• Christian music artist Michael Lynche delivered my favorite performance since Jordan Sparks slayed “I(Who have Nothing)” in Season 6. This was a game changing performance of Maxwell’s (and Kate Bush) “This Woman’s Work”.  Michael displayed mad falsetto, crazy power and an intimidating stage presence.  He has set a bar that I am not sure even he can surpass.
• The four remaining Christian music artists Michael Lynch, Tim Urban, Didi Benami and Lacey Brown American Idol Season 9 delivered their best performances of the year and probably secured their place in the Top 12.
• After we projected Katelyn Epperly as the winner of American Idol Season 9 she proceeded to stumble through a cheesey performance of Carol King’s “I Feel The Earth Move”.
• Crystal Bowersox continued to demonstrate her superiority of the American Idol Season 9 girls with a rocking throwdown of Traci Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason”.
• Tonight we expect Paige Miles, Katie Stevens, Aaron Kelly and Toddrick Hall to go home.

Join us now as we live blog through the results and the top12 are revealed.

Ryan is bantering with the judges about comments made on last night’s show involving Randy in a bikini and thank you American Idol, we are now seeing a photo of same.  The 16 contestants will perform Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet”.  All seem at ease, but time is drawing nigh.

Ryan announces the breaking news that the first theme of the big stage will be the music  of the Rolling Stones. New this year will be the audiences’ capability to go to Itunes to download the songs/playlist the contestants will listen to as they decide what to sing. 

He starts with the ladies.  Didi  Benami is invited to centerstage with Ryan.  He speaks to her about her struggles at the beginning of the show, then announces that  she has made it into the top 12. She is ecstatic.  Siobhan Magnus is next.  She tells everyone that she is very comfortable  on the stage.  She is in.  Paige Miles and Katelyn Epperly come to the stage together.  One is in and one is out.  Who will it be?  Simon feels the one with the most potential is Paige.  Paige has made it.  Uh oh, Katelyn is out.  There goes our prediction.

Next set will be chosen from the guys.  Tim Urban,  Toddrick Hall,  Lee Dewyze and Casey James are invited to centerstage.  Ryan begins with Tim Urban.  Tim is told to hang tight.  Toddrick is hanging tight too.  Lee is talked about for a moment and then on to Casey.  Casey is safe and joins the ladies.  Tim Urban is safe.  He acts shocked.  Lee will continue on the show and Toddrick will go home tonight.

Matt Geraud and Scott McIntyre will perform Billy Joel’s “Tell Her about It”.  Two piano men.  Matt and Scott are sporting leather tonight  as they play their baby grands.  I wonder if they performed this on their tour?  They can really play. Scott has an album out called Heartstring and it is available on Itunes through his website.  All original music.  Matt has a number one single with Anna Wilson called “You Don’t Know Me” on the jazz charts.

Okay here we go.  Eight are left.  Crystal Bowersox is invited to stand.  She looks so nervous.  After the nationwide vote, she is in.  Not smiling much, but she’s  in.  Michael Lynche goes to centerstage.  Kara talks about why she cried when he sang last night.  Ryan asks him if he can fit on a stool.  Michael has made it.  Lacey Brown stands.  C’mon Lacey.  She makes it through. Wow.  Aaron Kelly comes to the stage.  He feels he can bring more confidence if  he makes it through.  And he does.  Two more stools to fill.  Ryan calls Alex Lambert and Andrew Garcia.   Simon feels Andrew may have peaked too soon, but is talented.  Andrew makes it through and Alex is trying not to be too emotional.  It is so difficult to see these young singers go through the disappointment. After his song, all the guys crowd around him.  Katie Stevens and Lilly Scott are the last two.  The final seat in the top 12 belongs to Katie Stevens.  Lilly is going home.  That was a surprise.  I think she was surprised too.

Definitely some surprises tonight.  But congratulations to our 4 Christian artists as they go on to perform with American Idol’s top 12.  Join us next week as we continue to cover the music and performances.

Christian music artists Michael Lynche (one of our favorites) and Tim Urban (whom we worry about) are joined by Andrew Garcia, Toddrick Hall, Lee Dewyze, Alex Lambert, Aaron Kelly and Casey James tonight as the American Idol Top 8 guys  perform Billboard 100 songs.

Once again we have 8 performances in one hour so it will be fast and furious.  If the guys are no better than the girls, we need no more than an hour.

Let’s get started with Lee Dewyze singing “Fireflies” from Christian music artist Owl City.  This is a horribly bland, but popular song.  It doesn’t really fit with my image of Lee Dewyze.  He sang it well, but it was just okay.  Randy tried to like it and Ellen liked that he made it a little rock.  Kara thinks Lee made it a better song.  Simon was a little ambivalent.

Alex Lambert is singing “Trouble” by Ray Lamontagne.  He really has an interesting voice but he looks so stiff and uncomfortable.  There was not much range in that performance.  Ellen loves her little banana, saying he gets better and better every week.  Kara says Alex is the only one standing in the way of him winning American Idol Season 9.  Simon wants Alex to imagine Randy in a bikini and let himself go.  I think that would be frightening.

Tim Urban is taking on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.  Could be a big mistake.  But maybe not.  This is great. Who knew he could sing this song.  The best so far, and his best by far.  Randy says pretty good.  Ellen runs over to him, hugs him and says “that was fantastic”.  Kara says he is now in the competition.  Simon says very smart and it was terrific.  Tim Urban may have just earned his way onto the American Idol Season 9 tour.

Andrew Garcia is singing his version of Christina Aguilera’s “Genie In A Bottle”.  It sounds like everything else he has done.  I am losing my love for Andrew Garcia, even Lee Dewyze looks bored. If you can’t tell, I did not like this very much.  It didn’t work for Randy either.  Kara says he peaked early and is disappointed by this performance, as is Simon.  He calls it a desperate performance.

Casey James is performing Keith Urban’s “You’ll Think of Me”.  This is a quiet acoustic performance that features his voice.  Guess what, he has a nice voice.  This is very good.  I don’t know the song, so I don’t know how original it was but it was a nice moment for Casey James.  Randy says that it was too safe, but Ellen thought it was great.  She likes most performances doesn’t she?  Kara calls it honest and heart felt but she is missing a spark.  Simon calls it his second best performance.

Aaron Kelly stays country with Lone Star’s “I’m Already There”.  Aaron has completely missed the pitch from the start.  This is the type of country song that makes me want to turn down the radio.  The performance is bombastic with little personality.  Ellen does hate some performances, but in a nice way.  Kara says it was completely irrelevant to him.  Simon says Kara’s critique was complete rubbish.  I don’t know what the judges saw.

Two more.  Toddrick Hall is doing Queen.  Should be interesting.  I love this song, “Somebody To Love”.  It is my favorite Queen song.  But maybe not this version.  Started fine in falsetto, but he needs to lose the background singers. I am trying to like it, but it is just missing something and I don’t know what.  Randy loved it.  Ellen says he was brave and thought it worked.  Kara says it was good singing but too dramatic.  I agree with Simon, that it was good in parts.

We end the evening with Christian music artist Michael Lynche doing Maxwell’s “This Woman’s Work”. Big Mike throwing down some falsetto.  This is deep modern R&B and what a beautiful tone. Mike is working it out. Fantastic.  Michale Lynche has to moved the the front of the pack. It is like boys playing with a man.  Kara cried, Randy says unbelievable, Ellen said great.  Simon says it was so needed and that he delivered the best performance of the season.

Just like last night, Christian music artists made big moves.  Tim Urban put himself in the competition and Michael Lynche threw down a guantlet for the rest of the performers.

One21music covers the Christian music artists competing on American Idol Season 9 and I am concerned that we may lose our last two Christian music girls this week.  It will take a miracle for Lacey Brown to survive becasue she has given two weak performances and she has not established her identity as an artist.  Didi Benami is on shaky ground in this strong group of girls.  Didi Benami needs a defining performance tonight.

Just in case you missed it, I predicted a winner. Check out why I think Katelyn Epperly will win American Idol Season 9.

Let’s see how the Top 8 girls perform songs from the Billboard Top 100 (essentially everything ever recorded).

We are live and we need to move.  Eight performances in one hour and Ryan is talking very fast.  Let’s jump right in.

First up singing Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” is Katie Stevens and she is struggling.  What has happened to her?  She sounds pretty flat.  She seems to be engulfed by the song.  I don’t know, she may be in trouble.  Randy is right that her performance paled in comparison.  Ellen is right that we did not feel the performance.  Kara says Katie doesn’t know who she is. Simon says she has not worked out what type of artist she wants to be. Katie will be one of the contestants on the bubble Thursday.

Siobhan Magnus will sing “House of The Rising Sun” by The Animals. This should be perfect for her voice.  Starting off acapela is a little different, takes some of the punch from the tune.  Her tone is great, but she oversings in places.  Solid performance from Siobhan but nothing spectacular.  Randy loved it, Ellen was moved, Kara think sit was brilliant but Simon thought it was weird.  He doesn’t think she was very creative with the song.

Brandi Carlisle’s “The Story” from Lacey Brown.  If she can pull it off she will put herself back in the competition.  I don’t know how to interpret her voice.  It sounds off key to me but I think it is her tone.  This is the third straight somber performance.  I think this was the best of the night so far.  The performance was quiet but mesmerizing.  Ellen and Randy thought it was her best of the year.  Kara says this was the type of performance that got her to the Top 16.  Simon loved the singing, called it a great radio performance.

Katelyn Epperly is up next singing Carol King’s “I Feel The Earth Move” and I think this is a mistake.  Performing stand-up behind the piano and it takes away from her performance.  I don’t think this is great.  It is a little too poppy for her.  This is Katelyn’s first stumble. That was empty. Randy pegged it, no connection to the song. Ellen is right, it wasn’t enough.  Kara says Katelyn was going through the motions.  Simon calls it request night at a restaurant.  Great, I predict she will win and she takes the night off.

Halfway through the night and no one has set the bar.  America must be confused.

And we fly through the last half of the show.  Didi Benami with guitar singing Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.”  I think Didi may be finding herself with this contestant killing song.  She has an off beat take on the song, with a twisted pace and some beautiful singing.  Great performance.  Didi is back.  Of course, Randy was not crazy about it.  Ellen says yesindidi, Didi.  Kara says it was one of her favorite moments of the season, saying she made an impossible song choice her own.  Simon agress with Kara saying it was head and shoulders above anything else tonight.  Didi sings to fight another week!

Paige Miles takes a leap in song choice with Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”.  She should stick with the rock.  Her tone does not fit this song, she wavers with the pitch and she tries to do too much with the song.  I think she missed any connection with the song.  Randy says it did not work at all and Ellen called it sad and heavy.  Kara and Simon agree with the others.  The judges seem upset about the performance.  Paige may have slipped out of the competition tonight.

So far, Christian music artists Lacey Brown and Didi Benami have given the best performances.  They may have saved their season tonight.

Crystal Bowersox is sporting the electric guitar performing “Give Me One Reason” by Traci Chapman.  Wifey says it is a good song for her but does it tell us anything new about Crystal Bowersox? Of course she slays the song with that huge voice. Boy, Crystal Bowersox can really sing.  It is not even fair.  This song tells us Crystal can really, really sing. Randy loved it as did Ellen.  Kara says she knows who she is.  Simon says she is the most improved artist and calls her the one to beat.

What are we gonna do!  The DVR can’t manage American Idol, Lost, Glee, Parenthood and The Good Wife.  Who do we sacrifice?

Lilly Scott closes the evening with “I Fall To Pieces” by Patsy Cline.  This whole off note, atonal style is getting tired.  This is not the song to sing this way.  It is almost like she is afraid of the song.  This just does not work.  Did I hear a different performance?  The judges loved it.  Sorry guys I cannot agree.

Crystal, Didi and Lacey took the night.  Katie, Katelyn, Lilly and Paige stumbled.  I think Paige and Katie are in big trouble.

See you tomorrow night.

1. Katelyn Epperly has delivered two great performances.  For some reason the judges have not recognized the artistry she has brought to “Oh, Darling” and “The Scientist”.  First of all, she has not hit a single sour note.  Her vocal dynamics and phrasing have been inspired. Wednesday night, Katelyn Epperly delivered a show stopping performance of ColdPlay’s “The Scientist”.  I don’t know if the song has some hidden meeting for her but her facial expressions and body language were heart breaking.  And they way she interacted with the camera, was inspired.  If you don’t believe me watch it again:

2. Katelyn Epperly has made two great song choices.  She has already demonstrated her skills as a musician by playing both the guitar and piano so far this season.  She is the creative force behind two indie/experimental bands.  She is studying to be a sound engineer.  All this causes me to expect a series of inspired arrangements in the vein of Kris Allen and David Cook.  I have already started assembling my Katleyn Epperly American Idol Season 9 CD, I suggest you do the same.
3. She has the look.  Tall, blonde, fresh faced with a great smile, young men all over America have fallen in love with Katelyn Epperly.  She is young and unaffected enough connect with the teenage girls and mothers that make up the largest American Idol voting block.  We have already seen enough variation in her look that the sarcastic hipsters may not write her off as “packaged”.  She looks for all the world to me like an indie rock/folk Carrie Underwood.

With all respect for Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche and Andrew Garcia, we are ready to project Katelyn Epperly as the winner of American Idol Season 9.

The last two night we saw 20 American Idol Season 9 performances.  For the most part everyone improved, but, not everyone was great.   Three performances really stood out for me.  Crystal Bowersox’s gospel cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Long As I Can See The Light” was amazing.  Her singing was powerful and the arrangement was a revelation.  That was one of those moments that propel an artist far into the American Idol Season 9 finals.  Katelyn Epperly’s take on “The Scientist ” (Coldplay) was beautiful, stirring and heartfelt.  Coming in third for the week is Christian music artist Michael Lynche.  He updated James Brown’s “Its A Man’s World”, made it feel modern and sang it perfectly.

Unfortunately, I think some of our Christian music artists are in trouble.  Tim Urban has yet to prove he is up to the task of winning American Idol Season 9. It feels like he needs another year of heavy performing to be ready for this stage.  Making it even more treacherous for Tim that he is part of a “teen throb” triumvirate that could split votes (Tim Urban, Alex Lambert, Aaron Kelly).  Christian music artist Jermaine Sellers could be in trouble.  His two live performances have been a bit strange and his interactions with the judges are uncomfortable.  But, Jermaine, make sure you get Simon to church! I am also afraid that Christian music artist Lacey Brown is in serious trouble tonight.  I love her voice but she has not yet shown that she can package that voice in a compelling way.  I hope I am wrong on all accounts.

I think Lacey Brown, Haeley Vaughn, John Park and Jermaine Sellers will go home tonight.  If so, we will be down to four Christian music artists left in the American Idol Season 9 Top 16.

Tonight, in addition to finding out who goes home, we get to see Danny Gokey perform a song from his new album.  27 million votes.  The Idols are doing Black Eyed Peas, “I Got A Feeling”.  Thing is, none of them believe the lyric “Tonight’s gonna be a good night”, a few smiles please.

We are back to send someone home.  Let’s start with the guys.  Christian music artist Tim Urban up first and he is safe.  Joyful surprise, the girls love them some Tim Urban! Christian music artist Michael Lynche is safe as is Toddrick Hall.  John Park goes home.  He just did not assert his personality. The rest of the guys hang through the commercial.

Who else goes home right now.  Up first is Lee Dewyze who, of course, is safe.  Aaron Kelly sang “My Girl”, which I liked, and he is safe.  Alex Lambert looks like he is going to faint but he is safe also.  It is down to Jermaine Sellers and Andy Garcia.  Looks like Jermaine is home.  Christian music artist Jermaine Sellers goes home.  Unfortunately, my predictions have come true.  I am really surprised Jermaine did not do better on American Idol Season 9.  He has been touring since he was 14.  I thought he would sail through the early weeks.  Was he too confident?  He is singing his farewell and as is often the case we ask ourselves, why didn’t he do that last night?

It is Danny Gokey time.  I am interested to hear his new stuff.  This is a good song for him.  The guy is singing about getting old?  What is he 28?  He sounds really good.  I would like to hear him sing a little more soulful music and I look forward to his worship cd.  That was country?  I guess, living in Texas, I don’t know what country music is.  This song is Number 5 on iTunes.  I love Danny Gokey.  All of you haters shut your mouth.

Girls on a hot seat!  Will Lacey Brown survive?  We hope so.  Of course Lilly Scott comes back nest week.  Paige Miles is safe. Katie Stevens is safe.   Didi Benami and Michelle Delamor are left.  We are going to lose another Christian music artist.  I disagree with this no matter who it is.  We lose Michelle Delamor.  I am shocked. She is crushed.

Now it is time for the final cut of the night.  Will it be Lacey Brown, Haeley Vaughn or another surprise.  Katelyn Epperly and Crystal Bowersox are safe.  Siobhan Magnus is safe so it is down to Lacey and Haeley.  Lacey Brown is safe!  Haeley Vaughn is going home.

I am shocked that we lost Michelle Delamor tonight.  We are down to four Christian music artists in the final 16.  Join us next Tuesday night.

Last night the American Idol Season 9 Top 10 guys performed better than the previous week, but it still wasn’t good.  Christian music artist Michael Lynche stole the show last night with a complete, soulful, smooth performance of James Brown’s “It’s A Man’s World”.  Everyone else was pretty ordinary.  Christian music artist Jermaine Sellers had a spirited exchange with the judges and displayed a pretty significant amount of frustration.  Tim Urban won respect from Simon by making big improvements in his performance this week.

Tonight, Christian music artists Didi Benami, Lacey Brown and Michelle Delamor are joined by Lilly Scott, Katie Stevens, Siobhan Magnus, Haeley Vaughn, Paige Miles, Katelyn Epperly and, hopefully, Crystal Bowersox.  Didi Benami and Michelle Delamor look to be safe this week, but Lacey Brown needs a big improvement to stay in the running on American Idol Season 9.  Come on Lacey, show America your talent tonight!

Crystal Bowersox is on the stairs so it looks like she will try to make a go of it.  Ryan interviews her and it looks like she may be the first one up.  Randy says the guys were hot last night.  Wow, Randy are you from Canada?

So we do start with Crystal Bowersox, who is a twin.  Last week she did “Hand In Pocket” and tonight we find out she performs with trinkets in pocket.  Tonight she is doing a gospel take on CCR’s “As Long As I Can Sing The Light”  I like the organ intro and she blasts the opening.  Okay we are getting the full Janis Joplin treatment.  Is she the best singer on American Idol Season 9?  This is the best of the season. If I didn’t have a computer in my lap I would give her a standing ovation. Randy calls her the truth and he loves the truth.  Ellen says amazing.  Kara is right, she hit a new level.  Simon is almost groveling and calls her a really serious artist.  Buy this song.  I will.

16 year old Haeley Vaughn is going to sing “The Climb” by Mylie Cyrus. She is so 16. Haeley Vaughn has no mean face.  Maybe Simon can give her lessons.  Her singing is pretty shakey,  Her voice is powerful but all over the place.  Is she flat, is she sharp.  Yes she is.  Kind of made me cringe. Randy calls it excruciating.  Kara says she needs a year of strengthening her singing talent.  So why did they bring her onto the show?  Ryan clashes with Simon and ugly looks ensue.

Christian music artist Lacey Brown gets a second chance. Come on Lacey prove to us that you are made to do this.  Tonight she is taking on Kara’s suggestion and do “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer.  She has a really fragile voice, in a good way. I am not sure I like the bopping take on the song, but she is singing well and showing much more of her talent this week.  Good job, Lacey. Randy says it was not special, but Ellen thinks it was adorable.  Simon thinks she is competing but is not showcasing herself as an artist.

Katie Stevens is up next.  Katie speaks six languages, but only to ask for a kiss. She is singing “Put Your Records On” by Corine Bailey Rae.  This song is in her wheel house.  The only thing I don’t like about it is that Katie can really belt so I would like to hear that pretty soon.  That was pretty good.  I have no idea what Randy just said.  I don’t think the judges know what to make of her performance.  Kara and Simon are frustrated.  Katie sing Aretha Franklin.  Good advice Simon, ‘tell us what type of artist you want to be”.

Christian music artist Didi Benami is doing Bill Withers, one of my favorite performers. Didi prays before she performs and she meows.  It works if you see it.  She is doing “Lean On Me”.  This is something totally different for Didi.  This is sort of a jazz take on this song.  Okay, Didi does not have much soul, but this a sort of pleading, compelling take on the song.  It was different.  I like it? Randy hates the song choice.  Ellen doesn’t like it either. Good comments Kara.  If you want to do the song, do your interpretation of the song.  Simon hated it.  I liked it more than the judges.  Didi Benami was visibly upset by the judges comments.

Michelle Delamor is doing a Creed song?  This should be interesting.  She is singing “Arms Wide Open”.  Michelle is a children’s choir teacher at church.  Michelle also prays before her performances.  This is a rock song?  I really like her take on this.  She struggles a little in the middle, but she makes this song over in her own style.  Her voice is not as big as you think it should be. The judges are saying the same thing over and over.  Ellen is right that it almost worked.  Kara calls it her favorite performance of Michelle’s for the entire season. Simon loved it as well.  They overlooked the technical difficulties and loved the risk.

Lilly Scott doesn’t pray before she sings she uses throat spray. She is singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”. She does another offbeat jazzy take on the song, but is that an honest interpretation of the song.   I don’t believe she understands the meaning of the song and she is certainly not communicating the meaning.  Technically good, but I did not really like it.  The judges love it.  I mean gushing all over themselves love it.  I may be developing an Adam Lambert relationship with Lilly Scott. Read last year’s blogs to understand the last comment.

Katelyn Epperly is going to take her American Idol Season 9 winnings and open a studio. She is singing “The Scientist” by Coldplay and she is behind the piano, a big white piano.  This performance is mesmerizing.  Is there any doubt that this song has some hidden meaning for her.  You can see her pain.  Great singing with a big husky voice.  That was awesome.  Shut-up Randy, do you even want to be here tonight?  What is wrong with you judges?  That was not too slow.  Is Kara the best judge this year?  Why can’t she be versatile, Kara?  Simon says she was corny?  I thought she was great.

HOW DO YOU TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS WITH YOUR IPHONE?  IT IS DRIVING ME CRAZY!!

Paige Miles colors in coloring books.  Is she a trend setter? She is singing “Walk Away” by Kelly Clarkson.  She is right, this pace of song suits her and Simon was right last week.  She can really sing.   To have so little experience she is very comfortable on stage.  She is strong. Daaaaaang, girl. I think you could say she owned that performance.  I am not discussing Randy’s comments any more.  Lalalalala (fingers in my ears).  Ellen?  She loved it and comments on how much fun she had with the song.  Kara does not think she connected with the meaning of the song but liked it.

It is amazing how wrong the judges are tonight.  I pretty much have disagreed with their overall assessment of every performance.

Siobhan Magnus let her mohawk grow out, thank goodness. She is singing “Think” by Aretha Franklin.  Well, she is going big this week.   She sings it okay, if you forget Aretha, but I am wondering why she is singing this song.  It doesn’t connect for me.  But she does show off her pipes.  The judges love it with a capital L.

The ladies were much, much better tonight than the guys.  Tonight makes Simon look like a prophet.  Crystal Bowersox took the night but all the girls were good tonight.

We lost one of our American Idol Season 9 Christian music artists last week, but not the one we thought might leave.  Ashley Rodriguez was a victim of delivering a mediocre performance during a time when several attractive R&B singers split the votes for attractive R&B singers.  That leaves us with six Christian music artists on American Idol Season 9.  Jermaine Sellers, Tim Urban and Michael Lynche perform tonight and Didi Benami, Lacey Brown and Michelle Delamor perform with the ladies tomorrow.  Tim Urban and Lacey Brown need big performances this week to survive Thursday night’s American Idol Season 9 Top 20 results show.

Tonight Michael Lynche, Jermaine Sellers and Tim Urban perform with Andy Garcia, Casey Jones, John Park, Alex Lambert, Lee Dewyze, Toddrick Hall and Aaron Kelly to sing songs from the Billboard charts, which means almost anything.

So, join us for our live reactions over the next two hours as we continue to support the Christian music artists on American Idol Season 9.

Ryan explains that Crystal Bowersox is in the hospital and unable to perform so the guys are performing tonight.  Does Michael Lynche get the last performing spot?  Two guys and two girls go home on Thursday.

Michael Lynche starts out doing James Brown’s “It’s A Mans World”  Fantastic start!  Great singing, great performance.  A great arrangement of an iconic song.  Randy gives him a standing ovation.  Kara and Ellen says it is the performance to beat.  Simon says he in one week Michael went from a kitten to a lion and modernized that old song.  I had some really good stuff written on this performance and hit the wrong button on my keyboard and erased the entire thing.  It was good really.  I will buy this.

John Park is in an acapella group at Northwestern called Purple Haze.  John was born in the U.S. but grew up in Korea until the 4th grade.  He was bothered by the judges criticism.  He is singing “Gravity” by John Mayer.  From jazz to jazzy blues, but this is a good singing song.  He looks terrified, surprising.  John has a good voice but I don’t hear anything special in this performance.  He seems to get washed away in the music.  The performance lacked emotion.  Randy thinks it was flat and Ellen thinks it lacked soul.  They all think it was better than last week.  Kara misses his connection to the song, says he needs to let loose and take some risks.  Simon thinks he may go home.

Casey James is bringing a little electric guitar to the stage.  Casey bought and remodeled a house?  He is doing “I Don’t Wanna Be” by Davin McGraw an American Idol favorite.  He is ripping it up on his guitar and I think it distracted from his vocals.  He seems out of breath, there is no power behind his voice.  He seems comfortable doing the rock guitar performance, but the vocals fell short.  Randy loved the guitar thing, thinks it was hot.  Ellen thinks he was stiff.  Kara did not like him tonight, saying he took two steps back. She hits him on the singing.  Simon agrees with Kara, saying he looked like a rock star wannabe.

Alex Lambert has stage fright, surprise!  He is not throwing up tonight, uncomfortable.  Alex has created his own language?  Tonight he is playing his guitar. He is singing John Legend’s “Everybody Knows”.  He is certainly more comfortable, but I don’t get this guy.  My wife likes his voice.  Much, much better than last week, but it doesn’t work for me.  Missed that last note.  Ellen says tonight he is the ripened banana.  She says he is the most unique talent on the show.  Kara is loving Alex Lambert and Simon calls it a million times better.  Simon gave him really good tough love and told him to believe in himself and compete to win.

Toddrick Hall, who may become the edgiest performer of American Idol Season 9, is doing Tina Turner tonight. Last week he ripped up a Kelly Clarkson song, the judges hated it but many on the blogosphere, me included, loved it.  He is singing “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and is limiting his dancing and performing.  I think he is making a mistake, for the first half of the song.  Then he pulls the mike off the stand and starts moving.  It is like he sings better when he dances.  Randy does not like his arrangement.  Ellen thinks the song choice was bad.  Kara says he is trying to do too much.  Simon says to move and not sing, calling it theme park-like.

We are halfway through the performances.  The show is much better this week, but Christian music artist Michael Lynche still owns the night.  He set a high bar and no one has reached it yet.

Christian music artist Jermaine Sellers takes his turn on stage next.  He really wears a onesy on national television.  He is brave.  Tonight he is singing Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”.  He is very brave, maybe even foolish.  This song is perfect for his voice but he is not delivering.  It sounds like a lounge act version of one of the most important songs of the 20th century.  Sorry, Jermaine you really, really missed tonight.  Get ready to get ripped.  Randy says “better than last week??” Ellen compliments him for the onesy.  ‘Nuff said.  Kara says he is trying to do too much.  Simon says the judges are frustrated and that he waters down the song.  Simon agrees to go to church with Jermaine.  Way to go Jermaine!

Andy Garcia is a break dancer! Once again the judges did not like his arrangement last week and once again I disagree.    He is singing James Morrison’s “You Give Me Something”.  He seems a little uncomfortable without his guitar.  He is all over the place with his pitch.  Is he doing it on purpose?  He has moments and this is a different side of Andy Garcia.  Not sure I liked this.  Randy did not get it.  Ellen disagrees and she thinks they are judging him based on his high point from Hollywood Week.  Simon is frustrated with Andy as well, calling his performance okay, when he is better than okay.

Aaron Kelly does not believe he should be on the show.  He needs more confidence while he sings “My Girl” from the Temptations.  I don’t think this is really his groove.  He is actually doing this pretty well, even with his country tilt on the song.  He just showed he can really sing.  That was pretty good.  Randy says it was 200% better.  Ellen says that “My Girl” is forgettable.  Boo, Ellen.  Kara liked it all, but Simon did not like it at all.  He thinks it was too old fashioned. I disagree with Simon.  I think this could be a country hit for Aaron.

At least Christian music artist Tim Urban gets a fighting chance with next to last performing slot.  Let’s see what he can do with it.  Tim comes from a large family and he prays before he performs.  He is performing “Come On and Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson and he is playing his guitar.  Much, much better than last week but it is no breakthrough for Tim.  A nice performance of a nice song. Randy says there was nothing special.  Ellen says there is no charisma and he is not really a singer.  Simon actually likes him this week.  He is impressed with his work ethic.  Simon is actually complimentary.  Is this enough to save him for another week?

We end the evening with the judge’s favorite from last week, Lee Dewyze.  Lee was a problem child in High School, but recovered with the help of a teacher.  Good for him.  He is doing “Lips of An Angel” by Hinder.  Lee has the voice of a hundred lead singers on the radio.  That is a compliment.  He seems to be struggling with the song.  His pitch is all over the place.  You know he can do better vocally.  Randy did not like it but was told to compliment Lee.  Ellen says great?  I agree with Kara that you can hear Lee on the radio right now.  Simon calls him the best singer of the guys.  I disagree with the judges assessment of Lee’s performance tonight.  It seemed biased.

Despite the lead position Michael Lynche took the night by a mile.  In a night when just about everyone improved, no one was even close.  Michael Lynche gave the first breakthrough performance of the season.

Join us tomorrow night to see if the girls can also show the type of improvement the guys showed tonight.

Tonight we find out who were the worst of the American Idol Season 9 performers, four will go home tonight.  At One21music we follow the Christian music artists competing on American Idol Season 9.  Seven Christian music artists are awaiting their fate tonight.  Michael Lynche, Didi Benami, Tim Urban, Lacey Brown, Michelle Delamor,  Jermiane Sellers and Ashley Rodriguez are on the block.  We hope all of them get another chance but I am worried about Tim Urban, Lacey Brown and Jermaine Sellers.

It must be exceedingly frustrating to go home tonight.  You cannot blame anyone but yourself but the performers must feel that they really did not get a chance to fully show what they can do.  Everyone can have a bad performance and you cannot judge a performer by any one good or bad performance.  No matter who goes home, I will feel bad for them.

And we are live on American Idol Season 9!  24 million people voted and Kris Allen will perform.  Ryan is right to point out that it is usually rough at this point of the season.

The Top 24 perform a group number, but I missed the song title and I don’t recognize it.  Is it “American Boy”?  Not a bad song, jazzy, and they are doing pretty well with it.  We do find out the Didi Benami cannot dance, she becomes more like Brooke White every time we see her.  My wife just informed me that the song was made popular by Estelle.

Let’s get started sending some girls home. Siobhan Magnus is safe.  Haeley Vaughn is safe.  Michelle Delamor must be safe and she is safe.  Katelyn Epperly sang “Oh Darling” and she is safe.  Uh oh, Katie Stevens and Janelle Wheeler are on the block.  It must be Janelle.  Yep, Janelle Wheeler goes home.  The Heart bomb blows up in her face. She seems to take it well.  Way to leave with dignity.

We get an Allison Iraheta sighting.  I can’t wait. She is singing her new single “Scars”.  This is an okay song, especially by American Idol alumni standards.  Not the best I have heard her sing, but I like Allison.

Christian music artists Didi Benami, Lacey Brown and Ashley Rodriquez remain on the block with Crystal Bowersox, Paige Miles and Lilly Scott.  I am worried about Lacey Brown I think it is either her or Paige Miles.

We jump right into the eliminations again.  Paige Miles is up and she stays another week, it is either Lacey or a surprise.  Lacey Brown is back for another week.  Who will be the surprise?  Lilly Scott is back for another week.  I think it will be Ashley Rodriguez is going home.  Crystal Bowersox is safe and we are down to Ashley and Didi Benami.  Ashley Rodriquez goes home.  What a surprise!  She is surprised and a little mad and struggling to hold it together.  So sad, our first Christian music artist goes home.  Good luck Ashley!

It is interesting that similar types are the first to be eliminated.  One of three blonde folk pop singers, Janelle Wheeler.  One of three R&B singers, Ashley Rodriguez goes home.  It is not fair but both of them split a voting block.

Now the guys are up and we start with Michael Lynche and he is safe. John Park survives a poor performance.  Aaron Kelly is surely safe and so he is.  Toddrick Hall took a big risk last night and he survives.  Tim Urban and Joe Munoz are side by side.  Christian music artist Tim Urban is safe.  Wow, he is in shock!  I can’t believe that Tim survived, I am so happy.  You get one more chance to prove Simon wrong.  Sorry Joe Munoz, I liked you.

After Kris Allen performs, Christian music artist Jermaine Sellers is on the hot seat with Casey James, Andy Garcia, Alex Lambert, Lee Dewyze and the bathrobe boy Tyler Grady.  I think Alex Lambert leaves us from that group but Jermaine Sellers could be a surprise departure tonight.  I hope not, I think he has more to bring than he showed last night.

After a one year break Idol Gives Back returns in April, but they are starting the focus with a report from Haiti by Kris Allen.  Kris’s performance is available in iTunes and all proceeds go to Haiti relief and you can donate online as well.  Kris is interpreting “Let It Be”.  Do you remember why you loved him so much last year?  Do you remember why you voted for him.  Go to iTunes and download this song.  Go to AmericanIdol.com and donate.  Great, great song performed well by last year’s American Idol.

Time to finish this agony.  Starting with Casey James and he is safe to be terrorized by Kara for another week.  Jermaine Sellers is safe for another week, yeah!  All of the Christian guys are through. Lee Dewyze is safe, as is Andy Garcia.  It is down to Alex Lambert and Tyler Grady.  It could be Tyler but I would be surprised.  I think Alex Lambert is going home but I am wrong.  Tyler Grady is going home.  What a surprise.  He is now criticizing the judges.  Bad form dude.

We finish the evening with a montage of the four who are going home.  I really disagree with America about Ashley and I am shocked by Tyler’s exit.

Check back this weekend and I will preview next week’s show and then we will be here live blogging all three of next week’s shows of American Idol Season 9.

Tonight the guys get their chance to surprise us with consistently good performances.  American Idol Season 9 features three Christian music artist men: Michael Lynche, Jermaine Sellers, and Tim Urban.  To learn more about these American Idol Season 9 Christian music artists see our articles on American Idol Season 9

The Christian music performers will be joined tonight by nine other American Idol Season 9 hopefuls: Aaron Kelly, Alex Lambert, Toddrick Hall, Tyler Grady, Casey James, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Jose Munoz and John Park.

As we discussed in our American Idol Season 9 Top 24 preview we expect Michael Lynche and Andrew Garcia to be  strong contenders all season and we would not be surprised if Toddrick Hall and Alex Lambert struggle tonight.

As we discussed in last night’s Top 12 Girls Live Blog, American Idol Season 9 presents a few changes for song selection in. Contestant performances will be available for purchase and download exclusively on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) the day following the performances. And for the first time, beginning with the Top 12, American Idol Season 9 show themes will be revealed in advance on iTunes along with playlists of original songs by the original artists from which the contestants may choose and which fans can preview and download.

This week the American Idol season 9 Top 24 will perform songs from the Top 10 Hits of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  We were unlcear how this would work, but it seems American Idol Season 9 contestants can select just about any song ever sold.  Let’s see if the guys can deliver tonight.

That was an odd opening, “This Is American..Simon stop talking.”  Randy says the girls blew it out last night, what?  It will be interesting to see if Ellen has anything to say tonight.

So we start with Toddrick Hall. He has some gospel in his background but I cannot find much in his recent past and there has been some controversy with some of his business dealings.  He is singing Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You Been Gone” as an R&B number.  Toddrick has it going on. Good vocals, great arrangement and fantastic stage presence.  This is a good way to start the show.  I think Ellen just summed it up with “yep”.  Randy hated the arrangement. Kara agrees that she wants to see him sing more. Simon hated it.  I disagree with the judges.

Aaron Kelly, the 16 year old adopted country singer from Pennsylvania.  He has published songs as a song writer.  He is singing Rascal Flatt’s “Here Comes Goodbye”.  I am not a Flatt’s fan but this sounds better than their version.  Country is definitely his strong suit.  Of course the judges will say he did not show enough originality.  Simon says it was good but he is not confident enough. The judges ignored what they did not like about him and focused on building him up.

Christian music artist Jermaine Sellers starting singing gospel music professionally when he was 14.  He is singing “Get Here” Oleta Adams.  This does not sound very good.  I don’t know this song, but it seems to be off key and shrill.  I did not like this.  Ellen is trying to more insightful tonight. Randy hates it and says he was trying to do too much with it.  He says just sing, dude.  Simon says it was so over the top that he was screaming.  I agree with Simon.

Tim Urban, our last minute substitute, is the stealth Idol.  Have we seen him on camera yet this season?  He is a Christian from Texas and he needs a break out performance tonight. At least Ryan spends a couple of minutes with him before performs.  He kept his success from his family until it was announced on television, how cool.  He is a heartthrob.  He sings “Apologize” by OneRepublic and he is channeling Kris Allen.  I am not sure he has the high end for this song.  He is really struggling.  Not the type of performance you need to stay in the competition.  Simon slams him and says they made the right decision the first time. Kara says he was buried by the song. The judges are right that the performance did not work.  Hopefully he will get another a chance to show what he can do.

Joe Munoz, a 20 year-old from California, talks through his Hollywood struggles.  Tonight he sings “You and I Both” by Jason Mraz.  This a boring song but he sounds pretty good. Not much stage presence.  There is really not much here.  I suspect Simon will say forgettable. Ellen liked it?  Kara and Randy liked the singing.  and Simon said it, forgettable.

Now we see, 70’s rocker Tyler Grady.  Remember, he auditioned with broken wrists. He is singing The Guess Who’s “American Mind”.  He certainly feels comfortable in his rock singer stage presence.  The back-up singers are a little distracting.  The singing is okay, but the performance is good. I like the song.  Simon calls him cliched and focuses too much on his persona.  Kara thinks he needs to be more original.  All the judges are saying style over substance.

The judges are vicious tonight.  It seems that half way through last night’s show the judges lost patience and decided to be brutally honest and they carried it over into tonight.  Not that the performers are helping, mostly below average tonight.  We need someone to ignite the judges with a great performance.  Where is Michael Lynch?

It is time for rocker Lee Dewyze, a 23 year old paint sales clerk from Chicago.  He is singing “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol.  He is the first one to play his guitar tonight.  He has a big, but rough voice.  Tonight he is flat.  He does not deliver the break through we needed.  Ellen loves his tone but heard he pushed off key.  Randy did not like it all and Kara didn’t either.  Simon thinks it was the best of the night, calling him a naturally good singer.  Lee will get another chance.

Next up is John Park.  He had a great audition but we have not seen him much since.  If I remember, he has a deep soulful voice.  He is a student at Northwestern. He is singing the jazz standard “God Bless the Child”.  What a beautiful voice this guy has.  As Shania Twain said, he has a great bottom end.   Simon does not think he has a good enough voice and the performance was emotionless.  Kara agrees with Simon and feels he did not connect.  Randy likes it a little better but he is not excited. John may be in trouble.

Now Christian music Michael Lynche takes his shot at exciting the judges.  You cannot forget Michael, he is the biggest performer ever on American Idol, but he seems so soulful and nice.   He sings “This Love” by Maroon 5. Is this who he is?  He does not seem comfortable, maybe a little stiff.  The vocals are strong but something is missing.  I have heard this guy’s original stuff, it is brilliant.  I hope he brings his creativity to future performances.  He is good but not up to his own standards.  Ellen liked it.  Randy thinks he brought energy to the show.  Kara appreciates him but says the performance was not outrageously great.  Simon calls him a support act.

Next up is 19 year old Alex Lambert who suffered through the Mary Powers’ Hollywood Week group.  He is butchering some song by James Morrison.  Is it “Wonderful World”?  I don’t like his voice and I don’t like his performance.  He may be leaving us this week.  Simon says it was the most uncomfortable performance of the night.  Kara thinks he needs a hug.  The judges love his tone but they agree he needs to believe in himself.  Ellen loves his mullet and compares him to a banana?

Ft. Worth heartthrob, blues guitarist Casey James steps into the gauntlet with the Bryan Adams song “Heaven”.  On stool, bathed in blue light with his guitar he delivers on this power ballad.  this thing between him and Kara needs to stop, it is too weird.  The performance is pretty good.  It is nothing special.  Thank you Ellen for apologizing for the judges’ behavior.  Kara calls him eye candy and ear candy. Simon thinks it was honest and likable.  Casey thanks them for complimenting him.  He said, “I was ready to come up her and get torn apart.”

Can anyone pulls this bus out of the ditch?  Andrew Garcia, you are our last hope.

Andrew Garcia, the stay at home father, whose family left the gang life to raise him, is one of the great hopes for American Idol Season 9.  He sings “Sugar We Are Going Down” by Fall Out Boy.  He is a very confident performer.  It is not his best vocal but the arrangement is fantastic.  Simon was disappointed, calling it too serious and too indulgent.  Kara calls it a strange arrangement, but I liked it.  I disagree with the judges about the arrangement.

Overall, this is another disappointing night.  Maybe the performers get their groove back next week. Join us tomorrow night to see four people go home.

Tonight, American Idol Season 9 features four Christian music artists: Didi Benami, Lacey Brown, Ashley Rodriguez and Michelle Delomor.  To learn more about these American Idol Season 9 Christian music artists see our articles on American Idol Season 9

The Christian music performers will be joined tonight by eight other American Idol Season 9 hopefuls: Siobhan, Magnus, Paige Miles, Lillly Scott, Crystal Bowersox, Haeley Vaughn, Janell Wheeler, Katelyn Epperly and Katie Stevens.

As we discussed in our American Idol Season 9 Top 24 preview we expect Katie Stevens to be a strong conternder all season and we would not be surprised if Haeley Vaughn and Siobhan Magnus struggle tonight.

A few changes for song selection in American Idol Season 9.  Contestant performances will be available for purchase and download exclusively on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) the day following the performances. And for the first time, beginning with the Top 12, American Idol Season 9 show themes will be revealed in advance on iTunes along with playlists of original songs by the original artists from which the contestants may choose and which fans can preview and download.

This week the American Idol season 9 Top 24 will perform songs from the Top 10 Hits of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  It is a little unclear to me if this means the overall Top 10 or the Top 10 from each chart.  Giving the American Idol Season 9 Top 24 only 10 songs to choose from seems a little limiting, but let’s watch together and see.  The next two hours should be fun.

So we meet the girls for the first time live. For the next three weeks the guys and girls are going to perform seperately, we will eliminate two guys and two girls each week until we get to American Idol Season 9’s Top 12.  The judges pontificate a little and we get to hear Ellen start to create her own set of catch phrases.  She accuses Simon of being a bit of a groper and she has tape to support her case.

Paige Miles leads off.  We don’t know her very well.  She is a pre-school teacher from Houston by way of Naples, Florida.  She is singing an oldie “All Right Now” by Free.  Not a very good song for her. She can sing well and does a pretty good job, not great.  Simon thinks she has the best voice but did not like the song.  Kara disagrees, she thinks it was brilliant. They all agree she has a huge voice.

Christian music artist Ashley Rodriguez, our Berklee School of Music student from Boston,  is performing “Happy” by Leona Lewis.  Wow!  When she let’s loose she blows us away.  The song is kind of lame and doesn’t show her skills very well.  I would have liked her more if she had done a more soulful song.  Kara compares Leona Lewis to Mariah Carey?  The judges think she did a good job but it did not show her skills very well.  They want her to step out of her comfort zone and take a risk. Simon thinks she is going backwards.  I agree with them.

Janell Wheeler is up next.  She is a flower child from Florida.  We are still trying to figure out her faith background. Tonight she is singing Heart’s “What About Love”.  Well, she jumps into deep water right away and she does not really have the voice to sing this song.  She cannot keep in tune.  She may be in trouble tonight.  The judges are about to pounce.  Randy did not like the song choice. Ellen liked it, I don’t know why.  Simon says she delivered only 65%, but the judges are very supportive.

I like the pace of the show.  I am glad they decided to go two hours.  The singers have time to sing and the judges have time to judge.  So far so good.

Now we learn about indie rocker, jazz crooner Lilly Scott.  We learn that she was homeless when she auditioned for American Idol Season 9. Interesting song choice.  She is singing The Beatles’ “Fixing A Hole.”  Her arrangement is great but is she off key?  She is pretty good but 10 weeks of these affected performances will get a little old.  Ellen loves it, the song choice, the arrangement, the voice and the performance.   Simon calls it the best so far.  Kara calls her believable and at ease.

I think the judges have been very good tonight, so far.  Ashley and Janelle really reached to the limits of their abilities and it limited their creativity.  Paige and Lilly chose off beat songs and delivered interesting interpretations.

Katelyn Epperly has the reputation as a formidable and intimidating musician.  She is singing “Oh Darling” by the the Beatles in a country style.  I like her voice but I don’t like the arrangement and I don’t like her look tonight.   Simon called it messy and screamy but interesting. Kara says she knows her voice very well and uses it to good effect.  Kara likes her with a more natural look.  Randy likes her tone and melody.

Haeley Vaughn is a sixteen year country singer.  We are trying to figure out her faith background.  She pierced her nose when she went to Hollywood and here she is with nose diamond in tow.  She is doing a very slow, interesting version of The Beatles “I Want To Hold Your Hand”.  I may have underestimated Miss Vaughn. This is quirky and very well done.  Kara points out the technical problems, but embraces her magnetism. Ellen loves her stage presence and enjoyed the performance.  Simon thinks it was terrible.

One hour in and we are through six performances.  Good pace for the show.  I think Ellen is showing her weakness as a judge.  She has not had any criticism at all.

Christian music artist Lacey Brown is up.  She made it to Hollywood last year, but not this far. Lacey is singing Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”.  It starts a little rough trying to channel Stevie Nicks.  I don’t know, it is hard to push through the back-up singers.  Not great Lacey, I hope you aren’t in trouble.  Randy thought it was terrible.  Ellen thinks she is better than that.  Simon was depressed.

Two Christian music artists next, Michelle Delamor and Didi Benami.

Michelle Delamor is a gospel singer and fashion hopeful from Florida.  She is singing Fallin’ by Alicia Keys.  This is a big risky song to sing.  She does not stumble over the start, like many do.  She pulls it off, but it is a pale comparison to the original.  Ellen says it was fantastic and it seemed easy for her. Simon says it was close to the original but had no wow moment.  Kara was a little more critical saying it missed in a few spots.  Randy wants to see something new.

Didi Benami is a Belmont College who met her muse at this Christian music college only to see her die in a car accident.  She is singing “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson.  A very interesting 60’s jazz take on this song.  I don’t know it so it may be an exact copy of the original, but it is very different from what we heard from her in Hollywood.  Simon thinks she sounds like a lot of other singers.  He is missing her spark.  Kara liked her creativity with the song.  Randy thinks there is no star factor.  Even Ellen agrees that the song was underwhelming.

Siobhan Magnus is an experimental rocker, glass blowing apprentice from Cape Cod. She is singing Wicked Game from Chris Isaaks.  The mix is horrible.  We cannot even hear the band and she needs the band.  This is a pale, karaoke version of this song.  There is no danger in this dangerous song.  Kara liked it?  Randy thought it was a weak song choice.  Ellen really loved it.  Simon thought it was a bad song choice.

Bluesy, indie rocker Crystal Bowersox is a hardworking professional musician from Ohio.  She is singing “Hand in My Pocket” from Alanis Morissette.  It has been a while since I heard this song but Crytstal is mesmerizing.  This is pretty brilliant.  She is strong and original.  Randy loves her honesty as a performer. Ellen thinks we are lucky she decided to audition.  Simon thinks she is not original.  Kara thinks she was good, but can be great.

We end the evening with 17 year-old Katie Stevens singing Michael Buble’s “Feeling Good”.  This young lady is assured and talented.  She is a little stiff on stage and this is not the best song for her voice,  However, it is a statement of her demeanor.  She announces that she is here to win.  Ellen thinks it was conservative and wants to her to be more modern.  Simon agrees and called it annoying.  Kara thinks she was surprisingly pitchy.  Randy thinks she was pushing too hard.

Most of the ladies were creative , but no one blew me away tonight.  Join us tomorrow night when the American Idol Season 9 Top 12 guys perform live.