The Hotness, The Bagpipes, The Didgeridoo

The Top Niners took on Lennon & McCartney Tuesday night, and surprised the judges, and more importantly, the SJG, with some excellent song stylings, some soulful licks, some wacky instrumental choices, and one particular up-do' that disturbed me, deeply.  That said, it was a fun and entertaining evening, not a major stinker in the bunch.  Let's break it down, shall we?  Alright, if you insist.

His Woofness!

1. Aaron, "Long and Winding Road":  Nicknamed Yoda by his Idol peers, Aaron impresses me weekly with his centered, self-possessed, I'm here-for-a-reason-ness.  He sounded good and earned himself more time on the stage, but the judges didn't do any cartwheels.  Randy found it sleepy. Ellen called it long and windy.  Kara urged him to up the tempo next week. Simon deemed it old-fashioned and boring. 
2.  Katie, "Let It Be":  Five prom offers to date.  Says she'll make her pick based on the phone bill that shows the highest votes for her.   Practical girl.  Practically blew me away with her pretty, Beyonce-esque perf.  Has the SJG misjudged Katie?  For me, for you, this was her best to date.  Randy in his eloquence said, "Dude, ridiculous."  Ellen called it amazing.  Kara told Katie she's blossoming, which reminded me of pollen and made me cough, so thanks for that, Miss DioG.  Simon conceded that Katie "got it right," because it was more country.  Let it be, Simon.  Let it be.
3.  Andrew, "Can't Buy Me Love":  A goofy, fun guy, according to his Idol-mates.  Last night, his hair took goofy into the stratosphere.  How much higher can it go?  If he's going for the Erykah Badu look, sans turban, he's almost there.  His take on the song was fun and semi-hip and had me boppin', but my gut puts him in the bottom tonight, if not homeward bound.  Randy thought it was solid, yet corny.  Ellen loved it.  Kara wanted to love it, but didn't. Simon told him, "You got it wrong."  Ouchy!

4.  Big Mike, "Eleanor Rigby":  Y'all know how I dig the Huggy Bear, but I found his "Eleanor" lacking.  It was a little showy and missing some heat.  I could've used more gospel, less over-the-toppity.  Randy praised his bravado.  Ellen said he took a huge risk and she bought it.  Kara called it commercial and said it had, "Fire!"  Simon didn't like it, found it too theatrical, and Randy took him on, called him a stupid white boy with no sense of --  Or not.
5.  Crystal, "Come Together":  She worked it, made it funky and sexy and the didgeridoo gave it a new spin.  But for me, a Crystal-lover of the highest order, it wasn't my fav.  Could be the meds talkin'.  I'm a tad wired at the mo'.  Randy said it was solid, but not her best.  Ellen searched for new adjectives to replace great.  Kara loved the Bonnie Raitt vibe.  Simon could hear it on the radio. 

6.  Tim, "All My Loving":  The smiley man.  The Cuteness.  The Takes It Like a Man Guy.  He's Disney Channel ready for his close-up.  They'd be smart to sign his butt pronto.  With Tim, talent is secondary, but he's consistent and hits his notes and did really well with this song.  I don't think the Telfon's gonna peel, but he may hang in the bottom two again.
7.  Casey, "Jealous Guy":  Hands down, the best of the night.  Excellent vocals.  Excellent hair.  Sensitivity.  Vulnerability.  Soulful.  The judges all agreed.  Simon told him he'd made "ginormous progress."  This guy's a star. 

8.  Siobhan, "Across the Universe":  Pretty, artistic.  Quirky and strange.  Stylistically, a hot mess.  Personally, I think Siobhan could be in danger tonight.  The freaky girls never last on Idol.  I liked this selection better than last week's scream-off. Randy called it sleepy and tender.  Ellen commended her for marching to her own drum.  Kara found it too polite and restrained.  And Simon made her cry when he asked why she sang it.  "Nothing's gonna change my world," she explained.  Nothing!  She got a hug from a large man named Earl, which was weird.  Bottom two.  I'm calling it.

9.  Lee, "Hey Jude":  Oh, how I loved this one.  Cool and growly and then, bring on the bagpipes.  Crazy call on Lee's part, and not everyone got it, but I went with it, completely.  Had the bagpiper been on stage the whole time, it would've missed, but his appearance took it to a new level and showed that Lee, a fellow worrywart, has a sense of humor and fun. 

SJG Bottom Three Prediction:  Andrew.  Tim.  Siobhan. 
Going home:  Andrew.
Tuesday night pre-show update tease:  I get one of the bottom three right, the other two way wrong.  Prepare for shocker! 

Cue the Bagpipes