Mr. Whirled is away for work, so as a result I am eating carrots with peanut butter for dinner. Had grand plans for gourmet vegetarian meals, but those haven't manifested themselves just yet. Even my TiVo favors David Archuleta, mentioning him in the show's description. Or … it might just be alphabetical order. Yeah, so what. Isn't Simon concerned that his Chosen One has a vocal condition that prevents singing more than two songs in a row? Won't that be a challenge for … oh, touring or recording? I feel for the young guy's plight, but I'm being practical here.


Michael Johns. "Go Your Own Way," OPB Fleetwood Mac. So – is he still talking about tennis? The opening chords to Beth's 134th favorite song of all time kick in. The crowd is a metronome. Michael? Is not great at this, and maybe it's a testament to Lindsay Buckingham's vocal skill, because he carries it with ease, while Michael is struggling. It's like he didn't even practice to realize the notes weren't in his range, and he so KNOWS it. It improves toward the end as the cobwebs shake loose, and he's still got a decent stage presence.

Jason Castro. "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," OPB The Bee Gees. The fix is in. Are we still supposed to keep believing the order is determined by a coin toss or something similarly random? Slightly wimpy song choice, but the vocals are pretty spot-on. The band and backing singers drown him out in spots, but the only real problem is the lameness of the song. I agree with Simon that it's a bad match. It's a bad THEME overall. I pray for a tribute to grunge rock!

Luke Menard. "Killer Queen," OPB Queen. Why does a group called Chapter 6 have seven guys in it? Much more ambitious song choice this week equals a more memorable performance, I'll give him that. And he's a good looking guy, but is basically aping your garden variety 80s British heartthrobs. Douchily. Some notes are good, some aren't. Won't be the best of the night, but it might be in the top 8.

Robbie Carrico. "Hot Blooded," OPB Foreigner. Evidently, 1 … 3 means "103." First of all. Dudes, everyone is being overpowered by Carl Winslow and the Family Matters band tonight, or maybe I'm just on the wrong side of my television. That said, this is a pretty good song choice for Britney's ex. Voice sounds solid, but nothing phenomenal or exciting.

Danny Noriega. "Superstar," OPB The Carpenters. Yeah, I know the Carpenters made this famous, but I have a feeling, call it a hunch, that Danny is doing the Bette Midler version. The tempo is even slower than the original and I am BORED even though his voice is fine and his hair fantastic. The second chorus is a little more lively but it is still a second chorus, same as the first. End flitters out. Yawn.

David Hernandez."Papa Was a Rolling Stone," OPB The Temptations. What number do I call for Carl Winslow? This is the best performance of the night so far. I really like David H.'s voice and he maintains a nice control of a song's dynamics. The arrangement is a little monotonous and the ending glory-note run is a bit forced, but he pulls it off. Almost. The big finish is a way to win votes, even if it isn't spot-on.

Jason Yeagar "Long Train Runnin," OPB The Doobie Brothers. This guy's a marginally more attractive Wayne Arnold. With a personality that's not quite as likable. Quite a shift from "Moon River," that's for sure, but he's still cavorting around like a nerd, and not hitting the high notes, preferring to let the background singers do the heavy lifting. Marching in place. Affecting jazz hands. Shaking the hips. The whole thing is kind of a mess, save the song choice. But this nerd's on borrowed time.

Chikezie. "I Believe," OPB Donny Hathaway. He was likable in his interview (telling the derivation of his name) and I like the more casual threads. This is a 180-degree spin from last week. So much better!! Great voice, terrific stage presence, fun interpretation of the song. I'm a new fan! Good stuff.

David Cook. "All Right Now," OPB Free. Word nerd! Love it. David looks a little nervous at the mic, but his voice sounds great on this song – good blend of control and huskiness. And he actually seems to be doing something with his guitar, unlike Jason C., who merely strummed merrily along. But the bloggers are right … Cook is being marketed as the next DAUGHTRY, but doesn't quite have the aesthetic appeal, though he definitely seems like far less of a dick.

David Archuleta. "Imagine," OPB John Lennon What you don't know about me? Something totally inconsequential and uninteresting that merely self-serves the program which you are already watching. Christ! No wonder Simon loves him. Imagine is kind of a hard song to f*ck with, especially as performed by someone just 3 weeks away from the womb. His voice is technically great, but the affectations bug me. Not on this song, brutha. Not here, not now, not ever. It becomes corny and fruity. But, again, the voice is pretty beautiful if you can get past the short-sighted version – ummm, did Lennon say "Take my hand and join us?" Doesn't seem familiar. Judges loved it. Am I just cynical?



This entire night was sort of a disappointment. With a few of exceptions (Davids H.and C. and Chikezie), it was lacking in excitement and performances that really popped off the screen. The four Davids confuse me, as do Robbie's "rock" aspirations. Frankly, everyone is vulnerable except David A. and maybe Michael. Luke and Jason SHOULD be the ones to go, but there are no guarantees when crazy-ass America holds the reins.