Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Caleb Johnson is a Season 13 American Idol contestant looking for redemption.

He came within a whisker of the semifinals back in Season 11 before he flubbed his final solo performance in Las Vegas.

Caleb Johnson is taking his third stab at American Idol in Season 13. (FOX Photo)

But there was no flubbing when he appeared before the judges during this year’s Atlanta audition episode.

The 22-year-old from Asheville, N.C., performed “Old Time Rock and Roll” and an original song called “Into the Void” and breezed into the Hollywood round via a unanimous vote.

This will actually mark Caleb’s third trip to Hollywood. He also made it that far back in Season 10.

“I had an awesome experience the last two times I auditioned and I just wanted to show them how much I improved,” Caleb said.

Back in Asheville, Caleb is lead singer for a band called Elijah Hooker, which specializes in “hard rock and roll with a whole lotta soul,” according to the group’s Facebook page.

And it’s that sort of attitude Caleb is hoping to bring to Season 13.

“I’ll bring a different energy and vibe to the Idol stage,” Caleb says in his Road to Hollywood video. “It’s going to be darker and more convicted.

“It would be awesome to see a rock-and-roller win the whole thing,” he adds. “We need to bring rock and roll back into pop culture.”

If you want to hear some rock and roll Elijah Hooker style, head to the band ReverbNation page, where you can download some of their music.

I’ve embedded a couple of videos of Caleb performing below, but you can also check out more on his YouTube channel.

“Down to the River” (original)

“Oh Darling” (Beatles cover)

“Civil War” (Guns N’ Roses cover)