I noticed, tonight, that the audience had widely differing reactions to the performances. I don’t think I’ve ever noted the reaction before, but it seems like it might matter so I’m going to list the audience reaction in the comments. The duet links below are duplicates, with the same link for both partners in each duet.
Ranking the duets:
- Trent – sang higher than La’Porsha and nailed the harmony notes
- MacKenzie – they just sang the song, which is MacKenzie’s wheelhouse
- La’Porsha – with Trent, the best of the bunch by a mile
- Avalon – with Sonika, both were sweet but a little in and out of tune at times
- Sonika – Avalon looked a smidge more comfortable, which broke the tie between them
- Tristan – such a killer tone, but her low notes and her big run weren’t as good as the rest
- Lee – he sounded ok, but he didn’t do anything but sing the melody and it wasn’t impressive
- Dalton – it’s been awhile since he did anything impressive, hasn’t it?
Ok, time for the solo performances. Lets have it, kiddies.
The Singers, the songs:
La’Porsha “Come Together” Beatles
Once somebody teaches her how to pop those high notes she’s Patty LaBelle. Can we talk her into some Lady Marmalade, or maybe get Patty on the finale to do it with her?
Judges: Gushed
Audience – went nuts
MacKenzie Bourg “You are so beautiful” Joe Cocker
They are really hammering the sports thing… Mac must be feeling a little small after he sung with Jordin Sparks. As long as I’m listing comps, MacKenzie – who I think sounds like Paul Simon – sounded a lot like Bryan White tonight. I always enjoy Mac’s songs, and I think he’s going to have a nice career whether he wins Idol or not.
Judges: gushed
Audience – went nuts
Trent Harmon “Stand by Me” Ben E. King
He left most of the song on the table. That was one of the worst arrangements he could have come up with. All he had to do, with his voice, was sing the melody, but instead he sang everything BUT the melody. Who signed off on that garbage arrangement?
This was Siobhan’s “Superstition” or Casey Abrams’ “Smells Like Teen Spirit” all over again – an audience on the edge of their seat at the start, but sitting back, frustrated by the end. Trent missed a golden opportunity to make himself into a contender. Now he’s going to be singing for his life next week, up against a pair of very popular opponents.
Judges: said it was great, but sing better and dress better.
Audience – muted, polite
Tristan McIntosh “A Broken Wing” Martina McBride
Perfect song choice; I wouldn’t call it a moment – that came last week – but if I graded her she would get an A-something. My big question with Tristan is always the low notes, because she hasn’t really learned how to regulate her volume. This song was perfect because the low notes come in such a quiet part of the song that she could relax and just hit them. She was close to the edge on some of the high notes, but she managed to skate away from the occasional vocal precipice – back to the safety of her Mrs. Butterworth’s vocal tone.
Judges: Positive
Audience – they started clapping so early, before she was done, that by the time the song was over they were already a little clapped out, so it sounded more polite than intense
Dalton Rapattoni “Eleanor Rigby” Beatles
All bust, no balls. I like Dalton, but if that’s the most he can get out of his voice it’s going to get hard for him in a hurry. All the style in the world can’t hide him if he doesn’t show more vocal dynamics.
Judges: Gushed (?)
Audience – loud and enthusiastic
Avalon Young “P.Y.T” Michael Jackson
At times she seems relaxed with all the stage theatrics, and other times it seems forced. Her voice came out well on this song, but there were a couple of spots in the melody where she didn’t have as much oomph as she might have had.
Judges: lots of ways to say ‘you always sound the same.’
Audience – loud and enthusiastic
3rd Beatles song tonight (not that I’m complaining) … Lee sounds a bit like Jackson Browne, doesn’t he? He was so nervous that it took him half the song to get his throat open.
Judges: kissed him goodbye.
Audience – loud but not intense
Sonika Vaid “I have Nothing” Whitney Houston
She blew the doors off. Ok, Jen, how are you gonna talk ‘em into keeping Avalon now?
Judges: Jen is trying to sell Avalon, of course. We’ll see who is wearing the pants on the judging table in a minute.
Audience – loud, sustained applause, like they were going “author, author!”
Results
Sonika got the save, Jen looked like she swallowed a lemon, and we are off to next week when they cut another two. It’s brutal this way, cutting two a week with only one show, but it is what it is.
Power Rankings
6: Sonika. I still think she has a good chance to make the top four, but the way they are running things she is almost automatic for the bottom three next week, and she is going to be up against somebody like Dalton or MacKenzie, or at the very least Tristan, who has been more popular.
5. Trent. I would be pretty shocked if he isn’t in the bottom three next week after that mess of a performance tonight, and he’s going to be up against someone very popular.
4. Tristan. As good as she’s been the last couple of weeks, she has weaknesses that could cost her
3. Dalton. I rank him third because he seems to have Teflon popularity, but I expect him to be in the bottom three almost as much as I expect Tristan. Tristan was better tonight and the voters have done a really meticulous job of choosing based on each week’s performance.
2. MacKenzie. He might have danced – by which I mean NOT danced – between the raindrops to the top four, sliding in without a throw.
1. La’Porsha. She is running away with it.
Bob Gregory's Gallery of Renown 