Finally we get to see if the kids can actually perform 2 songs in the same show. The format has them singing one song as selected by the judges and one of their own choosing. No need to get your hopes up that these songs will cast these singers in different lights. This trio has been the safest and weakest to get this far ever.
Ryan comes down the stairs next to Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze and Casey James. He talks about their hero’s return to hometowns. Hope we get great parade footage. The judges look a little more animated than last week. Guess Simon is getting giddy about going off to X Factor since Idol is looking like a sinking ship. Fox’s schedule for next year has the result’s show only being half an hour long. Why is Fox giving 10 million people a reason to turn off their network early?
Casey goes first with “OK, It’s Alright With Me” by Eric Hutchinson. He chose it because it sounded like a song he would have written. In case you’re interested, “Disco Duck” is a song I would have written. Casey breaks out the acoustic guitar without any backing musicians or singers around him. This sounds like a Jason Mraz song. It sounds like he ought to be playing for quarters in the subway. It’s dopey and weak. Randy thinks it’s “Alright.” Ellen wishes he “would have brought it.” Kara dismisses his song choice since it was unknown so he couldn’t make it his own. Huh? It was a weak song. Simon fears this was the salad since it has no lasting effect. He brings up the busking element.
Crystal Bowersox wants to give us Melissa Ethridge’s “Come to My Window.” She loves the passion in the song. She has the harmonica and acoustic guitar. She’s honks a few notes before singing. It sounds like what you’d expect to hear at a coffeeshop. She’s not adding anything to the song that Melissa hasn’t done to it. She honks a few notes at the end. What was the point of the harmonica other than to make her look like Bob Dylan? Randy doesn’t love the arrangement, but likes her vocal. Ellen recognizes this is Crystal’s comfort zone. Kara feels she fought the arrangement. Simon likes that she hasn’t compromised herself as an artist. But has she elevated her game? No.
Lee DeWyze also has his acoustic guitar. This season was not a singing competition. Lee’s doing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” He relates to it. Lee’s raspy range works well with the Southern Rock. He’s keeping eye contact with the crowd. There’s no surprises vocally from him. What we’ve heard is pretty much all we’ll ever get. He smiles at the end. Randy considers it a brilliant song choice. He teases the crowd that Lee is in it to win it. Ellen feels he took this race seriously. Kara swears he showed us everything he got. Round one goes to Lee. Simon asks why he chose it. Lee gets into it. Simon calls it on the money. The fix is now in for Lee DeWyze.
Casey James is the first to show off his footage from his return to Cool, Texas. The highlights of the “hometown” fun is now reduced to a stage outside an AT&T phone store. No parades. No baseball stadiums. No impromptu concerts. He’s at a cell phone store like a local radio personality giving away hockey tickets. Casey checks his cellphone to read the text that Kara and Randy want him to perform John Mayer’s “Daughters.” Kara wants him to show his vulnerable side. Casey goes electric for this seriously slow song. This is the definition of karaoke. It’s just so slow and safe and boring of a song and performance. His big notes sound stymied by his lack of range. Almost want to get a cup of coffee. Randy blathers how this is the direction for him. Ellen goes on about how mothers and daughters will want to vote for him. Kara swears he’s struggled to show his sensitive side. Really? Simon gives a nasty grin and swears the arrangement is lazy. Kara points out the notes are in the same range. Where is the wow factor?
Krystal Bowersox is also at an AT&T store in a strip mall. Is this really Northern Ohio? The crowd doesn’t seem to be that huge compared to previous homecoming episodes. She checks her text message from Ellen. Her song is “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney. Ellen chose the song to show more range from Crystal. She doesn’t have a guitar. Instead she’s on the stairs for the first lines. There’s an unnerving casualness as she walks across the stage. She’s not invested in the emotions of the song. She moves around the stage, but to what point? Randy swears she’s also in it to win it. Ellen gets the performance she expected. Kara praises Crystal doing more with her voice than they heard before. Simon declares that she’s got soul. He also curses her by saying she’s going to be in the finals. Remember he kissed Tim Urban and Aaron Kelly with praise of making it to the next round.
Something must have gone completely wrong with Lee DeWyze’s visit to Chicago since they fake him “landing” and getting a text from Simon. We don’t see a crowd or family members for the man who has become the judge’s favorite. Simon has chosen “Hallelujah” by “Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckley.” The song was written by Leonard Cohen. It was around long before Jeff Buckley covered it. John Cale did an amazing cover of it before Jeff Buckley. Simon gives a BS answer about why he chose a song that was sung a few weeks back by Tim Urban and a few years back by Jason Castro. Do you want the real answer why Simon picked it? Because Simon owns the song. He has used it on every show and by every performer including Il Divo and his X Factor winner in England. While the elderly Leonard Cohen is touring the world to pay off a major debt, Simon Cowell is earning millions from the legend’s work. Simon swears we’re never going to hear “Hallelujah” like Lee’s version that the great T-shirti arranged. Simon goes on about how this will be Lee’s moment and he has the potential to be a great artist. Is he a judge or an A&R man? Simon admits he loves this song, but refuses to admit he owns this song.
Lee stands on the stage with his acoustic guitar. The string section comes it as he gets more loud and raspy. Then the back up singers enter from the back of the stage and surround him. The drums and tambourines and horns kick in to make it even more schmaltzy. Lee’s limited range is covered in the arrangement so that it doesn’t matter what he’s singing. He’s the least essential part of this flowery production. After all of Simon’s whining about Broadway musicals, he’s given us a Glee number. Unlike earlier numbers where the applause was cut short for the judges comments, the clapping keeps going. Simon gives a wink as if letting us know that the fix is in. Why wait for next Wednesday since it’s been obvious for a while that Lee DeWyze is Simon’s choice. Randy declares that was the big gauntlet to win it all. Simon gives Lee a wink Ellen calls it “stunning.” Kara claims Lee is what the show is all about. Simon is very proud since he knows how much cash will be shipped to his bank account. Is it right for the judges to be profiting off their musical picks?
The weakest final three will soon be the weakest final two. Lee DeWyze is the winner of the night since it’s obvious Simon has stacked the deck for him. Nobody else was allowed to have a mass gathering on the stage to boost their stage appeal. Normally Casey James should be the loser, but Crystal Bowersox will be leaving in order for Lee to have no competition next week.
