American Idol--The Final 9

Last week, I predicted correctly that Thia (who I think would be a GREAT friend for Emily in real life) and Naima would be in the bottom three. I was wrong about the third and thought that Stefano would be joining the girls. However, it was (gasp) Paul who ended up in the bottom three and Thia and Naima were our dearly departed. Let's see how I do today in my great predicting skills.

Last night the theme were songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Jacob Lusk: "Man in the Mirror"--He had some problems with his ear monitor and quickly removed it. Despite the technical issues, he did marvelous! He took this Michael Jackson song and gave it a soulful, gospel flair. This was one of my favorite performances of the night. OK, I didn't really care for all the hip shaking, but everything else was perfect. And Jacob--I'm so glad you stood up for yourself and sang a song that fits your convictions. Good. for. you.

Haley Reinhart: "Piece of My Heart"--They have been telling Haley week after week that she has a little Janis Joplin inside of her. Tonight, she gave the judges her take on a Janis song. She sang the first few notes and then morphed into a screaming and growling performer. This was probably my least favorite performance of the evening. I just don't like being screamed at. Props on her outfit tonight though. I appreciated a more modest Haley.

Casey Abrams: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain"--Now this is the Casey that I fell in love with--standing next to his upright bass. Randy thinks he's revolutionary performing like this. I agree. I LOVE IT! The growl is still there in his voice but more importantly, there is a smile on his face AND in his eyes. No more Mr. Evil.

Lauren Alaina: "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman"--Her mentors decided that her singing style tonight was Contrsoul--a combination of country and soul. She did a GREAT job! She had a couple of big notes about midway through her performance and the last note? Incredible.

James Durbin: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"--OK, I was not familiar with this particular George Harrison song. Does this make me a bad person? No. Does this make me an uneducated person? Perhaps. Now, Ron--he was very familiar with this song. See how well we balance each other out? James usually runs and jumps all over the stage. It was great seeing a calmer, more restrained performance from James. He felt like this was his time to show that he could perform more than the frenetic songs he's known for. He did a very nice job. And there were was an incredible BIG note at the end. I kept thinking--breathe! Breathe!

Scotty McCreery: "That's All Right, Mama"--Scotty loves Elvis Presley. When he was young, he dressed like Elvis. He tried to sing like Elvis. Tonight it was time for him to honor the King of Rock and Roll with his version of an Elvis song. It was so much fun watching Scotty perform. At the end of his performance, he was "mobbed" on stage by a few young female fans. Very reminiscent of Elvis. Another one of my favorite performances.

Pia Toscano: "River Deep, Mountain High"--She promised last week that if she went through that she would FINALLY choose an uptempo song. She did not disappoint. She is probably one of the best singers in the competition. The only thing she needs to work on is showing a little more personality on stage.

Stefano Langone: "When a Man Loves a Woman"--Stefano has picked up an unfortunate David Archuleta mannerism. He licks his lips. Not a good look. Doesn't he know that his lips will become very chapped if he continues to do that? OK, now to his performance. Stefano is a good singer, but he isn't a great one. He's TRYING much harder to connect with the audience. But for me, something is still missing. When we both figure it out, he'll do much better.

Paul McDonald: "Folsom Prison Blues"--Last week, Paul was in the bottom three which SHOCKED me greatly. Greatly. Tonight, he gave one of the best performances of the evening. I've seen Folsom Prison (from the outside, thank you very much) and I can almost picture the prison inmates rocking away to Paul's version of this Johnny Cash song. One of the best performances of the evening.

So, who did best? Scotty, Paul, and Jacob.

Who is in danger? Jacob, (because he went in the dreaded first place), Haley, and Stefano.

Who is in danger of going home? Stefano. Sorry David Archuleta (my all-time FAVORITE American Idol) but Stefano's lip-licking must go.