The guys took on Rush Week on “American Idol XIII” and fared better than the ladies (Logo property of FremantleMedia North America, 19 Entertainment & FOX)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Last night, the Top 10 Girls delivered a mix of good, bad and ugly performances!
However, they have to sweat it out for one more night before their fates are revealed on the first results show of the season!
Tonight, the judges (Harry Connick, Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban) called 10 guys from the Chamber to face America for a chance to perform as part of their Top 13. Who did they choose? Read on to find out…
The first guy to take the stage was Caleb Johnson! He tackled Faces’ “Stay With Me.” All I have to say…is THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ROCK BACK TO Idol, CALEB! I loved his conviction and his talent…he has a great voice and I hope that America picks up the phone or supervotes to get Caleb into the Top 13. If Rod and Ronnie were watching, they would have been proud of this performance. B+
Jennifer called one of Alabama’s finest, C.J. Harris, to come to the floor. During Randy Jackson’s retreat, guest mentor Chris Daughtry told him to not pick up to the guitar. However, C.J. did not heed Chris’s advice and actually performed with the guitar. His cover of Ray Lamontagne’s “Shelter” tugged at my heartstrings and made Jennifer smile. But, Harry warned him not to go sharp. I think we have a strong contender for the title. A-
Speaking of the former Will & Grace actor, the New Orleans native asked Emmanuel Zidor to step forward. While he entertained the crowd with his cover of “The Best of My Love,” I think he needed to focus on the vocals and less on the booty shaking. If you are reading this, Emmanuel…. please show more vocals!!! C
Frontrunner Sam Woolf received the fourth spot in the Top 10 Guys. During Randy Jackson’s workshop, both the Dawg and longtime Idol music director Michael Orland wanted Sam to emote more emotion and loosen up before he tackled David Gray’s “Babylon.” I am glad he heeded their advice and he delivered a crisp vocal that showcased that he could be a great radio star. B+
The “Dance Again” songstress told underdog George Lovett to walk on down “Victory Lane.” Randy warned George to bring something unique to his cover of Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” and Adam did a great job assisting George with the staging. I feel divided because I felt that parts of the performances were like watching a vocal touchdown. But, I do agree with Jennifer’s “control the runs” and Harry’s “don’t spin out of control” comment. I hope George stays around for a couple more weeks. A-
I really do not see the love for Dexter Roberts! His performance did not show me that he is not the next Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan or Garth Brooks! He might be Tate Stevens 2.0! D
Another one of the underdogs that received the chance to perform was Mount Vernon, NH native Alex Preston. While he revealed to Randy that he played 12 instruments. However, he focused on the guitar when he covered Damian Rice’s “Volcano.” I loved his vibe and I think that Alex has a lot of growth potential if he gets his chance to shine. B
The judges made the right call when they asked Malcolm Allen to come forward and sing! Randy asked him during the pre-performance package, what he needed to work and he replied: “stage presence.” However, what I thought Malcolm needed to work on bringing heart and soul into performances. Jennifer was right…it needed “goosies!” C+
If I had an AGT-style X, I would have immediately buzzed Ben Briley when he got on the stage. However, when I heard Ben’s version of the Allman Brothers’ “Soulshine,” I finally saw why America voted him over Neco Starr. It was a good song choice and it suited him well…but if he goes into the next round, I need to see more from him. B-
The final singer that rounded out the Top 10 was American Idol XIII’s villain Spencer Lloyd. He is one of the nastiest guys to have ever appeared on the show and when he sang that first note, I would have given him an X. A rotten person should not have gotten this far into Idol and I wish that the judges used their vote on Maurice Townsend or Casey Thrasher. By the way, Spencer…my hatred of you is equivalent to Christina’s hatred of Tony Lucca. F
Tomorrow night, the Final 10 are revealed! Plus, the judges pick their three Wild Card performers!
