Idol Chatter & Voice Views

All eyes will be on Casey Abrams this evening on American Idol, and rightfully so.

Casey missed last week’s results show because he was hospitalized — with ulcerative colitis, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

And he didn’t leave the hospital until Sunday afternoon, though he proclaimed himself to be feeling great earlier this week thanks to a transfusion of “tigerblood.”

Oh, that Casey. Some jokester, huh?

Anyway, folks are going to be wondering if Casey will be affected by the layoff.

And they might be watching even more intently because he’s going to be performing the first-ever Nirvana song — “Smells Like Teen Spirit” — on Idol tonight.

Nigel Lythgoe spilled that news on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show this morning, along with the news that Thia Megia will be singing “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas.

Casey doing Nirvana? Sounds like fun.

Thia singing songs from Pocahontas? Heaven help us. Precisely why I thought it was unwise for Idol to let children into this competition.

Check back tonight.

I’ll be blogging live and providing song by song grades after every performance.

Hmm, check it out, proceeds from downloads of this week’s show will benefit the earthquake victims in Japan. Very nice. Nigel indicated earlier this week that that might happen.

And, if you haven’t gotten the word yet, this week’s performances will again be available as a compilation album for just $7.99.

Naima Adedadpo: She’s first up tonight after closing last week’s show. She’ll be singing “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” And, performing first, she’s going to have to turn in a solid performance to hang around. The first slot is always considered the danger spot on Idol, especially in a two-hour show. Sorry, but there’s something a little too mechanical about this performance. I expected Naima to cut loose, especially after her unique version of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” last week. There was nothing special about that performance. Vocally, we’re talking slightly better than average karaoke. Nothing better. And minus the entertainment value of last week’s performance. Grade: D+.

Paul McDonald: To hear Nigel talk, Paul’s been a little under the weather. Though Nigel noted, a little extra raspiness in Paul’s voice probably won’t be noticeable. He’s singing “I Guess That’s Why They Call Them the Blues.” Poor Paul looks lost bobbing around the stage without his guitar. But at least it’s a lost that makes me smile. That said, this is a meandering vocal that seems to be going nowhere. I still like Paul’s unique sound, but that’s not going down as one of his better vocals. Steven calls him a “cool dude in a loose mood.” I’ll appreciate a cooler vocal next week. Grade: C-.

Thia Megia: She’ll sing “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas. I don’t like the song choice because it puts Thia in pageant mode again, when I’d like to see the teen turn in a fun, young performance. That said, she nailed that song vocally. Worlds, worlds better than the first two performances we heard tonight. Here’s the thing, Thia. Watch Disney. Your popular contemporaries are not singing “Smile” and “Colors of the Wind.” Grade: B-.

James Durbin: Speaking of under the weather, James looks like he might be suffering a little too. He’ll be singing Bon Jovi’s “I’ll Be There for You.” Let’s see if he can build on last week’s performance. Hey, at least one of the Idols showed up to entertain tonight. But is James on pitch? He sounds slightly off to me. There’s the signature shriek. Wow. What’s happening tonight? That vocal just seemed off key from start to finish. Grade: C.

Haley Reinhart: She’ll be singing “I’m Your Baby Tonight” by Whitney Houston. I really like Haley. She seems like a sweet young woman. Randy told her to sing Stevie Nicks. She decided to sing Whitney Houston. She should have sung Stevie Nicks. There’s a distinctive tone to her voice, but it was not well suited to that song. I’m afraid Haley just sang her way into the bottom three again. I’m just hoping she didn’t sing her way off the show. Grade: C-.

Stefano Langone: He’ll sing Simply Red’s “If You Don’t Know Me by Now.” I’m not sure Stefano is ever going to learn to follow the judges’ and coaches’ advice and keep his eyes open while performing. But you know what, it’s a minor point considering he just turned in the best performance of the night so far. With those looks and that vocal, Stefano is going nowhere this week. Very nice. Grade: B+

Pia Toscano: Very cute story about Pia. She used to get mad when her mom went shopping. The only way her dad could calm her down was to tape her singing. She’ll sing “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” by Whitney Houston. I guess she’s dressed for the year she was born to, right? I mean, there has to be an excuse for that outfit. Hey, no doubt Pia can hit any note she wants to. She just displayed that all over again. I wasn’t as thrilled as the judges. The vocal sounded sharp in spots. But it was nice to see Pia go a little up-tempo after a string of ballads. Grade: B.

Scotty McCreery: Wow, we’re hearing some creepy Elvis stories about Scotty McCreery. Check him out in that Elvis Halloween costume. He’ll be singing Travis Tritt’s “Can I Trust You with My Heart.” Another technically flawless performance from Scotty. With a little more emotion this time, and a little more vocal range. Every time he sings, I have trouble believing this guy is only a teenager. Grade: B+

Karen Rodriguez: The last remaining MySpace auditioner will sing Taylor Dane’s “Love Will Lead You Back.” Yet another ballad from Idol’s bilingual gal. Karen was positioned poorly, following Stefano, Pia and Scotty to the stage. Her vocals are not going to measure up well to that trio. She just isn’t in the same class as the better singers on this show. Yet she insists on going the ballad route week after week. Grade: C-.

Casey Abrams: The guy with Tigerblood will be singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and says he’s not sure if it’s too big of a risk.  I know this, it might be a song from the year Casey was born, but I finally feel like tonight’s episode of Idol jumped into the 21st century. Steven calls Casey the “goop that great stuff is made from.” OK, a great vocal that wasn’t. It verged more on screaming than singing. But, hey, didn’t it make you smile? Grade: B-

Lauren Alaina: She has the flu. And she’ll sing “I’m the Only One” by Melissa Etheridge. Well, here’s one plus. After last week’s fashion disaster, she’s got the wardrobe under control. Well, I’m going to give her a break because she’s sick and she’s trying to push through it. But this is pretty much a pitchy mess. And very shouty at spots too. Grade: C-.

Jacob Lusk: Interesting choice. Jacob is going to sing Heart’s “Alone.” It became a signature moment for Carrie Underwood. For Jacob? Well, interesting. I have a feeling some people are going to love that and others are going to hate that. I was worried Jacob was going to soar out of control early on. He regained control, lost it again, then pulled it back together at the end. No fear. Carrie Underwood’s version of that song is still the best on Idol. Grade: B-.

Check back in a few. Recap blog coming up.