The Top 7: People Get Ready . . . for Crystal and Lee

Alicia Keys is our mentor . . . I'll bet she is a little ball of awesome. I'm curious to see what type of music they are going for tonight . . . Tomorrow night is Idol Gives Back . . . which makes me wonder if they will actually eliminate anyone . . . I believe the last time Idol Gives Back was on a Wednesday was during the Jordin/Blake season . . . and that week they didn't eliminate anyone . . . we'll see.

Tonight is Idol gives back "Songs of Inspiration" . . .

BTW, they did Idol Gives Back during the season of the "Davids", but they did it on a Thursday night . . .

1. Casey James - He's singing "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac. Alicia wants them to remember him and not the song . . . Now, if Andrew Garcia were performing this song, it would be cheesetastic, however, Casey brings a genuine vibe to it . . . he's not really messing with the melody, and I think that's a good thing. He's rockin the guitar, and I think he's done a bluesy, solid interpretation of the song. Randy thought it was good, but not his best. Ellen liked his guitar playing, but doesn't thinking anyone will be talking about it tomorrow. Kara thinks he was like everybody else tonight. Simon didn't think it was particularly inspiring . . . does he know this song?

2. Lee DeWyze - He's singing "The Boxer" by Simon and Garfunkel - Alicia told him not to lose sight of the lyrics . . . He's having a few pitch problems at the beginning, but I'm feeling this performance. He seems to have taken La Keys words to heart, and is really feeling the lyrics. I'm believing him when he sings . . . Lee is bringin it tonight. Randy thinks that he is a great artist. Ellen thinks he has a lot of soul and depth. Kara thinks he had his moment tonight. Simon thinks he was sincere and inspirational.

3. Tim Urban - He's singing "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls - Alicia is a sucker for the lyrics and that's a good thing . . . for Tim especially. If he's not feelin it, he's gonna fall flat. He's started the song a little low and pitchy. For me, he's never quite found the right note . . . I like the song, and I think he's "feeling the lyrics", but I don't think he's quite "feeling the notes". Randy thought it was okay, good, karaoke. Ellen thinks he's like the soup of the day, and today she didn't like it. Kara thinks he's found his "lane", but that this wasn't his best performance. Simon thinks it may have been a step too high for him in terms of performance, but thinks that he has definitely improved.

4. Aaron Kelly - He's singing "I Believe I Can Fly" - Alicia's worried that the song can be overkill for some folks. BTW, I heart Alicia Keys. Something's missing for me . . . it may be the arrangement, but he pulled it together at the end. Not a fan of the first half, but the second half kind of sold me. Randy thinks the arrangement was strange and thinks he did a good job. Ellen thought he handled a big song very well. Kara thinks the end was good. Simon thinks he gave it his all, but would have turned it off had he heard it on the radio.

5. Siobhan Magnus - She's singing some scary combo of Whitney and Mariah . . . I'm unclear . . . She's singing "When You Believe" . . . Alicia has told Siobhan to milk her money shot . . . er, um, moving on . . . She has butterflies on her shoulder . . . just sayin . . . The beginning of the song started a wee bit pitchy, and the arrangement is a little bit odd . . . the notes towards the end were beautiful and pitch perfect. Randy thinks she picked the toughest song, and it was just okay. Ellen disagrees and thinks it's more confirmation why she is here. Kara still doesn't know who she is. Simon thought the arrangement was old fashioned and a bit all over the place. Siobhan . . . stop talking . . .

6. Big Mike - He's singing "Hero" by I think Nickleback??. Alicia thinks he is making the song his own. . . I'm not really sure he made it his own. I liked the first half of the song better than the last half. It was pretty good. Randy thought he held his own with it. Ellen thought he did a great job. Kara didn't like it. Simon thinks he sang it pretty well, but didn't think the song fit the theme.

7. Crystal Bowersox - For the first time this season, she's not playing an instrument. She's singing "People Get Ready". Alicia likes her and thinks she is special. Here comes our girl. Starting out acapella . . . you go, girl! She broke into tears at the end of the song . . . simply amazing . . . stunning performance. Randy gave her the standing ovation. Ellen thinks she has never looked more beautiful, and thought it was amazing. Kara thanked her for taking a risk, and thinks she took it to another level and schooled all of the contestants. Simon thinks that was inspirational, and happy to see her emotional.

The Rankings
Crystal
(Space Beyond Recognition)
Lee
(Big Space)
Casey,
Aaron,
Big Mike,
Tim,
Siobhan

In my opinion, the only two relevant performances were Crystal and Lee . . . and then there were the rest.

My Bottom Three: Big Mike, Tim, Siobhan
America's Bottom Three: Aaron, Tim, Siobhan
Eliminated: Tim