Idol Chatter & Voice Views

So, what did you think of Usher as a guest mentor on American Idol?

Pretty darn good, huh?

A whole lot more advice than “make it a little edgy” or “put down the guitar,” which is about as much wisdom as Miley Cyrus could muster a week ago.

I don’t blame Miley. I blame Idol.

These are young performers who, to this point, only dreamed of performing for a national TV audience, let alone on the most popular show in the land.

And Idol gives them a 17-year-old as their first mentor?

Heck, invite Usher back for the rest of the season. We might see some real progress.

And it was, last night’s show should have gone a long way toward reviving interest in season nine.

On with the recap …

Best of the Night: If he still needed to dispel the myth that he’s nothing but a pretty face, Casey James sure did it with that rousing rendition of “Hold On, I’m Coming.” And following the fashion wreck that is Siobhan Magnus to the stage, he looked stylish in his black jacket, red shirt and matching red guitar. His best performance since the live shows began. In fact, the best non-Crystal performance since the live shows began. With a little guitar solo thrown in for good measure.

Runners-up: Hey, that was a pretty good night on Idol, right? I mean, check it out, dawg …

Lee DeWyze has arrived. He looked comfortable and confident on stage for the first time, and his vocal on “Treat Her Like a Lady” was his best yet. Finally, he showed why he deserves to be a front-runner. Vocals aren’t Lee’s problem. Stage presence is.

Crystal Bowersox didn’t impress me as much tonight as she did the first two weeks. But, look, an off night for Crystal is better than the best most of this year’s contestants will ever muster. There were still some incredible moments on her “Midnight Train To Georgia.”

And Michael Lynche is quietly putting together a string of very nice efforts. The latest, his heart-felt version of India Arie’s “Ready for Love.” My only complaint: Given that Idol served up a theme in his wheelhouse, I sort of expected Big Mike to blow us away with an over-the-top performance.

Deserves to go home: Is there any doubt? I mean Tim Urban so clearly is not ready for the Idol stage. This week I found myself hoping he slipped in some reggae. Or maybe slipped in a slide. Anything to take my mind off that version of “Sweet Love.”

Please keep her: The judges keep telling contestants they need to connect with the song they chose. Maybe the key for Didi Benami is not connecting quite as much. She sang “What Became of the Broken Hearted,” a song that clearly reminded her of the friend she lost in college. And it was not good. Which is a shame because in spite of Kara’s overly harsh criticism, I think Didi had done pretty well in the finals until Tuesday night.

Surprise of the night: The judges were actually honest, finally, with Siobhan Magnus. I’ve been telling you, take away the screams, and most of her performances have been pretty pitchy. That was certainly the case when she opened the week three show with “Through the Fire.” And, finally, the judges called her on it. And, finally, Simon said what I’ve been thinking: The scream at the end of every song is getting very old very quickly. And just what were those boots or whatever Siobhan was wearing? Any help anyone?

Baffled by the judges: I was truly baffled by the lackluster comments Casey James got from Ellen and Kara. It was almost as though they’d decided what they were going to say about his song choice before they heard him perform. Simon nailed that one. And, quite frankly, Andrew Garcia got a free pass on what was, at best, a mediocre vocal. Mostly because he’d set the bar so low for himself in recent weeks.

Best line of the night from the judges: Ellen to Tim Urban: “You were walking like you were sneaking into a bedroom. We can see you. You are heading right toward us. Don’t be so sneaky. Good for you for taking on that song. But, oh boy, why?”

Simon Cowell to Tim: “It was a completely inappropriate song. It was like a mouse picking a fight with a lion. You’re not going to win. But it doesn’t matter. Because you’re going to smile. The audience is going to vote for you. No one cares. You’ll be here next week. So job well done.”

Best line of the night from a contestant: Tim Urban, after that critique: “I’ve gotta say, they’ve picked on me for a lot of things. I never thought smiling would be one of the things they didn’t like.”

Who will go home: Based on Tuesday’s performances, Didi, Andrew and Tim belong in the bottom three. And, finally, Tim Urban should go home. If not, please take Andrew. Didi might not have what it takes to win season nine, but she shows more potential that either of the guys.

The song-by-song grades (blog here):

Casey James: “Hold On, I’m Coming” — A
Lee DeWyze: “Treat Her Like a Lady” — A-
Crystal Bowersox: “Midnight Train to Georgia — B+
Michael Lynche: “Ready for Love” — B+
Aaron Kelly: “Ain’t No Sunshine” — B-
Andrew Garcia: “Forever” — C+
Katie Stevens: “Chain of Fools” — C
Siobhan Magnus: “Through the Fire” — C
Didi Benami: “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” — C-
Tim Urban: “Sweet Love” — D