And the Winner is David. . .

Okay, so it’s been a week. . . my unofficial mourning period is over. Actually, viewing the season finale was a bit of a fiasco for me (more later); I ended up in my daughter’s room on her computer on YouTube, notes from the show got separated and it’s taken me this long to a) work up the enthusiasm to locate them and b) get enough time to look for them.

So, now they’ve been found and I’m ready to wrap up the season for all three of my fans.

Ryan opened the show by announcing that 97.5 million votes were received. I’m a big fan of the show, you all know. I will rearrange my life to be at home at least watching the recorded version, but I find it a little disgusting that 97.5 million votes are cast for this final show and I run into the same 5 people at my polling place at each election. Okay, nuff about that!

Ryan also mentions that the winner and the runner-up were only 12 million votes apart. I guess in some worlds that’s close, but in my world close is 2 million votes. Maybe Ryan gets all mixed up with the big numbers.

In any case, the Davids came onstage, all dressed in white and we watched the videos from the hometowns of each.
The Top 12 then sang “Get Ready Cuz Here I Come”. And if you’re going to one of the concerts, you BETTER be ready, because, don’t forget, you’re going to have to listen to ALL of the Top 12, including Kristy Lee and Brooke at least once by themselves. That would have to be the beer break for me!! (And I don’t even DRINK beer!!)

Next up was the David Duet, “Hero”. I thought the two Davids sounded great together. It seemed like Big David was a little softer all night and Lil’ David was a little edgier and more relaxed all night.

Next up was my favorite segment: Guru Pitka. I’ve been out looking for “Sitar Hero” all week (wink, wink)!

Syesha was up next, singing “Waiting for You” with SEAL!!! How lucky was SHE??? Hands down that has got to be the most exciting thing that will ever happen for her!!

Hallelujah, Jason sang “Hallelujah” --- pretty much the only song I’d trust him to sing at this point.

Then we watched clips from the makings of the Ford commercials. It was fun seeing all the little “out takes”.

Out came the finalists again, this time dressed all in black. Ryan presented them both with brand new Ford Hybrids. They both seemed genuinely surprised, as if they’d forgotten that the final 2 traditionally are gifted with new vehicles. Surprisingly, we found out that Lil’ David DOES have his license!!

The six female finalists then appeared to sing “She Works Hard for the Money”, all dressed in red (hmmmm. . .). Suddenly, Donna Summer appeared at the top of the stairway --- not a smart move, as she DEFINITELY needed help in getting down those stairs. . . and not because of the shoes she had on!! In any case, she sang her new single “Stamp Your Feet”, then segued into “The Last Dance”. She still sounds good, but looks a little scary.

Carly and Michael sang a duet “The Letter” --- sweet to see them together because their voices mix so well and ironic, as the two of them were both gone before their time.

Jimmy Kimmel made an appearance, putting Simon’s insults from the whole season to music. THAT was funny!!

Next up were the six male finalists, all dressed in black, singing “Those Were the Best Days of My Life”. Then they moved into “I’m in Heaven” by Bryan Adams. . . and who should appear but Bryan himself!?! Again, still sounds great, but a little scary to watch.

They segued into “Til I Saw You”, then “Somebody Like You”, then we got a short greeting from Jordin Sparks, last year’s Idol winner, announcing the upcoming “American Idol Experience” at Disneyworld.

Big David got to sing “Sharp Dressed Man” with none other than ZZ TOP!!! Not sure anything he does after this will be bigger than this!! How lucky can one guy get?? He looked like a kid in a candy store!

Brooke got to sing with Graham Nash --- “Teach Your Children”. Oddly enough, their voices blended well and Brooke remembered all the words. Also probably a high point in her life.

Jonas Brothers made an appearance. I have no idea what they sang because I fast-forwarded through it.

Of course, what season finale of AI would be complete without the requisite “Weirdo Flashback”?? Tape included the weirdest of the weird and the segment included an appearance by Reynaldo Lapuz and the USC Marching Band, joined by Randy and Paula.

One Republic was up next with “Apologize”, joined by Lil’David. I might have enjoyed this more if I didn’t hear this song every 2 ½ seconds on the radio.

Both of Lil’ David’s grandpas were interviewed in the next hometown check-in. Then, Jordin Sparks made a personal appearance onstage, singing “One Step at a Time”. Honestly, it was just alright.

Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and the newly gorgeous Robert Downey Jr. made appearances as Gladys Knights new Pips --- superimposed footage of these three adorable pranksters on an old clip of Gladys. Probably the best segment of the night!!

Carrie Underwood made an appearance singing “Last Name”. Also fast-forwarded through this segment.

The Top 12 appeared again, again dressed all in black to sing George Michael’s “You Gotta Have Faith”. Then, lo and behold, George Michael himself appeared onstage. . . or was it. . yes, I think it was. . . no. . . yes. I don’t know --- there was something different about him. No, not just because he’s really, really old. I think he got dentures or something --- there was something different about his mouth. And, the way his voice sounded like him, then not, then him again was a little unsettling. They segued into “Till the End of Time”, then “Freedom”, then George wrapped up the segment with “These Are the Days”, bringing Paula to tears. I’m surprised that a lot of people I’ve talked to never heard that song. It’s certainly not new!!

It was at this point that I glanced at my DVR “counter” and realized I was at 1 hour 54 minutes of a 2-hour show. . . or SUPPOSEDLY 2-hour show. My stomach sank as I realized “I’m going to miss the end of the final show. . . AGAIN!!!” Screw me over once, shame on you, screw me over twice, shame on ME!! I can’t BELIEVE that I forgot SO QUICKLY the pain of NOT seeing the winner announced “live” last year!!!

Slowly spinning through the last, seemingly endless, commercials, Ryan appears onstage with the two Davids, accountant guy comes out and takes WAY too long reassuring us that everything is on the up-and-up, Ryan says “and the winner is David” and my recording ends.

I am NOT kidding you!! I have it on my DVR --- the recording absolutely and literally stops with Ryan Seacrest’s open mouth starting to say the last name!!! Is it Archuleta?? Is it Cook??? Well, I don’t KNOW!!!

I am close to being in shock, having NOT seen the final announcement “live” for the SECOND year!!! I race into my daughter’s room, hopping on the AI show site, where, amazingly, they do NOT have the clip of the announcement posted, and the show’s been over on the west coast for almost an hour!!

Finally, thank God for YouTube --- I find a clip of the final announcement and get to watch that PLUS the other five minutes that my DVR has neglected to catch. Technology, the savior, and also bane of our existence!!

So, David Cook is pronounced the winner, much to my surprise!!! I really though David Archuleta would be American’s choice, and actually at this point it doesn’t matter. I said I’d be happy no matter who won, and I am. Bless his hear, David Cook breaks down in tears and then sings one last song for this season, with the other Top 11 gathered around him.

I have to say, I understand how proud his mom must be, but she’s a little creepy in her devotion. If it were my kid, they would have definitely wanted me in the audience every night, but standing directly below them, just gazing up during the final song?? Creepy!!

In any case, it was a happy ending, but it would have been no matter what had happened. Would have been sweeter if I’d gotten the ENTIRE show on my DVR but. . .

And, in the week that has passed since the last show, I’ve read that David Cook hooked up with Kimberly Caldwell, so maybe he’s not still single, but good for him. After all his hard work this season, he deserves it!!

Can’t wait for David Cook’s first CD!! In the meantime, I’m downloading my AI favorite cuts onto my iPod to listen to this weekend (American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life) while I’m walking the track for 24 hours.

Duel of the Davids

Let me just say I LOVED the format for last night’s show!! LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!

However, as much as I believe that Lil’ David (now known as Lil’ D) only weighs 100 lbs., I was really surprised that David Cook weighs 180. Hmmmm. . .

And, sure, you can nickname Lil’ D “Babyface” but I don’t think I would have chosen “Sugarfoot” for the other David. Another hmmmm. . .

I look forward to this final performance show every year, yet I always feel a little melancholy, too. Thrilled that we get to enjoy three songs from each competitor, but sadness that this will be the next to the last show of the season.

Guest mentors last night were Clive Davis, the man with the golden ears (hell, all his body parts must be gold) and LORD Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Round 1 songs were Clive’s choice: ”I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2 for Big D and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John. Lord declares Big D’s song “tough” and admonishes Lil’ D to keep his eyes open.

Big D was first and all I could say was “wow”!! He was relaxed, seemed VERY comfortable singing in front of 7,000 fans, and was totally in the zone!!

Lil’ D’s rendition of the Elton John classic was also “wow” --- powerful and probably the most emotional delivery I’ve seen from Lil’ D all season.

The next song choice for each was culled from the original song contest. Producers chose what they deemed to be the top ten songs and each David got to choose their personal favorite from among those.

Big D chose “Dream Big” by Emily Shackelton --- lucky girl!! Possibly the first time she’s heard her song done “for real” and it’s sung by this incredibly talented guy!! I thought the song was decent but he did a great job, too!!

Lil’ D’s choice was “In This Moment” by Ryan Gilmore. I kept thinking how, for the rest of their lives, these two songwriters would be telling people “The first time I heard my song performed for real was. . .”

Lord was worried about Big D’s voice and joked that the lyrics sounded like they had been written by Simon (Lord is just a natural comedian).

Big D sang --- wow, wow, wow. I thought it was the perfect song choice; Simon was the only judge not thrilled.

Lil D sang --- again, wow, wow, wow.

The last song was each contestant’s personal choice: Big D chose Collective Soul’s “The World I Know”. I thought he did an outstanding job, and brought his own flavor to this piece. Again, Simon wasn’t too thrilled. Seeing his emotional reaction at the applause was really sweet. You can tell he’s grateful for every moment. Although I loved his rendition, I, too, wondered how much better he could have delivered “Billy Jean” although I also understood his reason for choosing something new.

And, was it just an honest reaction or a little strategy to throw in the comment about wanting to try something new instead of doing something he’d already done? I could almost see Lil’ D going into a panic about having chosen “Imagine” for his last performance.

If he did panic, he managed to pull off an even better performance this second time than the first time he sang this song. It was nearly perfect!!

Whatever happens, I’m happy!! I couldn’t begin to tell you who was the best. To be honest, I voted twice --- once for each.

The only thing that keeps coming to mind is that Lil’ D is 17 years old --- so incredibly talented at his age that perhaps that makes him the better performer? I don’t think either one really cares that much at this point. They both seemed to be about having fun and giving it one last effort before they go off to their careers. Let’s be honest, they BOTH are going on to big, big careers, whether they win or not.

However, in all fairness, I really should predict a winner. I think it will be David Archuleta.

But I’ll be first in line to buy David Cook’s first CD!!

And Then There Were Two. . .

Last night’s show was very satisfying, despite the predictable outcome of the voting.

Ryan opened the show by announcing that Fantasia would be the guest star. We were, once again, tortured with the group singing “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” (well, by the end of the show, ONE of them would be stopped). Maybe the theme was hinting at not stopping them from a career in music in general. . .

This week’s Ford commercial, again, was very cute. I wondered who REALLY drove David’s car away at the end (tinted windows, very convenient). Don’t know if he drives yet, but I get the idea maybe his dad hasn’t allowed him to do any of that stuff yet.

They also announced that 56 million votes were recorded, which always astounds me. If “we” were half as diligent about voting for elected officials as we seem to be in voting for American Idol. . .

However, I have to confess that I voted for the first time ever on Tuesday night. Thought it was time to commit.

There was the expected recap of Tuesday night’s show --- well, they have to rehash every detail if they want to stretch this show into an hour!!

Fantasia was next with her performance of “Bore Me” --- yes, Fantasia is probably the edgiest former Idol contestant who’s still out there performing, and yes, she did have Crayola red hair (she told Ryan she just “tried it”). Either she was on speed or she just really gets into performing, because they practically had to hose down the stage when she was done --- that girl was on fire!!

Simon was utterly stunned --- his blank, slack-jawed expression caught on camera at the close of Fantasia’s number was PRICELESS!! Finally, Simon at a loss for words!!

Lil’ David was called to the stage first, and we watched his Hometown Visit footage. He was so overwhelmed by the size of the crowds and the welcome he received that he was moved to tears. What a cutie!!

Syesha’s Hometown Visit footage was next; she was also overcome by tears, even (or despite) when the mayor of Sarasota did a handstand onstage during her welcome there!!

Lil’ David and Syesha waited on the sofa while we watched David’s Hometown Visit video. Surprisingly, I thought David would hold it together, but, he too was moved to tears by the support and love he felt from the huge hometown crowds.

They all must be so secluded during this process that they have NO idea what’s really in store for them when this is over. I mean, to hear that 56 million votes were received is different from actually seeing a major part of those votes crowding around a stage in your hometown screaming to see YOU!!

Thankfully Ryan didn’t drag out the “axing” too much and quickly announced that it would be a Duel of the Davids on next week’s show and that Syesha would be going home. She “sang” one more time. She actually lip-synced her song, and pretty well, too until the end when she stopped mouthing and the last note continued. . .without her. I guess that’s understandable, due to the highly emotional state they were all in. But still. . .

In any case, this contest comes down to the two Davids, as I predicted earlier in the season. What happens next week is anyone’s guess. Last year I thought for sure that Blake would be the winner, yet America chose the less edgy, more ballad-y performer. It could go that way again this year --- who knows??

Although Lil’ David has had a place in my heart since the beginning, I’m really rooting for David Cook to win it all this year. Hey, we all know that both of them will have contracts and careers when this is over. But there’s a part of me that really feels like David Cook deserves this and hopes that he wins.

One week until we’ll know!!

Judges Choice, Producer's Choice, Contestant's Choice

Hmmm. . . a teenager, an actress and a bartender. . . fighting for the title of American Idol. Who will win? Who wants it most? I have some theories. . .

I’ve mentioned more than a few times that there’s something in Lil’ David’s eyes. It’s very possibly the reason his natural singing style is to keep them closed. Now that he’s consciously trying to connect with the audience by keeping them open, they say a lot. I’ve always seen them tinged with a deep sadness, even when he’s talking to Ryan and listening to the judges. At first, I thought it was nerves, but I think he’s sad. Sad and scared --- sad that his dad can’t just enjoy this journey with him, but that he has to be such an ass he’s been banned from backstage. And I think there’s fear in his eyes, too. Fear that he just might win the title and fear that, when it’s over and if he wins, his dad will have access to him again and will most probably make his life miserable. I’m hoping that Lil’ David has someone who is talking to him about the possibility of being emancipated and I hope if that happens, someone will take him under their wing and protect him from the other people in the world who would love to exploit him, other than his dad. So, unless he knows he can be free from his dad if he wins, I’m guessing at this point he really doesn’t want it at all.

And Syesha --- well, we’ve all seen her suddenly become totally relaxed in front of the audience. She claims she’s decided she’s “just going to have fun” and that her stage fright is over. I think that she’s fine knowing that she’s not going to win, and she knows that she will whisked off to Broadway and enjoy what she enjoys --- acting and singing. She knows she’s not going to win, but she’s good with that.

David knows he has a really good chance to win, but I think he’s a little worried, too. Winning will totally change his life and take him away from his family, and especially his brother, who is so sick right now and may not survive. It would be sad to know that something he’s always dreamed about will take him away from his family during this family crisis.

But, I think David Cook wants it the most right now, and I’m hoping he gets it.

Okay, so the show opens with the usual introduction of the judges. Paula looks great for once --- hair is done nicely and it looks like she has a demure little eyelet dress that actually has a lining. She looks as if she’s dressed age-appropriate for once. But my first judgment of her wardrobe for the night is proved oh, so wrong, when later in the night Paula stands up and reveals that what I thought was a demure little dress is actually just the top part of a leather bustier!! I should have known better than to think Paula could or would dress decently!!

Last night’s show required the contestant to sing three songs each: one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by the producers and one of their own choosing.

This year’s hometown visits were drastically downplayed --- at most a 45-second clip announcing the judge’s song choice for each of them. None of the tearful reactions at parades in their honor from past years.

Paula chose Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” for Lil’ David. And, that started my next rant.

I cannot tell you how sick and tired I am of hearing the judges talk about the contestants having chosen songs by big artists, and songs that are “too big” for them. But, when it’s time for the judges to choose songs, they select songs by artists like Billy Joel, Roberta Flack and Alicia Keyes. Can’t get much bigger than those three!! I mean, if the contestants had made those choices themselves, they’d have been reamed during judging!! Unfair!!

At any rate, Paula chose probably my most favorite Billy Joel song (and I was quite the Billy Joel fan back in the day). I enjoyed hearing the song so much that I’ll be downloading both versions (Lil’ David’s AND Billy Joel’s) to my iPod today. I thoroughly enjoyed Lil’ David’s take on the song and thought he sang it flawlessly. Perfect but somewhat predictable choice for him, though.

Randy chose Alicia Keyes’ “If I Ain’t Got You” for Syesha. Technically, she was right on, but it was really just Syesha singing Alicia Keyes --- she sounded like her and didn’t try to make any changes or even sing it like Syesha. She had some trouble with the high notes, but she did look great in her gorgeous dress. However, the song choice was predictable for Syesha and was one she might have chosen for herself.

Simon chose “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack. Say what you will, but Simon had the right idea --- not a song-style you would imagine David singing, also a song originally done by a woman --- how much further out of his comfort range could he push him??? And all I can say is “WOW”. Totally believable coming from him!!

Lil’ David’s personal choice was “With You” by Chris Brown. Eager to show he’s more than a balladeer, he let go a little with this song. I think he did well, he’s no Chris Brown, but, hey, he didn’t do badly for a 17-year old white boy!!

Syesha’s choice was “Fever” by Peggy Lee --- the judges thought it was an odd choice for her to make, but, if you think about the possibility of Syesha going directly to theatre, this was the perfect choice for her. She did a decent job, but this performance, again this week, was more about the incredibly short dress and sexy moves than about her singing ability. She really played the sex card on this one!!

David personal choice was “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot. I’ve only heard this on the soundtrack to “Walk to Remember”, but he did an excellent job and made me want to hear it again. Smart move!!

I think the producers are good at their job, because they proved they really don’t know anything about music by the choices they made.

Lil’ David sang Dan Fogelberg’s “Longer” --- too saccharine sweet even for David, although he sang it flawlessly. Whether it’s the tone of his voice or his little riffs, he always manages to make a song his own, no matter how bad the song is.

Rhianna’s “Hit Me Up” was the producers choice for Syesha. Again, a predictable choice for Syesha, but I thought it was just okay.

And Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” for David??? Talk about predictable?? Haven’t they watched the show?? Don’t they know that he seems to do best with songs that SEEM to be way out of his comfort zone?? This was predictable, but again, a very solid performance.

I’m thinking the Jason Castro fans have fled to David Cook’s camp, making him safe this week.

I’m sure Syesha will be going home.

I think once Syesha is gone, her fans will flock to the Lil’ David camp.

If that happens, it will be a very, very close race to the finish. However, if it’s not the two Davids who go on to the final show next week, I’ll be totally shocked.

From Four to Three

51 million votes, the Top 3 within 1 million votes of each other (that’s close?), Bo Bice (wow, she writes facetiously) and Maroon 5.

The question of the night (perhaps the entire season): When will Paula hire a PROFESSIONAL stylist?? I have not doubt she has a stylist, but she needs a good one, not the one she’s using now. She looked like she’d been plucked from a magazine page from the 80’s. . . and not in a cool, hip, retro way.

The usual horrific group sing: Reelin’ in the Years. I want the season to end just so we’re not subjected to these group sings again (unless you go to an Idol Tour concert).

The boooorrriing recap of last night (we were all there, and if you weren’t you don’t care to see it again, anyway).

Lil’ David is called onstage and quickly declared “safe”.

We’re treated to a video clip/montage of the Final 4 and their recent trip to Las Vegas to see Cirque du Soleil’s “Love”. Color me jealous!!! Two of my most favorite things in the same place: Beatles music and Cirque du Soleil!! AND they got to meet the cast!! I hope they appreciated the entire experience.

David is brought onstage and Ryan actually says “Hungry Like the Woof” --- I’m sure of it because we re-wound it three times (okay, two times we couldn’t hear it because we were laughing SO hard!!). David is declared “safe”.

That leaves Jason and Syesha staring into the TV monitor backstage realizing they are the Bottom 2. No surprises there!

This week’s Ford commercial is “Ring of Fire” -- Ryan teases them all about their costumes.

We are again subjected to the questions from the viewers.

I know what some of you are thinking. You’re remembering how much I used to hate the Ford commercials and how this year I thought most of them were cute. This does NOT mean that next year I might grow to enjoy the questions from viewers. With the exception of Simon’s childhood first kisser last week, I’ve only endured this part of the show --- there has been absolutely NO enjoyment.

Maroon 5 was next, performing their new single. I’m usually a Maroon 5 fan, but it just sounded like the song was sung in too high a key --- the release features Rhianna, so maybe this is what it needed. I fast-forwarded through most of this. The lead singer IS cute, though, and was entertaining while he was talking with Ryan.

Syesha continues to look confident, as if she’s sure that she won’t be going home.

Bo Bice is next, with his new single “Witness”. I was never a Bo fan, and I wasn’t converted last night. He’s no Daughtry!! However, I like that he doesn’t try to hide the fact that he has a family and he announces that he and his wife have a new baby boy on the way.

With very little suspense, Ryan announces that Jason is going home (shock) and Syesha will be in the Top 3.

Jason looks relieved and actually is the most relaxed he’s ever been as he sings “I Shot the Sheriff” again. His comment about how he didn’t know how he was going to handle choosing and memorizing three songs had he continued is right on the money. He’s happy to go home and no one was crying.

I don’t even need to hear any more performing to feel that Syesha will go home next week. However, after that, it’s anyone’s guess.

I’ll be shocked and surprised if it doesn’t come down to a duel of the Davids --- if it ends up Syesha and one of the Davids, it will be a slaughter. At least if the David duke it out at the end, it will be an even match.

Can’t wait!!

Final Four -- Rock 'n Roll

Last night’s show with the Final 4 showcased the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame; they were able to choose songs by any musician who had been inducted. Quite the selection!! Each sang two selections and thankfully, they had enough time to do so without being pushed on and off the stage like the previous week.

David started the show with “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran. I love his voice, don’t particularly like the song, but I liked the way HE made it sound, although he didn’t really change it up at all, even though he mentioned that he would make it his own. Wonder what happened? Well, in addition to the stress of this contest, he has a lot on his mind, so I’m letting him off the hook for this one.

Syesha came next --- her first choice was “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner. She was outfitted in a dress reminiscent of one Tina might have worn, her dance moves were great, but I thought her singing was pitchy in places. For me it turned out to be more of a showcasing of her dancing rather than her singing.

Jason (after admitting he had only heard of a few songs on the list) chose Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”. Although he made a lot of changes and really made the song sound like his, it was only okay for me. More and more it seems like Jason’s really out of his league at this point and honestly, he looks and acts as if he’s ready to go home. The fact that he chose a Bob Marley song was also a little annoying to me --- just because he wears dreads??

Lil’ David chose “Stand By Me” by Benny King for his first performance. As always, he adapted the song just enough to make it sound original, without obliterating the original. Fabuloso!!

The judges really hammered Jason on his performance and were pretty much unanimous in thinking Lil’ David’s was the best so far.

David’s second choice was “Baba O’Riley” by the Who. It seemed as if he had returned to his zone, changed it up a la Cook-style, and sounded much better this time out. Much more “Cook-y” than the first song he sang.

Syesha’s second choice song was “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. I loved her dress, but again, for me it was just okay. I felt badly, especially after she started crying --- evidently, she had really done her research and identified strongly with the song. That, plus the strain of being in the Top 4 I think just overwhelmed her suddenly. Or maybe it was a ploy for votes. . . you never know.

Jason bravely returned to the stage after his earlier chastisement to sing Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man”, an obvious choice for his folk-singer persona. All was going relatively well until he completely forgot almost a full line of lyrics. Granted, he recovered well, but to forget lyrics at this point??? He’s almost asking to be sent home.

Lil’ David ended the show by singing “Love Me Tender” by Elvis Presley. I wasn’t too sure about this one. After all, the kid’s only 17 and OBVIOUSLY hasn’t had much life experience, however he really pulled it out on this one. Again, changing it up without defiling the original. It was a really, really good performance.

My problem with this show: Jason got reamed for his first choice. He was told that he should NEVER have chosen a Bob Marley song. I’m not sure why; I’m sure it’s not because he was the Rasta King. However, Syesha took on TINA TURNER and not one judge said a thing. And Lil’ David sang ELVIS --- again, no criticism.

And, after all, the song choices were from anyone who had been inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, which ALREADY places them in the icon category. I was really puzzled by it all.

At any rate, Jason is one of the obvious choices for Bottom 2, not because he took on an icon, but because his performances have become haphazard and lazy. I’m predicting Syesha will be there with him. Although Jason would be my choice to go home this week, I’m predicting Syesha will be the one to leave. I just think Jason’s fan base is really, really big and, after all, Syesha has been in the Bottom Two or Three five times already.

Who will be the Final 3? If Jason stays, it will technically be the Final 2, because he’s not nearly as talented as the Davids.

Ding Dong, Brooke is Gone. . .

While watching the show last night I had a HUGE “ah-hah” moment. . . regarding the title one of the songs that Jason sang the night before which was “Forever in Blue Jeans”, not “Reverend Blue Jeans” (for those of you who read my last blog BEFORE I edited it today).

I had a really plausible explanation ready --- all about how some of us grew up without computers (gasp!) and in a time when lyric sheets weren’t included in every album. I was ready to tell about the lengths we had to go through to obtain lyrics “back in the day” --- putting the needle on the record (vinyl) on a turntable, playing a few measures, stopping it, jotting the few words down that we had caught, replacing the needle on the record, and so on until we had captured every word. I was going to talk about how easy it is for young kids to “mistake” a lyric (i.e., Jose can you see?).

However, turns out Neil Diamond released that song in 1979 --- well past the time of no lyrics included (okay, still no computer in my house) AND at a time in my life when I was old enough to have understood the lyrics. Guess my love of Neil Diamond had faded by then and I just wasn’t paying that much attention to the lyrics at all. Evidently, what I heard was Reverend Blue Jeans and nothing else. . . otherwise I would have figured out the song wasn’t about some very relaxed, cool, traveling preacher!!

The only excuse I have is that it was a busy time in my life --- our first child was 3 years old, we had only recently moved to California and I evidently had more in my head than the desire to really hear the lyrics to Neil Diamond songs. Hey, I was really young still and obviously having too much fun!

Okay, now on to last night’s show!!

Can I tell you how empty that stage looked to me suddenly, with only five performers standing there?? It does make the “group sing” less annoying to me as the group gets smaller --- less voices to compete with and stumble over. Can’t say the Neil Diamond medley was very interesting, though.

After the inevitable comments about the night before, Ryan moved directly into the results. Jason was brought out first and pronounced “safe”. He looked relieved and a little surprised.

Lil’ David was also pronounced “safe” --- he always looks surprised that he’s still there, or is it relief that his Dad won’t be mad??

David was also pronounced “safe”. It was looking like a great results show!!

That, of course, left Syesha and Brooke in the Bottom 2.

Ryan gave them a short reprieve and sent them to the couch to “enjoy” Neil Diamond’s performance as well as Natasha Beddingfield’s.

Ryan then launched into what has become my least favorite segment: the questions from the viewers. However, last night was amusing when Simon’s first crush phone in to ask him if he remembered their first kiss. Really caught Simon off-guard, but definitely piqued his interest. I wouldn’t be surprised if Simon took a flight up to northern California last night after the show!!

Syesha and Brooke were again asked to join Ryan center stage where Brooke (already in tears) was quickly told that she was going home. (Sometimes wishes DO come true!!)

After much crying and very vocal sobbing, Brooke attempted to sing --- why DO they do that?? I mean, think about it. . . it’s usually someone who is NOT the best who is then asked to sing a song that they undoubtedly massacred the night before only NOW they have to sing while they’re fighting off tears!!! It’s torture --- for the VIEWERS!!!

Syesha has now clinched the record for being in the Bottom 2 or 3 the most times without being sent home. Phil from Season 7 was sent home the 5th time he was in the Bottom 2-3. Last night was Syesha’s 5th time to be in the Bottom 2-3.

It’s looking like it might be three guys facing it off for the title this year!!