wow...what was That? After doing so well last night, it was really not good. Majesty - I found her performance completely unbelievable. Dexter - Completely Kareoke version of the song, MK - just boring and Jena - I thought it was a complete mess...the judges liked it. Not sure that they were listening to because this was a disaster. Rubbertoe's bottom 3 - CJ, Majesty and Jena America's Bottom 3 - CJ, MK and Majesty. Going home - MK, (although I thought it should be Jena based on last night).

Top Ten, but only about 3-4 showed up

Idol Top Ten -- doing songs from the Top Ten (of all time?)

Some earthquake jokes with Ryan and the judges -- Dr. L and I slept through it.
The Idols are all looking more styled -- funny how they let them flounder a few weeks.

MK -- her hair looks like fire, or little chili peppers. I thought it was better last week, but still beats a hat. She's doing Pink. Good voice that never has the performance rise to the same level, for me. Kind of forgettable, and she kind of slouches through it. If she sticks around maybe in 2-3 weeks she'll do something. But she might not get the chance.

Dexter -- talking about song choice. He's been dialed in most weeks. Doing Florida-Georgia line, smart move. He knows his audience. His performance style is non-existent (does walking around count?) but he picks perfect songs. Not a great performance but he'll "Cruise" through to next week. PS, he should lose the Amish beard thing.

Jena (GEE-nah) -- doing a Zedd song. Who the F is Zedd? She looks cute and age-appropriate. Her voice is so damn annoying. I can never make out her lyrics on the low end. She makes Dexter sound like a Rhodes scholar with the diction. This is another case where the song/band did all the heavy lifting. I swear I saw JLo cringing at one point. Why does Harry like it? She looks the part, for sure, but I get no pulse from her. True, she was best of the night so far, but that ain't saying much.

Alex -- One Direction fans are called Directioners? Holy shit, I must be old, because that seems incredibly lame. I don't like this band, so I don't know if Alex is doing a good job or not. It's probably a smart move, because this band is so popular. It sounds like the black hole of what Pop music has become, to me. But I like this kid, I hope he makes it.

Listening to the judges, I am reminded of the old John carpenter movie, They Live. Remember that one? Where everyone is hypnotized to believe the fake black&white alien-controlled world is real, unless you wear special glasses? I feel like I'm wearing those glasses tonight, watching this.

Malaya -- doing Bruno Mars. She really has a pretty, clear voice, when she's in the groove. To me, this is the best of the night so far. So good, it is one of those faith-restoring songs on Idol. They should all put in this kind of effort. She has really evolved, I hope she stays.

Caleb -- doing Lady Gaga? Could be dope, could suck ass. Edge of Glory. Doing OK, almost like Soundgarden version of this (I always hear that in his voice). Not his best but better than last week, and right behind Malaya for me.  I feel like it was a weird song choice -- he did a decent job singing it, but it was nowhere near a moment.

I do love the interplay between these judges. It makes Lord Seacrest more bearable.

CJ --  doing Hunter Hayes.  He looks great -- totally losing the country hick thing. He has a nice soulful performing style, but I totally hear the sharpness in his voice every time now. This song was not a show-stopper like last week. He's probably OK but it will be on his voting base's shoulders, not his singing.

Jessica -- doing Foster the People Pumped Up Kicks. I like this kind of country-pop sound. She was out front of the band, which was great. I think this was a perfect song choice. She seemed to be into it, to, which was good for her. Harry shat upon it, but he has a point. All in all it was in my top 3 tonight, so far.

Majesty -- doing Avecii? I really like her voice. Is the vote getting split between her and Malaya? Sometimes America is stupid like that. I thought this was a fine performance. She earned her way back in my book, but America might not have that opinion. I don't know the song, so I didn't hear what Keith was saying. I think JLo was right that she was a little afraid. I forget sometimes how young these guys are.

Sam -- in the pimp spot with that annoying Twenty-nothing anthem, We Are Young. I do like this song, just not the PBR-swilling douchebags who seem to rally behind it. He has a great voice, but I'm not sure about his style --- who does he want to be? It probably doesn't matter, because he picked a good song for people to vote on.

Dr. L is out of town at a conference, so it's just the K view here, but I say my top three were Malaya, Alex, Jessica. My bottom three were MK, Dexter and maybe CJ. I think MK needed to step up, and didn't. I think that combined with the KOD spot and MK will be gone.

K Out!!!

In It To Win It Redux

Idol does songs from  Cinema. Top 11 looked good coming out onstage, like the Stylists have kicked in. Good to see MK's hair instead of a cap, and did Jessica get extensions? I won't even comment on all the lame "casting" videos. This filler, if removed, would bring the show down to a manageable hour.

First up, Sam. They must think he's safe. Doing Come Together, by the Beatles. This was pretty white-bread. He's got a good voice but I don't think he connected to the song. The judges implore him to kill the bug in his ass.

Next, Jessica -- Sounds of Silence from S&G. Was great until the band kicked in. She has one of the best voices here, but she needs to come alive. The judges seem to think this too. It's like she's still in an Alabama bar.

Up next is CJ -- doing a classic Marshall Tucker Band song, Can't You See. An amazing job. Just what he needed to do.   Harry & crew loved it.

Dexter-- Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Great song choice. Did OK job, but it is such a crowd favorite he will sail through.

Ben up next: he looks like an evil carnival barker tonight. Bennie & the Jets -- this could be a train wreck.  I feel like I'm on acid watching this. Where is Vote For The Worst when you need them? It's not like his voice is bad -- it's just such a demented performance. Jlo was confused. Harry is too. As Keith is tearing him a new one, he looks like he's about to chew his own tongue off.

Alabama voting block kicking ass.

Majesty doing Frozen's Let it Go, a song unworthy to win an Oscar in my book. This is WAY too big for her, and she's out of breath. Off key, as well? This sucks. I wish it was over already. Harry is soft-balling her. They must want her to stay in. If you listen to what they are saying, they didn't really dig it, but they talked all around it.

I do like the goofy videos where the Idols show their numbers.

Caleb: doing Skyfall. Whoa -- what will this be like? Not bad. He should have done Chris Cornell's Bond song from Casino Royale. But this was a better switchup than the others tonight. Judges liked it. Not a mind-blower, though.

MK, doing To Make You Feel My Love from Hope Floats. Great, solid, understated performance. Is it enough for America? Her voice is kind of KD Lang-ish, isn't it? I feel like some record company will snatch her up.

Alex is doing Falling Slowly from Once. I don't know this song. Dr. L did. He's doing a good Alex performance. Better than many others tonight. Harry loved it. Alex seems like a genuine guy.

Jena -- doing a Twilight song, so I automatically hate it. Ryan spazzes out on the movie like a 14 year old girl. This is a Paramore song. She's Jena-ing the shit out of it. The band kicks in and blows her off the stage. It's like one giant melisma. Can she sing anything without this affectation? The judges give her a tongue bath. Jlo wonders why America put her in the bottom 3? I don't.

Malaya -- doing Dreamgirls, I am Changing. This is like a High School Talent Competition. It has moments of greatness, but it was just too shout-y for me. She is getting better, now that she toned down the wackiness. All in all, still probably best of the girls.

Bottom 3: Ben, Jessica, Jena
Top 3: CJ, Alex, Malaya

Ben goes home.






 

The Top 11 - Music from the bands that are loosely connected to movies

The top 11 and the music of the movies. First up - Sam "Come together" - Beatles. This is kind of a cop out in my opinion. Yes...it was used in the movie "Across the Universe", but its not really a movie song...stretching the theme a bit. as for the performance. Sam is much better this week than last week...although he still needs to push it up a notch or three in showmanship to put on a really good performance. Jennifer called it "Baby Rock star"...my thoughts exactly. Second - Jessica - Simon and Garfunkel - Once again Jessica goes safe and plays yet another song from her playlist repertoire. I think that her continuing to do songs that she plays in small bar venues is actually hurting her. This reminded me of something you would see in a small town bar, not something that you would hear from a superstar playing arenas and stadiums. She needs to stop playing it safe. Once again Jennifer called it "Do you think you can win?" I think Jessica is honestly performing like she doesn't believe that she can. Third - CJ . OK..CJ is ON tonight. This is the perfect song for him. I love hearing CJ back in his groove. He looks comfortable for the first time in a long time. ...and the judges all agree! Fourth - Dexter "Sweet Home Alabama" from "Forrest Gump" - Really? Again...loosely....very loosely associated with a movie...but ok...everyone else is doing it too. For me...it was just ok. Problem is when you do such an iconic song, you are always going to pale with the original. This came across completely karaoke to me. I've heard that version done by 100 people before. Fifth - Ben "Benny and the Jets" - This was a weird performance in the beginning. It got a little better after he left the piano (vocally) but his performance seemed very staged and un-natural. Keith said it better "It didn't sound authentic". I do like the makeover they did on him....he looks great. Sixth - Majesty - "Let it go" - The vocal was great, but the arrangement of the song was bizarre and too choppy. What should have been the big moment of the song, she crashed. It was good and bad at the same time. The judges liked it better than I. Seventh - Caleb - Skyfall - I think this was a very smart song choice by him. The lower register wasn't great but when the song allowed him to go to the upper register that Caleb does so well it was right in his element. I also liked that he didn't over sing it. Eight - Mk - The makeover on her is fantastic as well. She looks great without the baseball cap. Very heartfelt performance that seemed genuine, but it sounded off key to me the entire song. Ninth - Alex - Another smart song choice. Quirky song that fit him perfectly. Tenth - Jena - It was nice to have a more upbeat performance, but I'm not sure it was a smart song choice. It was a song that I was not familiar with at all...and I'm not sure that enough other people will know it to keep her out of the bottom 3. I think she should be out of the bottom 3, but she might end up there. Eleventh - Malaya - "I'm changing" - this could be good...but it could be a screaming train wreck. OK...its actually pretty good. Malaya has a tendency to oversing everything, so it was nice to see her not do it on this song that could have easily called for it. CJ Caleb Alex Malaya Sam Jessica Jena Dexter Majesty MK Ben Rubbertoe's bottom 3: Ben, MK and Majesty America's bottom 3: This one is tough...its hard to figure out where America is going to go this week. I'm going to Say Ben and MK for sure. The other could be Sam, Jena or even Malaya (despite a good performance). So I'm going to go with Jena. Going Home: Hmmmm....tough one. My head tells me MK...but since two women have left before, I'm going out on a limb and saying Ben. Rubbertoe.....Out!

Top 12 Results Night: Pawn Shop Worker Evicts Family - Goes on Tour with 'The Boss' in Rio

Results Night - Here we go! 

Okay - "Mega Star" Phil Phillips? That is an interesting title for him. Ryan really plays it up later by asking him about John Mayer and Bruce Springsteen. We get a little mini lecture by 'Harsh Harry' about why he is not buttering up all the contestants - go Harry! 

First four are called down front: 

Emily

Sam

Jessica

Ben 

Emily first in bottom 3. Kind of surprised she ended up here - but maybe taking on the JLo song was just too big for her. 

We are fast fwding through Phil's tune - it is just okay…gets jazzed up at the end. 

2nd group is up now: 

Jena  - too stiff - needs to come out of her shell - and she ends up in the bottom 3 

Dexter  - really enjoyed his performance last night. He seems to take judges comments seriously

Majesty  - safe

Alex - safe 

Here is Randy's choice of a band - Kodaline. Sounds pretty good - and it appeared that CJ thought the same thing - we see him reaching to speak to Randy about it. 

And the final group of four comes down: 

MK

CJ

Caleb

Malaya - saved by the gospel tune

MK rounds out the bottom three this week. The Judges 'save' option is in play and when you consider the group - it looks about right based on the performances. Jena is safe! Wow - thought MK was gone this week - so now Emily is singing for her life. This just be hard on JLo - she was really championing her. And it looks like Emily's light will not be shining above the Idol stage anymore. 

Looking forward to next week! 

DrL&K 

Some Killer, but Mostly Filler

Performance night Wed 

Home is where the heart is - showcasing where everyone is from @ beginning of the show. Big shout-out to the state of Alabama (CJ, Dexter and Jessica). 

Live from Hollywood = it's your Top 12 #bigbluesofa

Theme: Home 

Jena - Farmington Hills, MI - suburb of Detroit. She looks great tonight - I like the hair and age appropriate outfit. KT Tunstall - Suddenly. Had some trouble powering through those low notes both K and I had trouble hearing her  - could this song have been in a different key to accommodate her range? Maybe off key now that she is barreling toward the end. Did like the energy and beginning "performance "she brought to it. 

Alex  - from MA - singing a Gavin Degraw song - I Don't Wanna Be. Gave him a blue suit and a swanky hair do. I think they are trying to find a look for him. Seems to fit his personality and performance style. K kept waiting for a WOW moment, but it just never arrived. Agree with JLo that the vocals were a bit off. 

Jessica - Slapout Alabama  Dido's White Flag - acoustic guitar. Viewing party @ Key Largo in Montgomery - it's 'steak night' there!  I really like the tone of her voice. K thinks it is very consistent as far as voices go. Maybe she could have been more passionate - but it was better than Jena. 

Dexter - Fayette, AL song Lucky Man. Perfect song for him! Brought in one of his hunting buddies and his wife to watch the performance. He has more emotion in his voice that most of the contestants. Even if you aren't a country fan - I think you can see that he really feels what he sings. Keith was really enjoying that song tonight! 

Emily - Let's Get Loud - JLo's song!  Orlando, FL   - good political move to choose that song. Got to be hard to perform one of the judges tunes. Probably needs to get more comfortable with performing to do that type of song - but overall okay. 

Caleb - Asheville, NC - big music town. Working Man - Rush. He is a huge Rush fan. Brought dad, family friend and best friend to see him rock out. When he performs I think we are watching a different show - the band even seems to get into his music. He just needs to go find a great band and rock with his bad self. 

MK - San Francisco - Drops of Jupiter - Train. I am not really loving the ball cap each week . I do like her voice and I like this song choice for her. 

CJ - Jasper AL - small town and he loves his home! Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer. Wants to have fun and send a message. Good song for him and he seemed to have fun and they really are working on his style. 

Sam - Bradenton, FL  - song reminds him of Michigan - band is One Pilot. Catchy tune and seems to suit him - like that he is playing to the small group. seems natural a good ol' WGWG . Look like some constantine maroulis with the eyes at the end! 

Malaya - Michigan, Take Me to the King  - gospel tune represents home for her. More serious look - straight hair and playing the piano. She looks great tonight! Not as wacky - that may be a good thing. That was a perfect song to her - you can really tell it is meaningful for her.  - K says she is trying to stay in by appealing to the Fundies. She definitely turned down the Urkel. 

Ben - Gallatin, TN - Turning Home. This song choice seems okay - but I agree with Kev that his voices just kind grates on me. Not a bad performance, but not really feeling it since I get distracted by his voice. Agree with Harry that it felt shouted - it was just okay. 

Majesty - Goldsboro, NC - Coldplay song Fix You. This was probably the best performance of the night. I really liked this - but do agree with judges to keep it small and understated. 

Top 3: Majesty, Dexter, Caleb

Bottom 3: MK, Ben, Alex 

Who goes home? MK

Dr L & K -- OUT!

Harry has been hilarious this season.

Don't know what movie this is from but I thought it was funny.

All About Me (last week)

Last week American Idol 

Performance Night Wednesday 

First off: 20 seconds about me (K) -- 1. I like to work on cars (as a hobby) 2. I love sushi (and beer) 3. I can draw (like, old school with a pencil) 4. I broke my ankle when I was young and now I have a bunch of pins and screws in it 5. I was born in Nashville. 

Theme: Who I Am 

Interesting that Ryan doesn't have to walk down a big-ass flight of steps at the beginning of the show. Top 13 are getting ready to perform

stage looks like a giant hotpoint stove

Harry is such a gentleman! Pulls out the chair for Jlo every time. 

New voting procedure - clearly to target the younger audience

Split screen with contestant/Randy and the family. 

ARggh on Keith's hair this week! Why are they messing with it? 

Dexter - starting with upbeat country song - good beat His mama got some big ol Bama hair! needs some work on stage presence - but in tune and audience seems to love him. 

Malaya - Bruno Mars tune  - Runaway Baby. Randy says she has an annunciation issue. I would agree! This is kind of a train wreck performance. K says she is in trouble with this performance. She does have good energy on stage - but vocally not so much…

Kristen

 - Can't really do the 5 things quiz! Kelly Clarkson song Beautiful Disaster. Pitch is all over the place. Not really connecting to emotion of the song. Beautiful Disaster really seems to sum this up. JLo comment about not thinking is a good one - trying to share a moment with the crowd. 

Ben

folsom prison blues. Putting his own spin on this - amped it up a bit. I am NOT a fan of his voice…

CJ - teetering on being out of tune on the Darius Rucker tune. Good song choice though. Energetic. Seems focused and wants to do his best

MK

Satisfaction  - didn't know this song. She seemed to have a good command of the song. Seems more comfortable - ready to see how she does in future weeks. 

Majesty

Her voice is much better than malaya. Seems more mature than her age.Seems to be a good song choice for her

Jena - sometimes her voice is annoying and sometimes it is really good. Seemed like a good choice and she did well with it. I think it could get old. 

Alex

Jason Mraz - Beautiful Mess. Best vocal so far - seems to be the best song choice and fit for a performer so far. Seems to really understand the emotional connection to the song. Simple and it let him come to the forefront of the performance. 

Jessica

Crow and the Butterfly - good song choice - sounds amazing, crystal clear. Didn't like the animation with the crows in the background. Very strong performance - if anything, just a little stiff. 

Emily - Glitter in the Air. Started off too low - seems better in middle of song. 

Sam - Matchbox 20 song. Pretty straightforward cover of this song. Has a really good voice - but I don't know if he is doing anything special. Does well for his age - audience loves him. 

Caleb - 

Band of out of the LBC - hey y'all!!! Love it - said he picked it because it was a modern rock song. Saved the best for last! Loved it. Saw Tay-Tay in the audience - must have a made a quick trip over from his Vegas gig. Crowd going crazy! 

Rankings for Dr.L and K: 

Top 3: Caleb, Jessica, Alex 

Bottom 3: Malaya, Kristen, Ben 

Going home:  Kristen 

Thursday night - 

Randy's take: First 4

Malaya- song got the best of her.

Jena-- needed to connect, did good. Ben -- they actually slowed it down? Jesus. But Randy liked it. Alex -- band or not? liked the subtleness the best of the 4. The Vote:

Ben safe…Alex safe as well, after the fakeout from Ryan. Jena? She's safe, so as expected, Malaya takes the walk of shame.

Candice Glover -- I had actually forgotten who won LOL. 

Second 4

MK -- wanted to get her moving, liked the ballcap? Sam -- needs to work on the performance to match vocal. Majesty -- loved her. Dexter -- wanted him to make it his own, but liked it OK. 

The Vote: 

Dexter is safe (Bama vote coming out?)… Majesty is safe… MK… is in the bottom three. Sam is safe.

Keith's "find", Jake Bugg: I don't get it. 

Third group

CJ -- got to be consistent. Kristen -- pretty good, but no emotion. Caleb -- electric! Jessica -- great, commands attention. Emily -- good performance but no edge. Kristen heads to the stool. We got two of the three. 

Final dim-the-lights moment: MK is safe. Malaya is safe -- and Kristen has to sing for her life.  Idol makes a shameless narcissistic facebook play to show voter's faces on the screen. 

Personally, I've never seen what Kristen was doing here. There are so many better singers that got let go. She basically gives her one performance again here. Actually better than the night, but not great. If they use the save I'll be stunned… and they don't. Good call. We actually called this one, because she sucked so hard. It doesn't always work out that way with America voting.

Wow -- cold blooded -- Idol actually has a version of our "booted" grid above the stage! You actually see you light get snuffed out as you get kicked off the show. Damn, that ought to crush some spirits. 

Anyway, sorry we were late on our reviews, it was a crazy week. We'll be on top of it this week.

Dr. L and K OUT!