Wednesday night was Rock & Roll Hall of Fame night on American Idol, otherwise known as Let’s Get James Durbin Into The Finals Night. Look, I’m not saying they picked the theme especially for him…but he’s been catered to a lot. The wrestling stuff that highlights his vibrant personality, getting to light a piano on fire. You know, he’s gotten his fair share of screen time and standout moments. And rock night only added to that.
But James wasn’t the only person singing tonight, and guess what? Not everyone was singing rock. So let’s just get to the performances, shall we?
Jacob Lusk – Man in the Mirror
Jacob debated between singing “Let’s Get It On” and “Man In The Mirror”? Neither of these are rock songs? Are both artists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Fine, yes, probably. But come on. Commit to a genre, Idol, or don’t have them at all. Furthermore, Jacob’s intro package pretty much pushed him over the edge from adorably melodramatic to entirely unlikable. The boy actually said that if he ends up in the bottom three, it will not be because he sang the song poorly. It will be “because America wasn’t ready to look at themselves in the mirror”. Um, hold the phone. Michael Jackson you are not, Mr. Jacob Lusk. That is inconceivably arrogant. It is entirely possible that you could totally bomb the performance. He didn’t, he was OK. But it was possible.
Haley Reinhart – Piece of my Heart
This was a predictable choice, but I guess she had to do Janis Joplin at some point if the comparisons have been made. The performance was growly and rockin, but it didn’t really show off her voice like “Benny and the Jets” did. And I kind of hated her last note – it felt very Jacob Lusk. Overall, I’m still on the fence about Haley.
Casey Abrams – Have You Ever Seen The Rain?
Huh. This was not a choice I expected from Casey, but I kinda dug it. It was a little hokey, with the upright base and all. But he’s quirky enough to pull it off, and it’s just so nice to see him not sing with maniacal anger. It wasn’t a particularly memorable performance, but I thought it was good enough.
Lauren Alaina – You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman
OK, I’m sorry, but this is not a good song choice for a sixteen year-old kid. Who’s making her feel like a natural woman? She’s a child! And a goofy one at that! Lauren’s performance was good, but I don’t think her Idol performances have done a good job of showing off her personality yet. I like Lauren, but right now I can’t see her as a captivating American Idol winner.
James Durbin – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
I’m not completely sold on James Durbin yet, but I’ll give him major props for making the smart choice to do a ballad this week. The guy can sing, and the performance was fan-freakin’-tastic. Plus, was he crying? Did he cry? That beats a fiery piano.
Scotty McCreery – That’s All Right
Oh, Scotty. Don’t tell me I’m not going to be seeing Country Scotty when we both know that’s the only Scotty there is. I’ll admit, this performance was more tolerable than most, but it was still very country. Scotty is very talented, but he just isn’t for me.
Pia Toscano – River Deep Mountain High
Finally! This was probably my favorite performance of Pia’s, though I still think she needs to work on charisma. For example, I think Amber Riley and Nata Rivera did a better cover of this song, not even to mention the untouchable original with Tina Turner. But it was nice to see Pia loosen up a bit, and it was definitely one of the better performances of the evening.
Stefano Langone – When A Man Loves A Woman
At first I thought Stefano had already done this song, but he didn’t. He did “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”, which for some reason I find similar. Regardless, it’s never a good sign when someone sings a tune on American Idol and I think “Haven’t you done this before?” The performance started out shaky, but he recovered. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great either. I like Stefano a lot, but I think he needs a little more practice and training.
Paul McDonald – Wholesome Prison Blues
I was excited that Paul got the pimp spot this week because I love him, and luckily it wasn’t squandered. He seemed really in his element with this performance, and I think his comfort on stage really sets him apart from the other contestants. He looked like he was having fun, and he looked like he was doing a song at one of his own concerts. There aren’t a lot of cover performances Paul can do – I think he’s better suited to his own original music, and that doesn’t make him particularly suited for American Idol. But this, I thought, really worked.
What did you think of the episode? Who stood out? Who’d you hate? And now, of course, for the rankings:
- James Durbin (Last week #8)
- Paul McDonald (Last week #2)
- Pia Toscano (Last week #6)
- Casey Abrams (Last week #5)
- Lauren Alaina (Last week #9)
- Stefano Langone (Last week #4)
- Haley Reinhart (Last week #1)
- Jacob Lusk (Last week #7)
- Scotty McCreery (Last week #10)
