AI Season 9- Top 6 Elimination

We start in the Control Room- people in the dark, clustered around monitors, clips from last night. 3-2-1-Roll Open.

Randy's in a bright red cardigan and his usual beads. Ellen is wearing a black knit shirt with a white collar. Kara has a baggy black satin top, and long, dangly, blue beaded earrings. Her hair is both slicked back and frizzy at the same time, which is quite a trick.

Rascal Flatts is onstage first. Rascal (or maybe he's Flatt) has very long and pointy boots, and an embroidered and besequined white shirt that has been starched within an inch of its cotton life. The guitar player to his left looks just like him, only with darker hair. The guitar player to his right went to Justin Beiber's stylist. Their song is very Taylor Swifty- light and poppy.

We get a little clip of Fordmercial behind-the-scenes action. The kids are dressed up as vampires, though Siobhan looks pretty much like she always does. The actual commercial is a hoot- with Mike scaring the rest of the Vamps off with a garlic pizza. This is the best Fordmercial since Clay and Ruben played pimps.

Next, the kids all play Voice Over Artists with the Shrek folks. For a show that continually runs overtime, we use up many valuable minutes shilling this movie. I like Shrek, and I'm a grandma, so the chance of me seeing this movie in the theater is pretty high, though I may be the only person on the world who is not enthralled with 3-D animation, especially at eleven bucks a pop.

Finally, we get to the reason for the show: Siobhan is wearing a very short dress with an interestingly constructed light pink satin bodice and a ruched salmon satin skirt. Ryan sends her to the far end of the stage.

Aaron, in a black leather jacket over a print tee, is sent to center stage.

Mike raided Randy's closet for a multi-gray cardigan with black armbands. He stands closest to Ryan.

Lee is in all black, shirt over tee over jeans and boots. He's paired with Siobhan.

Casey has a black western shirt with a cross on the back. He joins Mike.

Crystal has tucked her dreds up in a huge knit hat. She's in denim tonight, and she looks worried when Ryan sends her to stand with Aaron. It worries me too.

And now, after all that jockeying, Ryan pulls Siobhan away from Lee, and marches her to Mike and Casey, and then announces that they're tonight's Bottom 3.

Ryan also announces that Harry Connick Jr. is next week's Mentor, and the theme is the songs of Frank Sinatra. Are they trying to sabotage Crystal?

Carrie Underwood, beautiful as always, in a purple sparkly outfit, introduces the band that opened for her on her tour. The Sons of Sylvia look more like The Cousins of Peter Petrelli- pale, mumbly, and angsty. They sing and play, but I don't understand more than one word in five.

We evidently have hours and hours to waste tonight, because another band takes the stage- this time Lady Antebellum, who it turns out is only 1/3 female. However, that third is quite pretty, with smoky eyes and a floaty top that is all serious and black on the front, and Arizona RV Park on the back.This song is actually quite nice- I like it better than any of the guest performances all season. I may have to look these guys up.

So, it's time to find out who is going home, right? Right?

Nope. Rascall Flatts is backs, this time with a barefoot Shakira in a Stevie Nicks suit, and some barefoot backup belly dancers. There is a whole lotta skirt going on.

And now, finally, it's time for the elimination. Mike, who needs to work on his game face, is safe, which leaves Siobhan and Casey.  My guess is that Siobhan is going home. I thought she did fine last night, but I seem to be the only one. All of the reviewers and most of the fansites panned her performance, and Casey has never been in the Bottom (I don't think).

Yep, it's Siobhan. Though I thought Aaron was headed out, I'm not really surprised that Siobhan is getting the boot. For a year that was supposed to belong to The Girls, Crystal is the last one standing. How long she stands remains to be seen. (And if they follow up Sinatra Week with, oh, say, Don Ho and The Music of Hawaii, it won't be for long).

Note to show: that's lampwork, not glass blowing