[IMG:L]Below are my assessments of Tuesday night’s rock-themed (and Slash-mentored) performances on American Idol, followed by a sure-to-be-dead-wrong prediction of Wednesday night’s bottom three and elimination.
Adam Lambert: “Whole Lotta Love,” by Led Zeppelin
Zeppelin on American Idol — never thought I’d see the day! (Additionally, I never thought Adam would start off a show, since he’s the main draw for a lot of people, thus leaving them free to skip the rest of the hour.) Adam might’ve looked like Robert Plant’s polar opposite, but he’s one of very few who could reach Plant’s ridiculously high register. He also possessed some serious frontman swagger and was miles from the Broadway theatrics we’ve become accustomed to — which was a good thing — optin instead for a pure rock ‘n’ roll vibe. Amazing performance … or the usual from Adam.
Grade: A
Allison Iraheta: “Cry Baby,” by Janis Joplin
Great song choice — and, it must be said, perfect theme week for Idol’s resident teenyrocker. Allison seamlessly belted the high, effusive choruses, and, surprisingly, she was able to keep her emotions and voice in check during the bluesier, more tender verses. Say what you will about her personality — or lack thereof — and, yes, the whole package matters when it comes to votes, especially this late in the competition, but judging solely on her performance …
Grade: B+
Kris Allen & Danny Gokey (duet): “Renegade,” by Styx
Pretty awful, unbefitting song choice for this duet, even with the countrified opening moments. Danny is decidedly not rock ‘n’ roll and Chris really isn’t either, but like the judges said, there were some impressive moments — namely when they harmonized. A little cheesy, but it succeeded to a degree.
Grade: B-
Kris Allen: “Come Together,” by the Beatles
The apparent go-to Beatles-on-Idol song, “Come Together” worked fairly well for Kris. Rock ‘n’ roll is clearly soooo not his genre, but he was smart to tone down parts of the song and turn them acoustic. Still, it was a tad cheesy and obviously uncomfortable for Kris. His strong suit — and high point — came a few weeks back with the emotional indie tune “Falling Slowly.” That is Kris.
Grade: B-
Danny Gokey: “Dream On,” by Aerosmith
Like his duet partner Kris, Danny is most certainly not a rocker, and to make matters worse, he picked one of the toughest rock songs — primarily for its climactic ending that can’t be replicated. Prior to that point, Danny’s performance was decent enough, but the ending was a mess, and frankly, there’s just no reason to even attempt to hit that note. This song is forbidden fruit, only capable of doing harm, and it kinda did that for Danny. On the flipside, he’s pretty safe and can afford — and deserves credit for — a little risk-taking.
Grade: C+
Adam Lambert & Allison Iraheta (duet): “Slow Ride,” by Foghat
The song didn’t really fit Adam or Allison’s strengths: It didn’t leave room for Adam to go over-the-top, and Allison screamed unnecessarily. That said, they really got the crowd going and it was endlessly exciting. What Simon said may very well prove true: Adam might’ve given Allison a shot at survival this week. Therein lies the importance of duets being thrown into the mix.
Grade: B+
PREDICTIONS
Bottom Three: Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen, Danny Gokey
Eliminated: Kris Allen
LAST WEEK’S RECAP: Standards night!
