Jackie Thon:
A Little Less Conversation- Elvis. Heinous outfit. What is going on there. Very bold and interesting arrangement and song choice. I actually like her and her “crazy”, but I don’t think that was the right choice for our first glimpse at you even thought it is clear she is an entertainer. I was entertained, but I thought the vocals were weak. The judges pretty much echoed that in their comments (proving once again that I should be allowed to judge American Idol instead of Kara). Simon goes so far as to say that she played the clown and goes after the pants.

Ricky Braddy:
A Song For You- Leon Russell. Love the jacket (bet you didn’t know this was going to be a fashion post). I am pretty sure we have not seen this guy before which always bums me out cause I think that handicaps people. But I think he has a really fantastic voice and a great range. He seemed very natural on stage which is huge considering how nerve racking this must be. I really think he nailed it. The judges give him lots of praise, except Simon who basically tells him he needs a personality. I hope America recognizes talent and rewards this guy.

Alexis Grace:
Never Loved A Man- Aretha Franklin. Love the raspy soulful, bluesiness of her voice. I thought she got stronger and more comfortable on stage throughout the performance. At times the song seemed a tiny bit big for her, but for the most part, I thought she did a really good job. The judges loved her, even Simon who called her the dark horse. The judges went so far as to compare her to Kelly Clarkson. Whew, that is a big compliment!!

Brent Keith:
Hicktown- Jason Aldean. Ackward!! Tape glitch. How is that for messing with your nerves? Anyway, not sure it is a great idea to go country right off the bat even though that seems to be a good fit for his voice. And he seems nervous and shakey. After the last two performances, he is left looking amatuerish. Ten bucks says Simon utters the word karaoke. Randy likes the song choice, but Kara and Paula call him too safe. Simon calls him forgettable and I apparently owe you all ten bucks.

Stevie Wright:
You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift. I think she botched the beginning of the song. And she seems incredibly nervous. Which confirms my opinion that these 16-17 year olds need to wait until they are a little older to go on this show. Oh Stevie, this pained me cause you are super cute. But bad song choice, bad delivery, bad outfit. The judges don’t pull any punches and pretty much write out her tickey home.

Anoop Desai:
Angel of Mine- Monica. Weird song choice for a guy who says in his interview he wants to be fun. Really weird. There is just too much background singing going on instead of Anoot. I don’t think he did such a hot job with the song either. Seemed pitchy. And seriously? Does this guy not look like he should be working for Bill Gates? Judges tried to give him praise, but I don’t think they felt him either.

Casey Carlson:
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic- Police. What are these faces she is making? She is doing the Jessica Simpson faces. (Do those drive anyone else insane?) This is a bit of a train wreck. Weird faces, weird dancing, off key and horrible song choice. The nerves have completely gotten the best of her. I will pull a Paula and say she looks great, especially rockin’ that hat in the pre-taped interiew. Randy drops the karaoke bomb (can I have my ten bucks back?) and the rest of the judges agree.

Michael Sarver:
I Don’t Wanna Be- Gavin McGraw. Ok, I could not love this song more. But when Bo Bice knocks this song out of the park you gotta deliver. And Michael doesn’t. Which saddens me cause I have been pulling for this guy from the beginning. I will give him that he performs effortlessly. And he is incredibly likeable. Even Simon thinks so, as he rooted for him even though his performance was lackluster. I hope he gets a second chance too.

Ann Marie Boskovich:
Natural Woman- Carol King (and Aretha, but Carol is my favorite). She looks fantastic, but like a bunch of contestants before her, it seems her nerves have gotten the best of her. When she belts, she is actually better than when she tries to sing softly and tenderly. I don’t think she has a lot of control over her voice. Although she got stronger as it went on, the song was just too big for her. The judges tried to give her some constructive criticism to help her, but she probably isn’t going any further.

Steven Fowler:
Rock With You- Michael Jackson. Not great. And was it just me or were the background singers out of tune? I think MJ is rarely a good song choice cause I am not sure most people can pull that off. The whole performance was just boring. Steven even admits that he doesn’t feel comfortable out in front of the piano. And that showed. The judges didn’t hold back their criticism. Then to top it off, he is the only contestant that didn’t have family backstage to interview and support him. I hate that for him.

Tatiana Del Toro:
Saving All My Love for You- Whitney Houston. Of course she breaks down in the video talking about herself. And she picks Whitney which is super risky. Now let me be clear, this girl drives me nuts, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. She is mostly in tune and hits the high notes. But the arrangement is really 45 year old woman lounge singer. But she leaves all the crazy at home and the judges are clearly disappointed and try and get her to bring it back. She doesn’t bite and is weirdly quiet and demure.

Danny Gokey:
Hero- Mariah Carey. I am not even going to try and hide that he is my fave. His story just pulls at the heart strings and I love, love, love his voice. Mariah Carey songs makes me nervous, but if anyone can pull it off, it is this guy. His performance starts out a little boring, but then he brings the Danny at the bridge and deos a great job. The judges love him. A lot. They basically scream their comments to him they are so enthusiastic. Well except Simon who “isn’t buying the hype yet.” Whatever Simon, the rest of America is totally buying it.