AI Season 9- Top 16 Guys' Performance

Ryan walks the lineup, greeting and introducing each guy individually, with an extra pat on the shoulder for Aaron.

Randy is in a blue and red golf sweater, and his beads. Ellen is wearing a gray blazer over a striped sweater. Kara is once again sparkly, with a black and silver sheer top over a low cut knit something (I can't tell if it's a tee or a tube top).  Simon is Simon.

As with last night's show, we're in a hurry tonight- lots of singers to cram into just one hour, especially for a show that lives and breathes padding.

Lee is up first, in a blue checked shirt and playing a guitar(which will be a recurring theme tonight). Whatever this song is (I missed the title), it's okay but not exciting. I'm pretty sure I heard some bad notes, and I know there was a whole lot of nasal.

Alex, in a preppy jacket and untucked shirt and school tie, is strumming a guitar and singing Ray LaMontagne's Trouble, which was one of my favorite Taylor Hicks' performances. It's not awful, but he doesn't have the depth (emotionally or musically) for this song.

Tim, also with a guitar, and wearing a black shirt, is singing Hallelulia, which seems like a really bad idea for a guy whose performances have been weak at best. However, outside of a couple of random bum notes, he's doing well overall. In fact, this is his best performance ever. Good job, Tim.

Andrew, in a letter sweater, and, you guessed it, playing a guitar, is desperately trying to recapture the magic he made during Hollywood week. He's singing Christina Aguilera's Genie in a Bottle. It's not bad- Andrew has a large talent and a great voice, and what he's doing tonight is good. But it also feels very same-old same-old. I don't think this is going to give him what he needs.

Casey, wearing a very Casey shirt, and playing a guitar, has chosen Keith Urban's You'll Think of Me. The backup singer's mike is way too loud, but otherwise this is really good. In fact, it's the best performance of the evening, so far.

Aaron, is singing I'm Already There, which starts shaky, and heavy on the goat vibrato. It got a bit better in the strong middle, but on the whole, this is the worst of the night. Maybe he should have played a guitar.

Every week, I dislike Todrick more. Tonight he's wearing a sparkly burlap jacket with an asymetrical zipper, and fingerless leather gloves. He's singing Queen's Somebody to Love. The opening is good, but the rest is in a range that seems too low for him. This entire performance screams Broadway. Simon agrees with me.

Michael is Undertaker on top and Casual Friday on the bottom. He's singing This Woman's Work, a song I don't know at all. He starts with a lovely falsetto, and is perhaps a bit too theatrical (speaking of the B word), but his voice is wonderful, and the Glory Note was perfect. Michael is my favorite of the guys.

Evidently, sitting next to Simon turns all women into Paula. In addition to hanging all over Simon, and frequently making no sense in her commentary, not to mention some really questionable fashion choices, tonight Kara is channeling the Abdul propensity to overreact. She's not just crying over Michael's performance, she's moved to near incoherence. I mean, it was nice and all, but really.

So, we're at the end of another episode with very little filler- whoda thunk they could do it twice in a row?

Going home tomorrow night? Aaron, because he's out of his depth, and Andrew, because being boring and predictible is worse than being bad.

Best of the night: Casey and Michael, with a nod to Tim.