TV

Join us as we cover the American Idol auditions LIVE from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington this morning.

Break out those karaoke tapes and get your gimmicks ready, Bikini Girl 2.0: American Idol auditions are making their way to Dallas. Well, actually, Arlington, at Cowboys Stadium.

Registration will be on Wednesday, June 24, and Thursday, June 25, at the stadium. You can find more details here: American Idol official site and Audtion FAQ

We'll be out there with you on Friday, standing in line, praying for a sudden cold front, staring in awe at the new stadium. But don't think you have to miss out if you won't be there. Thanks to the power of the Internet, you can follow along @guidelive_goes and on the breaking news blog.

And if you ARE trying out, you can play along, too. E-mail us to be part of our Tweet Street Team and share your experiences during the day.

Photo: Angela Crisci, 17, wipes a tear as she texts her boyfriend that she was not selected to go onto the next round at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (AP)

Both David Cook and Kris Allen say they weren't even planning to audition for the show; they each had a brother who wanted to try out, and they tagged along for moral support. So you never know about life, now do you.
Speaking of tryouts: Fox News is reporting that Dallas will again be an audition city for the 2010 season. Boys, don't bring your brothers! Or no, do bring 'em, I mean!

OK, I take back every suspicion I've ever had that the show fixes the results. Because there's no way they would have allowed this shocker.
Forget what I just wrote in my previous post about Adam's victory being "just meant to be." Because it wasn't Kris Allen is your new American Idol.
"Adam deserves this," Kris said after Ryan broke the news. In the days to come, that sentiment is sure to be echoed across the land.
On the other hand, Adam will be fine; he's well on his way to superstardom. As for Kris, he'll have to endure recording "No Boundaries" before figuring out his own path to greatness.
My favorite moment after the announcement: when his wife joined him onstage. Only then did the always-composed Kris look like he was going to lose it. As well he should.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more thrilling, Queen shows up. OK, without Freddie Mercury -- but we got the next best (better?) thing in Adam Lambert.
As Adam and Kris joyfully sang "We Are the Champions," I got the impression that even Kris thinks Adam should win at this point. It's just meant to be.

Remember way back to the first season of this show? They MAY have gotten one or two B-list guest stars to stop by. Tonight all they had to do was just sing a few notes of a hit song before the original artist showed up to finish it off. Has this show built up its clout or WHAT.

"I guess that's what's in style," my son said of those bug-like wings attached to his shoulders as he sang the KISS classic, "Beth." I don't think so. (Thank God.) In hindsight, they were obviously meant to be a tribute to the glammed-up, made-up band he sang with.
Even the most diehard Kris loyalist has to admit that the performance blew most of the others away. Adam and KISS -- could that combo be any more perfect? Bravo.

"She got a new one," my daughter said as the mostly-naked contestant strutted across the stage. She meant a new bikini.
I liked that Kara came out and outsang Bikini Girl; that was pretty great. (Who knew she could belt it out like that?) But when she tore open her dress to show off her own bikini bod, I think it veered into, I don't know, ridiculousness. Or vanity. Something off-putting like that.

As soon as Fergie joined the rest of The Black Eyed Peas onstage and started rapping, the sound went dead and we got a nice shot of the Idol logo. Interesting!
In other news, please tell me how it's humanly possible to walk in those shoes she's teetering upon. And even jumping upon! Maybe she fell down and that was the part they censored. (Kidding.)

So this is the portion of the program in which we trot out all of the horrible singers again. First up: "Best Male." As they showed clip after clip of excrutiating noise, my kids giggled in amusement. Me, not so much.
And then the bane of my existence, Norman/Nick, showed up again and won the award.
"He's awesome," my son said. Making me question his genetic link to me.

The top 13, decked out in white from head to toe, put their all into "So What." Once again, I have to ask: Can't they just squeeze Alexis onto the tour bus? She's won't take up much room! Please?

I loved how they kind of roasted the judges as they were introduced: Randy's "for me, for you" critiquing habit; Kara's tendency to call people "sweetie" or "honey" while crushing their dreams; Paula's -- um, I don't know, random words; and Simon's hearing disability. All spot-on.

I was first distracted by tht quasi-Members Only jacket he had on. I was then distracted by the fact that he wasn't playing an instrument.
The performance? I didn't love it. But then Kara said something very intriguing: "Kris, I don't want you to be judged on that song. I do think it was too high."
Um, didn't she co-write it? Specifically for both finalists? Maybe it's just me, but I think it's unfair to create a song that's better suited for one singer over the other. Is the deck not already stacked enough?
Still, the fact is that Adam is clearly the better performer -- especially if you consider which version of "No Boundaries" you'd like to hear on the radio.
Kris looked defeated even before he started that last performance, and his heavy sigh when he was done said it all. As did the judges' condescending praise for him.

Ew. Not really caring for this (but I know from past experience that these Idol singles tend to grow on us after awhile). Adam hit some wonky notes and looked like he was about to bust out crying through the whole thing. I'm not saying it was bad, just not his best.
On the other hand, Adam may not even like the song himself. They're forced to sing it no matter what, so that has to play into how well it all turns out.
Simon said he wasn't going to judge the song (although he did judge it by laughing at the lyrics), but the singer He then called Adam a bunch of great things, including a "worldwide star," and congratulated him for winning.
Oops, I mean he congratulated him for being so much better than everybody else.

Swapping the piano for his guitar, Kris was instructed to sing the Marvin Gaye classic "What's Going On."
It was nothing like Adam's bombastic offering, of course. This performance was mellow and quieter, but he put his own artistic spin on it.
Simon disagrees with me, saying the whole thing "was like three friends in their bedroom strumming along to Marvin Gaye." But I'm willing to bet that Kris' fans -- even the casual ones -- loved it. Just like Adam's fans loved his first two performances.
What I'm saying is that I don't think we're going to have too many fence-jumping fans at this point.

Simon Fuller decided Adam should sing "A Change is Gonna Come." Great song.
With this performance, we got the Throat Olympian once again. It's really amazing how he can make piercing screams sound great, isn't it?
But great they did sound, and he sang with passion. The judges went all wacky with their praise; they couldn't contain their joy. Paula even said something about him being "iconic." Wow, really? I thought you had to be around for, oh, a year to be considered an icon.
The only person who may not have been happy with the performance was Suri Cruise. There she was in the crowd, having her ears shielded by her mom. Maybe Adam's screaming was a bit too much for a toddler. Actually, maybe the constant screaming from the audience is also a bit too much for a toddler. Just throwing that out there.

He opted for "Ain't No Sunshine," which made me clap with glee since it's my personal fave of his.
Here's a question: Shouldn't performers who who play an instrument whilst also singing with heart and feeling get extra brownie points? I mean, it just shows such coordination and multitasking abilities.
The judges said nice things about Kris and Adam, and the crowd also went wild for both. So far, it seems, we have a close battle on our hands.
(Random question: Who let Paula fall asleep in the tanning bed?)

Many of us are thrilled that he picked "Mad World." The other day I couldn't get the song out of my head, so I downloaded the Tears for Fears version on iTunes. It was a poor substitute for Adam's hauntingly beautiful rendition -- which was 10 times better tonight than the first time he delivered it.
As an added bonus: Zero screaming!

Kris won the coin toss, so that means Adam will be performing first all night. (That's a switch!) They'll each be singing three songs: their favorite tune from the season, a choice by producer Simon Fuller, and the "winner's single," cowritten by Kara DioGuardi. That last one should be especially interesting. I'm guessing Kris and Adam will have decidedly different takes on it.

Before we get started with all the hoopla, I just want to say thanks to the commenters who've kept me company this season. I'm not sure how it happened, but we somehow managed to keep out all of the jerks who normally infect the World Wide Web. So yay for us! It's a modern-day miracle.
Anyway, thanks for all of your thought-provoking, witty and wise words, friends. It's been a blast!
(Not that we're wrapping up right this minute; expect lots o' blogging this week, up to and including a phone interview with the winner and runner-up on Friday afternoon. So you're not rid of me yet.)

Well, Paula's prediction was wrong; we do not have a Danny/Adam finale. Instead, we have a competition between near-polar opposites: Modest Arkansas family man Kris, versus flamboyant California theater guy Adam. Both definitely earned the right to be there.
But is the winner a slam-dunk at this point? I say no! If Ryan is to be believed, only a million votes separated Adam and Kris last night (out of 88 million cast). I think we have a fun finale to look forward to.

She wore an Elvis-style cape with Adam's name printed on the back. Conspiracy!

There she is in the audience with the top 10. Call it wishful thinking, but there could be a chance they could add her to the tour. Of course, I'm also wishing they'd add Jamar to the tour and he didn't even make it past Hollywood. So there you go.

So the show lumped the other two finalists' hometown visits together, but saved Adam's montage so that it would be last and stand alone, after the commercial and Jordin Sparks. Conspiracy! (Kidding.)
Anyway, his trip to San Diego was filled with the requisite screams and crowds and security guards. The best part was when he returned to the theater where he first got his start as a child performer. "How did you get so good at singing and dancing?" a tiny fan asked.
"I started when I was really young," Adam said, adding that he just kept going for it year after year. Good advice -- but I think raw talent has to be in the mix somewhere, too. Just my opinion on the matter. Keepin' it real.

Catchy song, that "Battlefield." As we were watching her perform her heart out, my 9-year-old daughter suddenly announced, "I want to win American Idol." Apparently, Jordin had somehow convinced her that this was a good gig. I suppose it is nice work if you can get it.

In keeping with his laid-back style, Kris modestly but happily took in all of the adoration thrown at him in Conway (and Little Rock), Ark. The most touching moment of the montage was between Kris and his dad, "who doesn't hold back his emotions," the singer later said. We at home were happy about that.
In other news, Kris gets free cheese dip for life at Stobie's -- which just happens to be his favorite restaurant. Score!

Danny's hometown visit to Milwaukee included a reunion with the one-and-only Jamar Rogers, a.k.a. The Guy Who Was Kicked Off Way Way WAY Too Early. But at least he got to ride in the parade! It was almost like Danny and Jamar Day, so that was nice. As a Jamar fan, I feel the slightest bit vindicated.

The show started with a blatant plug for the Night of the Museum sequel and the revelation (by the movie's cast) that the Idol judges' desk would be part of the Smithsonian. The other revelation was that Ben Stiller is kinda short. Who knew?
Last night, Ryan tells us, more than 88 million votes were cast, and less than a million separated the top two. Which is interesting, because one might have thought that less than a million separated the bottom two. Huh.

When he announced he'd be singing Aerosmith's "Cryin,'" I was excited, as I love me some Steven Tyler.
After he was done, I must say that I still love me some Steven Tyler over that version. The backup singing was just overkill, and in my opinion his rendition was a bit messy and all over the place.
But what do I know? The judges raved and raved some more. Then Simon said he wasn't going to kiss up quite as much as the other three. Hey, that's different! I figured he'd at least criticize the arrangement or the shrill quality to some of the notes. I was wrong; by "not kissing up," he meant that he'd now warn everybody that they'd better vote for Adam or he won't make it into the finals. I think that still qualifies as "kissing up." In my book.
Don't get me wrong: I think Adam is incredibly talented and is by far the best singer this year. But he's not perfect -- and the fact that the judges have ceased criticizing him annoys me.
Imagine if they did announce that Adam was going home tomorrow. Would our esteemed judges even show up for the finals? (Not that this will ever happen. He'll be there.)

Isn't it ironic that the guy who's been saddled with confidence problems chose to sing a song from a guy who's been saddled with over-confidence problems?
Kris put his own spin on Kanye West's "Heartless" and officially made this a three-way race again. (Or at least a two-way race for second place at this point.) The judges went crazy with their acclaim. Simon said he'd written him out of fhe competiton, but that "has all changed after that performance."
Can he truly beat Danny, though? I honestly believe it could go either way.

He went with Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful." it started off quietly but ended with a mighty gospel-infused force. The judges raved, and I'm assuming the millions of Gokey devotees out there did, too.

Simon got a call from U2's Bono on Saturday, saying Adam was cleared to sing "One." Which begs the question: How many strings did the show have to pull to get Terence Trent D'Arby on board? (OK, that was harsh. I take it back.)
Anyway, here are my thoughts on Adam's performance:
- Are his ears looking a bit Spock-like tonight with that hairdo?
- His tongue. Why must it jut out every time he hits a crazy high note? And am I the only one who has developed a pet peeve about this?
- The singing itself was fine, but this was definitely not my favorite of Adam's offerings.
The judges all raved, of course; Paula even said she was staring at "one American Idol." Simon called it a "brilliant, brilliant performance."
Adam, meanwhile, remained humble-sounding, taking it all in stride. But all of that adoration must be overwhelming week after week.

Not surprisingly, Kara and Randy are the "loser" judges who had to team up to choose a song for a contestant. Also not surprisingly, that contestant is Kris. (You know Simon demanded to be Adam's picker.)
They opted for "Apologize" by One Republic. He played the piano for this one, and might I say that I love Kris most when he's piano-playing. I also liked that he came down a little on those high-octave "Too late!" parts, because they were out of his range.
The judges weren't thrilled. Kara thought he should have taken more chances, while Paula said, "There was a bum note there that was...LOUD." I'm not exactly sure which one note she was referring to, but okey dokey.
Meanwhile, Simon accused Kara and Randy of not really helping him, because they didn't choose the arrangement. They didn't know they were supposed to choose the arrangement. Blah blah blah. A lot of bickering is occurring at the judges' table tonight, and it's making me fatigued.

Paula decided that Mr. Gokey should sing "Dance Little Sister" by Terence Trent D'Arby. When asked how he felt about that announcement, Danny said, "i don't know." Yeah, that's precisely what the rest of us were thinking. I mean, really? What an obscure and puzzling choice.
But he sang it with gusto; if you didn't know better, you'd think he'd written the ode to boogie-downing sisters himself. Overall, the judges thought it was fine, although Simon didn't care for the weird sax solo. Nor did I.

Tonight the "three amigos" (as Ryan referred to them) will sing one song of their choosing and one from the judges. Which raises the question: Which judge will be left out of the powerful song-selecting role? You know they had all sorts of meetings about this very topic.

I just had a chance to talk to the Jasper roughneck about the tour (tickets go on sale Saturday) and what he's been doing since he left the Idol stage.
He's so much fun to talk to. Some of the contestants (who shall remain nameless) simply don't have much to say on these calls, but Michael never disappoints. He's just so nice and articulate and funny, which makes the reporter's job a breeze.
Since he's been home, he's started constructing a recording studio which is days away from completion. Constructing it with his bare hands?
"Yes ma'am," he says. "My church gave me a couple of rooms here and we've overhauled them to make a studio."
He plans to use the space to record an album from some of the 896 songs he's written since the age of 14.
The inspiration for all of those lyrics just come from "life in general," he says.
"The coolest thing is as humans, we all kind of generally experience the same things through the cycle of life. I've lost someone in my family, so I can write about how it felt, how to overcome. Before you know it, a person down the road that I don't even know might hear [the song] and it encourages them."
Although he misses the other singers and the Idol staff, Michael says he's thrilled to be back with his family.
"I feel sorry for everyone else in the world, because my kids are the most beautiful that ever lived," he jokes. "What does that mean for everybody else?"
As for this year's winner, "we're to a point where I wouldn't bet on this," says Michael, who regularly texts words of encouragement to his buddies still standing. "If you have an off week, you're gone. I know from experience that you work so hard on the show, so whoever wins this is going to deserve it."

So it's officially a boys' club. The adorable and immensely talented Allison Iraheta is leaving us. Maybe she was just too young to win? The voice and artistry is there, but the ability to stir loyalty in fans was somehow lagging behind the others all season. I think she peaked a little too late.

He's awesome. Not sure I adore the cartoonish facial hair, but I love his voice.

The first person moving on to the top three is Kris. Are we shocked? Part of me is (I can't get the awkward, awful sounds of that duet out of my head), but the other part figured he had enough fans to pull him through no matter what.
Allison (and to some extent, Danny) must be really nervous right now. Adam? Not so much.

Oh, look! A person who's actually singing! Sure, Gwen got a bit of out breath toward the middle, but I don't care. It's 1,000 times better than faking it.

Why do lip-synchers bother with that microphone attached to their faces? Like it's fooling anybody.
Not sure what the purpose of that song was. But did you notice at the end, when the fake reporters asked if she would be back next season? She pointedly didn't answer ("I'm just here for the music"). Hmm.

The filler portion of tonight's show should be pretty fun: No Doubt, Daughtry AND Paula Abdul.
But before we get to all of that, Danny admitted that he messed up on that final note of "Dream On" last night.
"My own aunt muted the TV," he said, adding that people were making ringtones of the scary sound. "I think it's my funniest moment on American Idol."
Gotta love him for that.

OK, so this duet worked much, much better than the first one. Their rendition of "Slow Ride" was not only powerful and fun, but it showcased Allison to the best of her abilities. (I was worried about her having to go up against the Throat Olympian, but she actually seemed better than he was on this one.)
That performance may explain why Kris looked so worried earlier. If he saw them rehearse, he might agree with Simon, who predicted that Allison now has a chance of staying in the competition. I wouldn't have thought that after her first forgettable outing, but this changes everything. (Not that i'm writing Kris off; just saying that the results tomorrow will be very interesting.)

He decided to go with Aerosmith's "Dream On," which was a risk. I mean, who can sing like Steven Tyler? (Oh. Adam can. But besides him.)
As Slash accurately warned, Danny was going to have to nail that last screaming note for this thing to work. And to me, he failed. It sounded desperate, like he was just going to screech and hope nobody noticed the note was not hitting the Steven Tyler mark. (Simon said it was "like watchng a horror movie." That made me giggle.)
Meanwhile, Kara said she wishes he would have done more "early Aerosmith," such as "Crying" or "Crazy." Speaking of crazy: "Dream On" is the earlier of those three songs. By far. (She annoys me tonight with all of her energy and talkativeness.)

He looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole after that duet, didn't he? That was sad. (But the performance was indeed rough.)
For his solo, Kris picked "Come Together" by the Fab Four. I loved it. He changed the melody just enough to make it his own, and his voice was right on the money.
But the judges do not agree with little ol' me. Simon compared it to "eating ice for lunch, which means it will leave you with nothing to remember afterward." Poor Kris looked like a puppy dog who'd been kicked to the curb. It just wasn't his night -- but I predict that he'll still live to see another week.

So this is a first. Tonight we get to see the gang teamed up for a joint performance. Kris and Danny attempted "Renegade," which was a complete mess. No offense. I blame the logo disaster, because these two sure seemed like they needed an additional practice.
Plus, this duet idea? Weird. Me no likey.

The lone lady left went to Adam's hairstylist for some purple extension before performing "Crybaby" by Janis Joplin.
It just didn't work that well. Notes were off, the song was dull. The judges gave her a mixed critique, after which she started explaining why she chose this song over the Jefferson Airplane tune she'd considered, why she didn't go with the Janis classic "Another PIece of My Heart," etc.
Does she not realize that overly explaining oneself on Tuesday only leads to eviction on Wednesday?

"Adam's got some pipes," Slash said during rehearsal. Oh, thank you for that! We had not noticed. (Wow, I'm really ganging up on Slash this evening.)
Anyway, the Piped One went with "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zepplin. So he had to revert to his scary self for this one, all leather and chains and black nail polish. He also did a lot of sneering. I thought the song started out pretty tame -- for Adam -- but he ended it with quite a vocal flourish.
A very giddy Kara called him a "rock god," while Simon said it was one of his favorite performances. "The problem is," he added, "nobody can top that now."
Wow. Does that mean we might as well turn the channel?

His presence here only makes me wish Axl were mentoring instead. That is all. (Yes, I know Axl has "issues." But I'd still prefer him on this show.)

Shocking news from Ryan: One of the giant circular logos onstage fell down earlier today. But it didn't fall ALL the way down, so it's just sitting there upside down, giving us an idea of what the stage would look like post-Apocolypse.
Oh, and the singers have not had a proper rehearsal, so this should be interesting. As should guest mentor Slash. Who never removes his sunglasses.

At the start of the show, Ryan reminisced about last week, pointedly noting that "YOUR VOTES delivered the most shocking news" about Adam's bottom-three status. Uh-huh. They're going to need to show us the tallies on a spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation before I believe he was actually in jeopardy. But nice try!

Matt Giraud is leaving. (Adam allegedly squeaked by within an inch of his life.) "I'll definitely remember being the cat with nine lives up here," he said with tears in his eyes.
As for those left to sing another week, I'd say we've ended up with a pretty phenomenal final four.

Ryan has informed us that the bottom two vote-getters are Matt and Adam. Uh-huh. Call me a cynic, but I don't believe this for a second. The only way I'll believe it is if Adam is actually sent home. Otherwise, I'd label this a shock-value stunt.

Natalie Cole looks great, but that song wasn't my favorite. It's the kind of tune that gets into your brain and you can't kick it out of there no matter how hard you try.
As for Taylor Hicks, his song was pretty much what one would expect of him. He's looking quite fit and trim, but I wonder if anyone has ever tried to talk him into washing that gray right out of his hair. I mean, why not? He's not even 30 but looks like he's pushing 48. All due to the 'do.

After Ryan did his normal "you stand here, you stand over there, you stand here and then move over there and then back over here" dance, we were left with Matt and Kris on one side, Allison and Danny on the other.
Ryan then made Adam choose which group he thought he belonged with. I was sort of hoping he'd refuse to do that (others have in the past), but he said that based on last night, he should be with Allison and Danny. Ouch.
Well, he really should have picked neither. Ryan then grabbed his arm, scooted him over to Matt and Kris -- and announced that they were the bottom three. What?!
Adam sheepishly grinned at his fellow bottom-vote-feeders. Awkward!

Speaking of inflated numbers, there's no way that the mess Danny and Allison made at the mansion cost $6,000 to clean up. But if it did, sign me up for that profession. Pronto. (Did you notice how worried Danny seemed by that bill? He was studying it! Made me giggle.)

My guess is Matt, but Allison is probably also a safe bet. The others should be feeling pretty secure right now.
Ryan said they received a whopping 47 million votes. Who else suspects they just make up this number every week? "Last night, we hit a record-breaking 57 gobbledygillion!"
Just a theory.

Ever since I fell in love with the movie Point of No Return (you know, Bridget Fonda as an assassin with a heart of gold), I have also had a special place in my heart for the Nina Simone song "Feeling Good." (The singer's work was almost another character in the movie.)
So Adam went with the song and definitely (duh) made it his own. Although it was powerful stuff, it wasn't as soulful as the original. As Randy put it, "it was a little too Broadway." Then again, his performance was great in the way that only Adam can make it great: the big notes, the theatrics, the over-the-topness of it all. As Jamie predicted, "He's gonna knock everybody's head off." That he did.
He also gets the gold in the Throat Olympics.

OK, has there EVER been a mentor this intense? I say no! When Jamie coached Danny and "got all up in his grill," it was sort of like a Saturday Night Live skit. But I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Danny went with "Come Rain or Come Shine." (Anybody else sick of the ballads? I mean, didn't the Rat Pack get a little peppy now and then?) But I love how he really got into the last part of the song. That worked for me.
The judges were all very praiseworthy. "I felt tonight you came out to prove a point," Simon said, also giving a shout-out to Jamie Foxx.
Can we have Jamie back every week from here on out, please?

The jazz lover opted to sing "My Funny Valentine." (BTW, I love how Jamie really studies their faces as they sing. He's taking this mentor thing very seriously!)
I liked the performance but wasn't bowled over. Neither was Randy, who pulled out the classic "pitchy" critique. Neither was Kara, who didn't feel that he was emotionally connected to the song.
But Paula loved it -- as did Simon, who called Matt's rendition "absolutely brilliant." Huh. Maybe I'll have to give it a re-listen. Or not.

"You're too young to be in love right now," Mr. Foxx told the 17-year-old. (Awesomely bold statement!) So he advised her to sing "Someone To Watch Over Me" while thinking of the love she feels from her family. Kinda convoluted advice, but I think it worked.
Kara called it a "gut-wrenching, deep, emotional, way-beyond-your-years rendition," and said she's no longer worried that she's in jeopardy of being sent home. I disagree. If she doesn't have rabid fans by now, it might be too late to gather up a whole bunch of 'em.

OK, who else already loves Jamie Foxx? After accurately pointing out that Kris is "not trying to sing the Throat Olympics," he added that he'd want to do a record with him at some point. But I was slightly confused by his prediction that the audience "is going to be blown away and not even know it." Wouldn't we want to know if we're blown away?
Anyway, let's get to the performance. Carrying the mike stand around all old-school, Kris gazed at the camera (and not in a cheesy fashion, might I add!) and won hearts with "The Way You Look Tonight." Swoon!
Three of the judges adored him, but Simon said it was all "a little bit wet." Allrighty then. He also compared Kris to "taking a well-trained spaniel for a walk." I get that one more than the "wet" thing. But again, my one-word take on Kris tonight: Swoon.

Everybody's looking quite dapper tonight with their suits, ties and (in one case) flowy dresses. The gang's surprise mentor is all-around talent and Terrell native Jamie Foxx, who is unafraid to speak his mind. We like that in a mentor!

We will no longer have Anoop Desai to kick around. (Not that we did a lot of kicking in his direction.) I really think that performance of "Dim All the Lights" was the worst last night, so this verdict doesn't surprise me.
As for Lil, I'm sad that this is how her journey ends. We all had so much hope for her at the beginning, didn't we? Sigh.

We now know that either Anoop or Allison will be leaving us tonight. Not Matt, as many predicted. I think the problem with Allison is that her performances don't resonate long enough after the show is over. I loved (LOVED) her the night she sang "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," but by the next week, any sense of loyalty I felt toward her was gone. It's weird.

Man, I hate the aging process. But kudos to the first two women for their energy and fun fashion choices!

Ryan asks Lil to stand. Tells her the judges were against her last night, but "we need someone like you in the competition."
He then instructs her to walk across the stage -- not to the Stools of Loserdom, but to a different locale.
As the audience cheers her on, Ryan notes that she has three kids and is one of the most courageous contestants ever, blah blah blah.
I think we all assumed that she was about to get the news she was in the bottom three. Nope: She's off the show. Her journey has ended.
I just wonder why her journey couldn't have ended over on the other side of the stage.

OK, so that explains the Paula choreography. As group performances go, i'd say this was one of the more entertaining. All of the dance moves made the blatant lip-synching a little easier to stomach.

My Tivo didn't kick in until 8:05, so I'm hoping someone can explain why Paula is working as a dance teacher right now. (And who was that guy in the plaid shorts who joined them in the group cheer? Some random interloper?)

I was not digging the sweet pink vest, as it didn't match the not-sweet theme of Donna Summer's "Dim All the Lights." As for the performance, it came across as blah to me. Nothing at all was added to the original.
But wait, what did Simon think? He felt it was Noopy's "worst performance, by a mile." Yeah, what he said. And as they recapped everybody tonight, I'd even say Anoop was worse than Lil. So I think it's a tight three-way race for the bottom this time around.

Well, was he worth the Judges Save? I enjoyed his rendition of "Stayin' Alive" (although didn't he looked pooped at the end, like he'd just run a marathon?), but I agree with Simon: There's no way he's winning this competition.
Tonight, he put another nail in that coffin by saying he didn't like the performance at all, that it lacked originality, great vocals, etc. And because Simon's opinion holds much weight, I'm thinking Lil and Matt are really dreading tomorrow.

All suited up and wearing his hair quite high, the Dramatic One went with "If I Can't Have You," which is on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
The original version is something you can dance to. (Duh.) Adam's rendition started out slowly, but I thought it was going to kick into high gear after the first few lines. No; he kept the same vibe all the way through.
I don't know about this one. In my opinion, screaming did not work in this song. At all.
We all know what Paula thought, as she was crying like a little babe. Randy loved it, Kara said he was brilliant, Simon said it was original.
Self-indulgent, though? Just a hair?

I loved how she was silhouetted against red stairs as she began singing "Hot Stuff." (By the way, is this the second song tonight that's about "ladies of the night?" Maybe not. Maybe this one is just about somebody requesting a date.)
The judges felt the arrangement was self-indulgent, but I thought she proved her worth (again) in this show.

Our resident glasses-lover sang the heck out of Earth, Wind & Fire's "September." I really like this song, so it was easy for me to enjoy this performance. His unique "Bap, bap, bap!" stuff at the beginning worked for me, as did the crazy, almost-with-the-rhythm dancing style.

In a shocking turn of events, Kris opted to go with "She Works Hard for the Money." It certainly wasn't "karaoke;" his guitar-and-bongo-driven take was very David Cookian. A bit subdued? Sure. But it was a risk that worked quite well. (And isn't he ADORABLE.)
I loved Paula's comment: "A lot of women are known to shop in the men's department, but there aren't many men who are willing to shop in the women's." For songs, of course.

And by first, I mean right after Ryan made his little intro speech, he rushed the others off the stage and had her commence to singing. It felt very abrupt. (But they didn't consult me on the production schedule tonight.)
So Lil -- looking fab in a black jumpsuit thingy -- went with "I'm Every Woman." Randy wasn't all that impressed, and she looked crushed. Kara then condescendingly called her "honey," while Simon laid it on the line: "I think this is going to be the last week we're ever going to see you," he said, calling the performance "very copycat."
I don't know if it was all that bad; I felt it was her best in weeks. But still not as great as she was when we first met her.
On the plus side, we seem to be back to all four judges issuing commentary! Whew. Nice to see that the show can rectify its mistakes. And that was one of its silliest.

I find it amusing that not only is Motley Crue's Vince Neil in the audience of American Idol, but that he chose to attend on Disco Night. That's just all kinds of wacky.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Gospel Music Channel will shine the spotlight on "American Idol."

Filmmaker David Lewis' "From Idol to Inspiration" will premiere Thursday before the Gospel Music Association's 40th annual Dove Awards telecast. The one-hour documentary explores the effect of the Fox network singing competition on Christian music.

The documentary features interviews with several former "Idol" finalists and with Maria Santiago, sister-in-law of current finalist Danny Gokey, who has worked for eight years at Faith Builders International in Milwaukee and at its sister congregation in Beloit, Wis.

Mandisa Hundley, Chris Sligh, Phil Stacey and Melinda Doolittle are the ex-"Idol" finalists featured in the documentary.

As the crowd chanted, "Stay! Stay! Stay! Stay!," Simon told Matt, "I don't see that you really have any chance of winning the competition," Uh-oh.
Then Paula, Randy and Kara crowded around the chief judge, all yelling in his face as if they were auditioning for a spot on The View.
Finally, Simon was able to reveal their decision. "Matt," he said, "it's good news."
Matt was in tears, Matt's family was in tears, I was in tears. (Come on, you have to admit that that moment was pretty thrilling.)
The bad news: Two people will go home next week. Simon said the second bit of bad news is that it will be Disco Week, but that just made me boogie-down in delight.

I think many of us were surprised by the fact that Lil beat out Matt this week. As much as I like her, that performance last night was kinda dreadful. No offense. But this means she has yet another week to rediscover the Lil Rounds we all jumped up and down for in the audition process. She HAS to be in there somewhere.

Look, I know the girl has a right to grow up. But who else thinks that dress was just a tiny bit too "mature" for a 16-year-old? Maybe it's just me being prude-like.

To no one's surprise, it's Lil and Matt. (Why do I always want to call him Matt G.? I don't think there's another Matt hiding out backstage, just being quiet for the last several weeks.)
Anyway, Noopy got sent back to the safe and comfy couch. Good for him.

I think I could listen to her sing all day long. I dare say that if she were competing this year, she'd be destined for finale greatness. (Of course, that's what everybody also said during her season, didn't they? But back then we didn't have the somewhat suspense-killing Judges Save.)

"I think we've reached the point where we finally feel comfortable here," Anoop said right before he was told to make the uncomfortable walk to the Stools of Jeopardy. But I think we all saw that one coming. (Not that I think he'll go home tonight.)

I'm kind of stunned that we're being graced with the presence of not only Miley Cyrus but Jennifer Hudson as well. That's my kind of filler!
But first we have to watch the gang lip-synch their hearts out with "Maniac."

I'd love to hear your picks for best and worst! I'd have to say it was Adam's night (or Adam's season?), while it's not looking good for our girl Lil. Allison might also have cause to worry, because I couldn't for the life of me remember who went first until I went back and checked the blog. That's just sad.

With tears in her eyes, Lil sang Bette Midler's "The Rose." I had high hopes for this performance, and unfortunately they were not realized.
Paula's "critique" was so full of nothing that I have to quote it all. Here we go:
"Lil, you could not have sung a more beautiful lyric, thanks to the writing of Amanda McBroom. It was one of the most beautiful songs. And I'm sure, to paraphrase one of the lines, and all of the contestants probably agree, that sometimes the road is really long. But it's a road that's worthwhile taking, especially when you've made it this far, Lil."
So...did she LIKE it? Who knows. All we learned is that she is impressed with that Amanda McBroom person.
Simon, on the other hand, was particularly harsh. "There are no excuses anymore," he said. "Lil, you are not the artist I believe we met seven or eight weeks ago."
Ouch. Obviously heartbroken by that comment -- just think, she used to be the judges' darling -- Lil retorted that she did put her own artistic spin on it, thank you very much. She was clearly angry, which is pretty much the kiss of death for a contestant on the brink of elimination. But in her defense, you could see her heart breaking right there on the screen.

He picked the unfamiliar (to my ears, anyway) "Falling Slowly," from the movie Once. I enjoy this guy, so I thought his performance was engaging and soulful. (And he's a perfect example of the type of contestant who starts out gawky and green and gets more comfy onstage every week. Unlike Mr. Lambert.)
Randy didn't care for Kris tonight, but Kara said she thought it was one of his best moments. I'll agree that it was a split-decision type of performance, but I'm siding with the lovers over the haters.

He's glasses-less tonight! I heartily approve. Trendy eyewear is not really my thing.
After Quentin gave him some random advice, Danny sang "Endless Love."
It gave me chills. This, by far, was my favorite performance of his.
The judges were less enthusiastic. Simon said he was "disappointed that we had the harp, and we had a very traditional version of the song." He also said he was a bit bored by it all because Danny hadn't made it more unique. You know, like David Cook did last year with a Lionel Richie song.
I found this to be odd criticism -- why compare him to David Cook? -- but I still think that performance will please all Gokey devotees.

Out of all the songs from movies, somehow we've ended up with two selections from Bryan Adams. (Not that there's anything wrong with that. Just sayin'.) Matt, sitting at the piano, went with "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman." I felt that some of the notes toward the end were questionable, but I liked his passion.
Randy told him that he "fell down more places tonight than you won." Kara agreed, noting that he "took away core melodies that made the song great." I'd have to reluctantly agree. Meanwhile, Simon looked like he was dying to chime in, but could not. I really hope this new judging policy applies to tonight only.

One of the knocks I've heard against Adam is that he's almost too good. The guy is so much more comfortable onstage than any other contestant -- in any season. The argument is that this is supposed to be a compeition that finds nobodies and grooms them to be superstars. Think of Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson at this stage of the game. They were still quite green.
But Adam is in his own league. His intense, bombastic rendition of "Born To Be Wild" was quite a show -- you have to give him that, whether you're a fan or not. Then again, the screaming is almost comical. (My kids are in the other room with their friends, and after he started singing one said, "I'm guessing who that is! That's Adam Lambert. I heard him go, "AAAIIIEEEE!")
After the crowd calmed down from their glee, Paula said, "You dare to dance in the path of greatness." I have no idea what that means, and judging by the look on Adam's face (respectful yet confused), neither did he.

After he announced he'd be singing Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." mentor Quentin (Quentor) advised him to "rough it up." He then showed him how: "I DIE! for you, I'd CRY! for you." That was just ridiculous advice, in my humble opinion. Noopy is simply not the "rough it up" type of dude.
The judges (or at least two out of four judges) approved of his rendition, which was heartfelt but perhaps a bit sleepy. Definitely not "rough."

She went with Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing."
I didn't love it myself. (But Katie Couric did! There she was in the crowd, on her feet.) Sure, she sang it well enough, but I guess I'm too partial to Steven Tyler's version.
But Paula praised her authenticity, while Simon compared her to barbecue sauce. ("Hot, spicy.") The other judges remained mute.
I despise this "two at a time" format already.

Quentin Tarantino will be advising the kids on how to sing, seeing how he's an awesome filmmaker. (I know. It's a stretch.)
But I always enjoy him on Idol, because a) he's obviously a big fan; and b) he's a bit weird. Weird, in general, is not boring.

Apologizing to viewers for running overtime, Simon said the judges would now be talking "two at a time." At first I thought he meant that after somebody sings, two people would quickly say stuff at the same time, following by the other two interrupting each other. But no; it means that some contestants will hear from, say, Simon and Paula, while the others won't. That's annoying.
THEY CAN'T JUST STAY ON TIME?! This is my official pet peeve of the season.

From CNN.com:

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- With one year left on his "American Idol" contract, judge Simon Cowell said he is considering what he will do next.

"Right now, the only certainty is that I'm still on 'Idol,' still love doing it, and still have a year under contract," Cowell said in a statement. "While I am looking at all options for the future, I haven't made any decisions."

Cowell, 49, has been with the show since its first season in 2002. Though he has a great attachment to the show, "at some point, a decision will have to be made," he said.

Cowell, who judges three shows -- "American Idol "Britain's Got Talent" and "X Factor" -- told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper that he's not sure he can keep up the pace and "one may have to go."

"Most people do one show a year, and I do three and they involve a lot of traveling," he told the newspaper. "One may have to go. I don't know which one. That is the problem; I like all of them." iReport.com: Share your thoughts on Cowell, this season of "Idol"

"I can't imagine not doing 'Britain's Got Talent' and I can't imagine not doing 'X Factor.' But I guess America is more likely to go because I have got one year under contract. Maybe that will be the end."

What do you think, Idol fans? Should Simon get a contract renewal? Should Idol end with his departure? Who would you like to see replace him if Idol continues on without him?

It's a no. Simon said that two people thought he should stay, while two felt he should go. But when push came to shove, "I'm gonna say it's the end of the competition," Simon said. "Sorry."
On a related note, I'm now going to Google to see who's singing this rendition of "Home Sweet Home." I likey.

It's Scott. Paula looks like she's about to cry. He's now singing for his survival, but I highly doubt it's going to change the judges' mind. No offense; he's such cool and brave person. But not the best singer of the bunch.

Lil gets to sit back down. Whew! I'm still holding out hope that she can regain some of that magic she brought at the beginning of this crazy show.

I'll admit that I fast-forwarded through much of Flo Rida's performance, because children are present and I wasn't sure if we'd be faced with inappropriateness. (I mean, have you listened to the lyrics of that song?)
As for Kellie Pickler, I didn't care for her when she was a contestant but have since warmed up to her charms. Perhaps not the strongest of voices, but there's something very appealing about the girl.

Scott and Lil. I'm not too baffled by these results, but I am baffled by Lil's shirt, which looked like somebody took a mirror and turned it into a quilt.

That giant pimple in the middle of his head is unfortunate. But I'm happy to see that he's safe for another week.

Noopy.

Ryan mentioned that the mayor of Kalamazoo was in the audience, someone hollered, "YEAAAH!" For a second I thought it was the mayor himself, which made me giggle with delight. But no. He was actually all subdued and mayoral-acting.

They sang Britney's "Circus," which you have to admit is a very catchy tune. Which made me sort of wish they'd do a Britney-themed night. Crazy idea? Probably.

Not worth commenting on.

It was Frankie Avalon, but until they said his name I'd typed the following:
"Look, it's the guy who sang 'Beauty School Dropout' in Grease." Hey, we can't know everything at the top of our heads, people. We are not encyclopedias.

Here are my predictions for the bottom three: Lil, Scott and -- gasp! -- Danny.
I just think that going first is very harmful to a contestant's vote-getting health. Not that he'll be going home; that honor will likely go to Lil, hate to say. Yes, many of us feel it's high time (or past time) that Scott hits the road, but I don't see it happening yet. Maybe next week, Scott-dislikers! Or maybe this week after all. What do I know.

He didn't even start singing until 8:03. Two minutes AFTER the show was supposed to end tonight. Just sayin'.
Anyway, for those who missed it, Adam went with "Mad World," by Tears for Fears. Great choice. It was subdued in parts, intense in others. Didn't care for the ending note, but I agree with my son's assessment: "He makes it look so easy."
Simon actually gave him a standing ovation, which never happens. Then Ryan laughably said they were "running out of time." As if they had not run out of time many minutes ago.

He went with "Part-Time Lover," which I had high hopes for. In the end I thought it was fine, but the judges went nuts over it. (In a rushed manner, as someone on set finally thought to check the clock.)

I don't understand why this show can't time itself correctly anymore. It's 7:55, and it's scheduled to go off at 8:01. Meanwhile, Matt Giraud just started singing. But what about Adam? He's going to totally get cut off of millions of DVRs, which is going to a riot. Or at least angry cursing.

She was born in 1992. GOOD LORD. (On a related note, my son just asked, "Mommy, were you alive during World War I?" Nice.)
Going with Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me," Allison put her own soulful spin on an already-soulful tune. (Not sure about the outfit, though, which was sort of Madonna-meets-Lauper-in-the-80s. Before she was even born.)
Simon said it was very good, but then claimed that she needs to be more "likable." Huh? That's crazy talk.

Scott, born in 1985, went with the sappy "The Search Is Over" by the ultra-ultra-ultra sappy Air Supply. He opted to stand and play the guitar (sort of) rather than sit at the piano.
Paula gave him credit "for stepping away from the comfort zone of the piano," but noted that his high notes kind of came off "a little bit as screeching."
Simon suggested he get right back to the piano and called his song choice "horrible."
"It wasn't that bad," Scott replied.
Hmm. Many folks are presently sitting at home, begging to differ.

Before he sang, Ryan grilled him on the fact that he was being so snooty last week. (Kara said something negative and he replied, "Excuse me?" like he's Elvis or Sinatra.) He basically said he was caught up in the moment. I suppose he can be forgiven for that. Just don't let it happen again, 'Noopy! (I've decided that's going to be my name for him from now on.)
Noopy went with Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," from 1986. His true colors included the bright green and white stripes on his jaunty sweater.
I do not get his fashion choices. Period.
Anyway, all the judges liked his performance, although Simon stopped short of calling it fantastic. I thought it was fine. Nothing more, nothing less. Just fine.

Ms. Rounds was born in 1984, which was the year we were first introduced to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It."
I love Lil's many makeovers, and that kicky bob and tight black dress was another winner.
But her performance, according to the judges, was not. Paula didn't think it showed her style as an artist. Plus, "I'm really worried that it's becoming a beautiful karaoke rendition."
Simon called it a "second or third rate version of Tina Turner." Looking back on the past few weeks, "It's literally like we have lost you," he added. Ouch. I fear he's correct, as always. (Or at least as usually.)

Kris, who was born in 1985, once dreamt of becoming a taxi driver when he grew up. Instead, he has found himself on a national stage singing "All She Wants To Do Is Dance."
Let me say it before the judges do: I hate the arrangement. It's sounds like a jumbled-up mess.
Paula -- looking quite stunning tonight! -- praised his likability, but Simon pulled out his two favorite words of the season: "indulgent" and "boring." He also called it a "stupid, stupid song choice." I gotta agree with that. Love Kris, hated his song-choosing decision.

He was born in 1980 -- and he's the oldest contestant in the bunch. How depressing.
Anyway, Danny decided to sing Mickey Gilley's version of "Stand By Me." He started out all mellow, but then kicked up the pace and the mood at the end.
Kara said he took it "one level! Two levels! Three levels!" Which is apparently a good thing.
Again, I have to say it: I'm just not feeling Danny the same way others do. I'm certainly not feeling him on three levels.

Tonight's theme is "Songs from the year the contestants were born." As an added bonus, we got to see baby photos of Randy, Kara, Paula (looking more like a preteen than baby, but OK), Simon and Ryan. My vote for cutest? Randy, by a mile. But Simon's was the most interesting, because it's hard to imagine him ever being an innocent young lad.

I'm happy for Megan that she gets to go home to her son, because clearly it was time. (Based not just on that performance, but also on the fact that she burst into sobs at the sight of him onscreen).
As for the tour? Hey, at least her little set won't be boring!

Fly away home, Megan, you strange and exotic bird. The panel didn't even bother pretending that they'd be using their "Judges' Save;" as Simon put it, "With the greatest respect, when you said that you don't care, nor do we. So I'm not even going to pretend we're even going to contemplate saving you." Ouch!
She then proceeded to sing and "dance." We haven't seen moves that odd since Elaine Benes boogied down on Seinfeld.

Megan, Allison and Anoop are now sweating it out. Well, Allison and Anoop are sweating -- Megan keeps smiling goofily and waving to the camera.
She's really doing nothing to quell her reputation as a weirdo, is she?

When Ryan told her she needed to take a seat in the less-winning (OK losing) side of the stage, she flapped her arms like a bird and yelled, "Carw! Carw! Carw!" (I don't know how to spell the sound she was making. It was that weird.)
Then Allison flapped her arms as she made her way to the bottom three, so apparently this is some sort of inside joke within the group. I hope it doesn't continue from week to week.

Love him. He's pretty much the ideal Idol: unique, attractive, nice, witty, extraordinarily talented.

Ryan grouped the singers into trios onstage: Kris, Megan and Matt; Adam, Lil and Allison; and Scott, Danny and Anoop.
He then asked, "Who is safe? And which one of these groups could be the bottom three?"
I'm thinking that hint of "could" means he's just messing with us -- that none of these groupings will be the actual bottom three.
My prediction? Anoop, Lil (hate typing that!) and Megan.

Tonight gave us unmitigated, hilarious proof. They had Scott stand at the piano and play during their rendition of "Don't Stop Believing." One problem: As the camera zoomed in on him for his solo section, his face -- supposedly belting out the lyrics -- was about two feet to the left of the mike.
Is it wrong that I giggled? You did too, though. Admit it.

My guess is that it's Anoop's time to go. He a) went first last night, which is so often the kiss of death; b) his performance was merely so-so; and c) he got all backtalky with the judges, hinting that he may be coming down with But I'm On American Idol! Disease. (Classic symptoms: swelled head, delusional thinking, belief in own press.)
Hey, it happens to the best of 'em. Very few are immune.

I'd previously noted that my friend suggests that I listen to Danny with my eyes closed, in order to get the full effect of his voice. When it comes to Kris, however, it would be a mistake to close your eyes, because you'd miss out on his utter dreaminess. (I know: That was a very 15-year-old-girl thing to say.)
Kris sat at the piano tonight and put a very effective and sultry spin on "AIn't No Sunshine." The judges heaped on the praise, while Paula noted that he's "pacing this competition to play to your strengths."
So true. Who else is getting exponentially better every week? Many doubted he'd even make the top 13, and look at him now.

Let me first give credit to commenter Clay, who last week figured out who Adam most looks like (especially when he's not all made up): A "younger, cuter Kurt Russell." Ding, ding! We have a winner. Thank you, Clay! That was driving me crazy.
So this week, the show's most interesting singer decided to perform "Play That Funky Music, White Boy." I liked most of it, but I don't care for screaming when it's done just for screaming's sake. (Like it was at the very end of his tune.)
Still, it was original. And you have to give the guy props for that every time he steps up to the mike.

For some reason, she opted to go with Celine Dion's "I Surrender." Why not take this golden opportunity to belt out an R&B number, which is what she most loves? Argh! Frustrated.
Instead, she belted out a bunch of big notes, which were great. But not all that moving, hate to say.
Here kids in the crowd, however, were 100 percent precious.

His rendition of The Fray's "You Found Me" started out pretty wobbily (which is probably not a word, but I like it) and remained off kilter until the end.
"I didn't get it at all," Simon said, calling it "very uptight" and "just uncomfortable." True and true.
Man, tonight's been brutal. For those behind our TV screens and the ones sitting in front of it.

Scott opted to go further back in time, picking Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are."
His rendition seemed quite a bit slower than the original (which worried me), but overall I thought it was enjoyable.
Paula's critique was convoluted. She said that out of all the contestants who have come and gone, she's most proud of Scott. Why? And I quote: "It has nothing to do about your challenge, but everything to do that makes me forget about that challenge." (So it DOES have to do with his challenge after all.)
Simon called it his "best performance by a country mile." He beamed from ear to ear.

I had to chuckle when she said she "grew up listening" to No Doubt's "Don't Speak." That puts things into perspective, doesn't it?!
Two things I didn't care for with this performance:
1. She held a guitar as a prop, but didn't play it (except perhaps for the first few seconds). That's ridiculous. (Especially when her competitors include two acclaimed pianists and one "real" guitar player.)
2. The hair. No. It seemed a bit Sideshow-Bob-inspired.
Last week she was superb; this week she was so-so.

He chose the country route tonight, going with Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most."
My friend Karen advised me to close my eyes when listening to Danny sing, because she thinks that's the only way I can feel how pure his voice is. (I like the guy but am not as rabid a fan as my pal.)
Karen and Paula would get along well, because she was pretty much in tears after he was done. Simon declared it his "best performance of the show." He even clapped at the end of his critique! That was a first.
I also enjoyed it. Will work harder to foam at the mouth for the guy.