We're Getting Close

The final 3. This is the night we've all been waiting for. All of these contestants went home. Tomorrow you send one home for good. This--

Have I watched this show too many times? As sick as Ryan probably is of going through the intro, letting Crystal, Lee, and Casey finish it was almost too cheesy to bear. That aside, it was a good night and I didn't even feel like there was too much filler. I did notice that Lee got his text message somewhere other than an AT&T store. Wonder what happened there. Once again the judges make selections, and once again there is varying success. Ellen made a better choice for Crystal than Paula would have if she were still around, but the jury is still out on the season-long experiment. Kara and Randy did an OK job, and I may just have a shoddy memory, but I can't think of a year when Simon didn't have the best choice. He proves each year why he has been so successful at spotting talent, and he also proves that being a musician may actually hinder one's ability to match songs with singers.

On to the review . . .

Casey James: He did a great job this week with the songs on his list, but I'm not sure he or he judges did him any favors. I agree that his choice had no "Wow Factor"--I liked the song but kind of understood why they were underwhelmed. As far as "Daughters" goes, I love that song. I think John Mayer is great--totally crazy as a person, but awesome as a musician. Simon didn't really give him enough credit for what was good about that choice, but historically speaking, understated, tender songs don't go over very well at this point in the competition. You need an arrangement that is borderline over the top this week if you are going to pick a slower song, and "Daughters" doesn't really lend itself well to that sort of thing.

Crystal Bowersox: She was solid as always, and like Simon said, she is herself every week. Stacy did point out during the show that her brief stint behind the piano was a bit awkward, but otherwise she's been totally true to herself. The harmonica distracted me a bit and I don't know that it was necessary, but Crystal did a great job on Melissa Ethridge's song. Kim Caldwell may have ruined "Come to My Window" for Idol, though. Ellen's choice was great and I loved how Crystal didn't cheesify the lyrics by changing all the "Maybe I'm a man" to the syllabically inappropriate "Maybe I'm a woman." It came off much better that way. I don't see any way that she isn't one of the final 2.

Lee DeWyze: This was most definitely his night. He sounded great and current on both songs and you can see how much his confidence has grown throughout the season. He made a perfect selection with "Simple Man," and sang it very well. When I heard Simon was choosing his song I felt really happy for Lee, and then I heard it was "Hallelujah" and as much as I love the song (and I really do), it definitely is in danger of becoming an overdone song on Idol. It's really tough to top Jason Castro's rendition, too. Lee outdid himself again, though. When the stage doors opened up I found myself hoping the bagpipe dude was coming out, but the gospel choir was a nice touch, too. The arrangement was almost too much, but like I said about Casey's night, you need that type of performance this week, especially with a song that's been done so many times. What a night for Lee. Finale here we come.

Final 2: Crystal and Lee
So I Guess I'm the Odd One Out: Casey