Tonight the three finalists perform songs picked by the judges, by themselves, and Jimmy Iovine. First up are the judges picks. But before we go into that, I'd like to do a plug for some independent artist friends of mine. If you've liked my mutterings on American Idol this season, do me a solid and buy the new CD by my friend Andrea Dawn called "Theories of How We Can Be Friends." I just got to listen to it yesterday, and it's fantastic. A great local artist making great local music. Buy on iTunes here, or on her website. If you can't do that, at least like her on Facebook! Do it! Okay, now back to my reactions to tonight's show, which as always, I write before I hear what the judges have to say...

Joshua - "I'd Rather Be Blind" - Gotta love that key change. I thought this was fantastic. But… I would like to see 15% more energy and specificity from his eyes. There are times where his eyes just kind of drift away, and even though the voice maintains it's amazing-ness, it could be even better. Only drawback of this song is its lack of familiarity.

Jessica: "My All" - In the second verse, it almost seemed like she was running out of breath. Not a fan of this in general, though she executed the choruses well. It was a good off speed pitch for her, but again, a song that is not terribly familiar.

Phillips: "Beggin'" - So this tune is actually a Four Seasons song that was remade. Again, not the most familiar Four Seasons' tune, but in Phillip's case, it works to his advantage because as a singer-songwriter type, his attack with an unfamiliar song makes it seem like he might have written it. My only negative on that one was that his eyes were closed more often this performance than in the past.

Round One goes to Phillip, in my humble opinion…

Joshua: "Imagine" - Hey, it's a recognizable song! I want to steal that drummer's stick and throw it. I would have liked this song, but what is up with this arrangement? The background vocals sound like a holdover from the Donny and Marie Variety Show. The only thing this arrangement had going for it was the last four bars. That ending was great. The rest of it? Just okay for me.

Jessica: "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" - Sure, it's an Aerosmith song, but it was written by Diane Warren, so it's not exactly away from her type. This is a lot better than her first song - it's too old for her for sure, but the lyrics are trite enough that it doesn't take too much away. Big finish. Strong pick.

Phillip: "Disease" - Well, I have to say that it's a good thing that Phillips' video montage of his hometown trip was the best and most interesting and emotionally touching (his parents are so sweet) - because that performance was utterly forgettable. I feel like I should hear Simon Cowell saying "This is a singing competition!"

Round Two goes to Jessica.

Joshua: "No More Drama" - This was a great pick for him - but what is going on with all that bouncing? He turned into Tigger all of a sudden. That's okay, because Tiggers are wonderful things, and the climax of that song and the end of it with the quiet scream was awesome.

Jessica: "I'll Be There" - Gotta agree with Jimmy's picks so far - this one is fantastic for her - it fits her age and is of enough musical caliber to match her abilities. When she started that second verse with that signature "Let Me Feel…" it was gold. Best performance of hers in the whole competition in my opinion.

Phillip: "We've Got Tonight" - This is one of my favorite songs. And I will likely be buying this version on iTunes soon. He did great. He sang the melody, he told a story, he was vulnerable. That was a genius pick.

Round Three goes to Jimmy Iovine.

RANDOM NOTES:
Randy: If It Broke Ain't, Fix Don't it?
So far Steven has predicted that both Joshua and Jessica will win AI this year. He knows that's not possible, right?
Jimmy Iovine talking about the "magic" of the church. Priceless.
Randy just said and I quote "You have laid everything on this stage that there is to lay."
I hope that for the finale next week they string together every time Steven Tyler says "Over the Top". Gotta be sixty times this season.
Steven (after swearing on live television): "Let 'Em Bleep it at home." - Ummmm that's not how this works. I don't have a bleep remote that I can press at home.

So - who are the finalists? Kristi said to me she thinks it's going to be the boys. I tend to agree. Plus, I really want to see Phillip and Joshua sing "Say, Say, Say." Would that not be fantastic? Who can make that happen for me?

American Idol is back this week, and it's the final four! The theme this week is "California Dreamin'" which basically means that we may had to persevere through some Beach Boys covers, some Mamas and the Papas, and maybe some Red Hot Chili Peppers. And then there are songs that the contestants "wished they had written." We'll see about that. Here comes my take on things, written, as always, before the judges say what they say. And away we go!

Phillip: "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" - Welcome to the stage Phillip Phillips, and that blonde chick with the saxophone wearing a bright white tank top. Well, the surfers in the background have convinced me that this song is all about California. Eek. Probably Phillips' worst song pick and performance. I hope he skips the middle man for his second song and chooses to perform a song that he has written. This was brutal.

Hollie: "Faithfully" - Well, I'm on board from the moment the piano starts. I'm such an 80s junkie. I love that she didn't change the lyric "lovin' a music man" - And while she did a respectable job on this song, ultimately what makes this song impressive is the key it is in when a guy sings it in the stratosphere. Which, she is not in. But those last notes were cool. Cue Randy referencing when he played bass in Journey. Go.

Joshua: "You Raise Me Up" - I don't know what it is about this, but I'm not completely buying it early on. He's amazing, and by the end, he got to the notes he needed too in order to payoff the moment, but in the earlier moments, I was kinda wondering why. Until the very last chorus it was not fantastic, but that last rung was worth it in the end. I do think he's stronger when he transforms a song and turns it into a gospel number than when he reinterprets something that is already gospel.

Jessica: "Steal Away" - So I guess they are choosing not to learn the lesson of the 16 year old singing above her age? Sitting on the piano like a fabulous baker boy/girl? I guess at the end of the day it doesn't matter, because she slayed this. Wow. That was a fantastic vocal.

Phillip & Joshua: "This Love" - With those pianos out there, why aren't they breaking out some Ebony & Ivory? I would kill to hear this duo sing "Say, Say Say" - but I will settle for this. This isn't great, but it is so miles above last week's duet that I will take it to the bank.

Jessica & Hollie: "Eternal Flame" - Swings? Swings? This was fine, but again, in a two hour show, I can totally take it or leave it. The song is as catchy as hell though.

Top Four: "Waiting For a Girl Like You" - I love this song. So I'm okay with them butchering it.

Phillip: "Volcano" - This thing was staged in the sixties. Well in my mind, this redeems his earlier performance, the only disadvantage he has in this case is that this is not a well known song. But this is the kind of thing I want to see from my Phillip Phillips. Cool and cool.

Hollie: "I Can't Make You Love Me" - A great song, and I appreciate the correct pronunciation of the word "patronize." - The only problem here is where is the build? The forced key change isn't going to do it, I don't think. I would be surprised if she survived after this.

Joshua: "It's a Man's World" - This dude is incredible. Are you kidding me? That was fantastic. And even as he offered that last high note just a touch flat, it just didn't matter. That was unbelievable.

Jessica: "And I Am Telling You" - I'm kind of over this song itself. again, how does a 16 year old get away with the depth of these lyrics? Seriously. We passed notes in class, and I am telling you I am not going? Nonetheless, she sings the "you know what" out of it, Randy. But compare this with Joshua, and I think that this is essentially a facsimile of something, whereas what Joshua has is completely his own.

Random Notes:
What is up with Steven Tyler's hair? He looks like Pippi Longstocking getting out of the shower. Not that I know what that looks like.
Kudos to Phillip and Josh for taking on the swings after that duet.
Anyone want to go see ROCK OF AGES?
Quote of the night: "I'm just laughing, 'cause I ain't got your phone number…" - Joshua to Jimmy Iovine after he told him to just give him a call.

So, who is going home? I can't imagine that it wouldn't be Hollie. But, hey, I've been Daughtry'd before…

Hey AI - we're back! Looking forward to the top five tonight after saying a somewhat overdue goodbye to Elise last week. The competition continues to be great, so let's kick it off - here are my reactions to the musical numbers, given, as always, before I hear what the judges have to say about any of it. The 60s and then Brit Pop are the categories for the songs, and Little Steven Van Zandt is the guest mentor. Fuggetaboutit.

Hollie: "River Deep Mountain High" - Thinking about how timid Carrie Underwood was back in the day and wondering if Hollie is capable of the kind of transformation Carrie went through - That dress sure seems like it's headed in the right direction. I thought that this was probably as great as she's going to be able to be with an uptempo song. Not are it will be enough, but it was entertaining and didn't seem forced or self-aware.

Phillip: "The Letter" - Another great arrangement - another great performance from someone whose schtick should be getting old but instead is making me want to buy the whole album.

Skylar: "Fortunate Son" - Okay, this is the perfect song for her to attack - but… will this choice hurt her in the patriotic south? We're talking about a severely anti-war protest song about Vietnam. Even though it's CCR - which should be safe… just kinda makes me wonder. It reminds me of when ppl loved Bruce's Born in the USA without realizing the irony of the lyrics. Overall I liked it but she may get tagged by the judges for not quite having it all there.

Joshua and Phillip: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" - they sound neutered. These are two guys who look at a melody line as a suggestion and probably have never had to bow to anyone's harmony line. as a result, the first verse and chorus were boring and lame, and the bridge was the one section that made the producers think that this would be a good idea.

Jessica: "Proud Mary" - For me this is one of those with Jessica where I know she's nailing it, but the mimic factor is so high that it makes it less credible for me as a performance. It's the kind of performance that could put her in a Tina Turner cover band instead of the top four of American Idol.

Joshua: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" - Perfect song pick for him, it's like he used my flux capacitor from last week and became a Motown sensation. And this is such a difference to me between the mimic of youth (Jessica) and the emulation of age.

Okay, after round one I would just like to say that before any of these top five get eliminated, that tomorrow night Taylor Hicks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze should surrender their AI winning titles and awards to this top five. Seriously. the four who don't win of these five are miles ahead of all four of those guys. Just sayin'.

Here's round two. Using the 3 word or less strategy for round two, except for the trio coming up. Trust me, it's harder to be held to fewer words.

Hollie: "Bleeding Love" - She has arrived.

Phillip: "Time of the Season" - Drink the Kool-aid.

Jessica, Skylar & Hollie: "Love Keeps Liftin' Me" - I could take or leave this personally. I realize they are obligated to fill a two hour show, but come on. A trio with background singers filling in the chorus is totally unnecessary. Next you'll tell me that Wilson Phillips has reunited and is playing shows again.

Skylar: "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" - Needed NO actors.

Jessica: "You Are So Beautiful" - Solid, honest interpretation.

Joshua: "To Love Somebody" - Bee Jesus Heaven!

RANDOM NOTES:
Funniest sign: Phillip Phillips: He's so talented that his parents named him twice!
Ryan outed Phillip Phillips girlfriend and single-handedly put him into the bottom three this week as the women scorned will not vote for a man taken.
Steven Tyler: "The only thing that gives experience a run for its money is a sixteen year old." Gross.
Ryan: That's a daffodil.
Steven censors himself and chooses to say "hell" instead of "Crap." Whuh?

So who's IN IT TO WIN IT? I can't imagine trying to prognosticate who's in the bottom three. Easy pickings based on previous weeks would be Skylar and Hollie - could it be that Phillip will join them for the first week ever?

Flux Capacitor in hand, I am a day late and a dollar short - but here are my reactions to Wednesday's American Idol! My trip to Orlando was great, but now I'm back and ready to give some feedback for Queen-week. As always, the comments come before I have heard what the judges have to say. Here we go!

Queen Medley!
The night began with a medley of Queen tunes, and it was very cool. This is the kind of thing that I love to see - what a payoff for the top 6 to be able to play with a couple of rock legends.

Jessica: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - So much for finding songs that fit more her age. The triple face background vocal thing was odd and unnecessary. I always hate shortened versions of this song, so in general I didn't like this. I don't think it showed off her voice or what she's really good at. She should have sang "your my best friend" to fit with her age.

Skylar: "The Show Must Go On" - One of my favorite Queen tunes, used so well in the Moulin Rouge film. This is working for me in the same way that "The Thunder Rolls"  works for Garth Brooks. Great idea to country-fy this, and she sounds fantastic. I'm telling' you, she could take it all.

Joshua: "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - He has to figure out how to own uptempo songs the same way that he owns gospel tinged songs. It is good, capable, but not interesting - doesn't have the same kind of levels and storytelling that he brings to the gospel songs. Or at least, the only time I've seen him do it really well was the Bruno Mars song.

Elise: "I Want It All" - This is in her sweet spot, so good for her to find a great song to rock out to that takes advantage of her natural strengths. Like Stevie Nicks on steroids, but in a good way.

Phillip: "Fat Bottomed Girls" - I thought this was great - my only wish was that he had not always come in under the pitch during the verse. But that's a tiny criticism for a fantastic performance.

Hollie: "Save Me" - A great pick for her, but not my favorite Queen song. That one bum note is going to tank it for her.

So round one is over, and out goes the Queen Theme. Now they pick whatever they want apparently. So I'm going back to my "three words or less" reviews of the performances.

Jessica: "Dance with my father" - Over this song.

Skylar: "Tattoos on the Town" - She's Opry bound.

Joshua: "Ready For Love" - Nice Off-Speed Pitch.

Elise: "Bold As Love" - Better At End.

Phillip: "The Stone" - Dave Matthews Catnip.

Hollie: "The Climb" - The right song.

Hope you enjoyed the feedback, we'll see who's left standing tonight!

Well, American Idol this week after "the big save" hopefully won't disappoint. The contestants this week will sing two songs, one from "Now" and one from R&B from the past. (Then?) Anyway, I am fighting a cold, and can't imagine really being able to offer coherent thought for two songs each. So with the second song, I am going to employ my "three words or less" feedback mechanism. Hopefully it will be something. Either way, like all the weeks, I offer my thoughts before I hear what the judges have to say about all of this. Here we go, it's a 7!

Hollie: "Rolling in the Deep" - Well, Jimmy has correctly identified the problem with Hollie - I love Adele, but no one is going to put a new spin on this song. It's good, she's got power, though she was a little sharp at times. Her aggression that she must be feeling from all these critiques seemed to get appropriately channeled through the song.

Colton: "Bad Romance" - Colton should totally tour with an all chick band. I'd come see that.This arrangement is great. It's like Lady Whitesnake. I loved the BGVs coming in and then the crunch and aggressiveness of the "la la oompa loompa" part.

Elise: "No One" Cue the wind machine! This is a good pick for her voice in that it brings a very upbeat take on her sultry voice. Only problem is that the song itself gets old after a while. I thought she did a great job. I liked it.

Phillip: "You Got It Bad" - An interpretation like this really reveals how inane the lyrics are for what passes as current R&B music. This was great - once again, Phillip turned something great out of something mediocre. Wow. I enjoyed that a lot.

Jessica: "Fallin'" - I think her hair is getting in the way of her face. Interesting, I think that this was her least convincing performance so far, almost like she was trying too hard to right the wrong of last week. I didn't get it. It wasn't until her very last notes when she smiled just a little bit, and then she was honest. I think she could be in trouble again.

Skylar: "Born This Way" - Oh snap, she's playing with the Sons of Sylvia. If you don't know who that is, well, then you didn't watch AI's attempt at doing this same show but for bands. Lady Gaga's getting some play here. This was very good, but it didn't really grab me until the ritard at the end. Then I was sold. Thankfully, I can't be in the country bandwagon since it's Lady Gaga.

Joshua: "I Believe" - As much as I don't think there's a Fantasia connection with him, this is a perfect song for him to sing. He has to get back to what makes him great - gospel hopefulness with key changes and Hallelujahs. And he was emotional without losing it - that was fantastic. (not Fantasiatic)

Three Words or Less:

Hollie: "Son of a Preacher Man" - Pink and Powerful.

Colton: "September" - Earth, Wind, Lifehouse.

Elise: "Let's Get It On" - Sexy for votes.

Phillip: "In The Midnight Hour" - Finally Dave Matthews-less!

Jessica: "Try a Little Tenderness" - Hang Tommy Hilfeger.

Skylar: "Heard it Through The Grapevine" - Hot and Sassy!

Joshua: "A Change Is Gonna Come" - Not quite church.

Random Notes:
JLo: Outfit from the future?
No guest mentor for Jimmy this week. None needed. Haven't seen Tommy Hilfiger yet either. He's like the Waldo of AI this season.
Stephen Tyler waxing philosophical on Lady Gaga's crazy: "In order to get to the other side of the shore, you gotta lose sight of this one." Well played, sir, well played.
Ryan Seacrest calling out the dying dog story out of Elisa. Like she was going to say she had an emotional rehearsal because Dick Clark passed? Weird and unnecessary.
Phillip Phillips on JLo: "She always makes me blush." Just scored thousands more female votes.
Randy is now not just dropping names, he's having actual conversations with celebrities with a pretend phone he's made with his hand. And Paula was the crazy one.
Randy "To pick up on what Steven's saying…" - impossible.
Randy is now name dropping incorrectly, as he credited Al Green instead of Marvin Gaye for writing "Let's Get It On" - but at least he realized it quickly….

Well, there you have it! Hard to pick the bottom three after Jessica got shafted last week - what's gonna happen? Will they only let one go this week? I think it might be Elise finally. Okay, there I said it. now IT's time to blow my nose and take my Nyquil.

So did you see "Blue Like Jazz" this weekend?

The Christian-ish film based on the book by Donald Miller and directed by one of my personal heroes from my alternative-Christian-music youth, Steve Taylor, opened this weekend in selected cities. It is still playing here in Naperville this week, so if you missed your chance this weekend, don't miss out before Friday movie-changeover. It's hard to know if a small indie film like this can stay in theatres long.

If you've seen it, I would love to assemble some of your reactions to it for an upcoming Pop Culture Pulpit podcast - so let me know what you liked, what you didn't like, had you read the book prior, how did it compare, and all that great stuff! Then you can hear my thoughts on the film as I incorporate your reactions to it on the podcast.

Thanks everyone! Have a great week!

Can you believe it's only been a week since we said goodbye to DeAndre and his falsetto? It's time to check out what everyone has to offer tonight, and I offer my relatively unfiltered opinions of each contestant, as always, before I've heard the judges mumble and bumble. Music from 2010 to today, and away we go!

Skylar: "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You" - Love this girl - I don't think that the guitar held her voice back, but it didn't exactly help her, especially since the mix pulled a Linda McCartney on her playing. Jimmy is right - she is ridiculously believable. Akon is right too, but I won't repeat what I'm guessing he said. Great number.

Colton: "Love The Way You Lie" - And to think that they pretended that he didn't even want to audition at first! I like this arrangement a lot. He did well - My wife was wise to note that he's never met a final consonant that he's not pronounced. Still, he continues to impress. If Phil Phillips is the street cred version of Taylor Hicks, then Colton is the street cred version of David Cook. Yeah I said it.

Elise & Phillip: "Somebody that I Used To Know" - Shoutout to Jeremiah Higgins who thought he'd heard all the covers of this song ever. Nope! Here's one more. The Escher background was the most interesting thing about this. AI needs to remember that Glee currently owns the patent in this decade for contemporary music covers. But that being said, I love these two.

Jessica: ""Stuttering" - So if you have a stutter, does this song's chorus offend you or do you own it like a badge of courage? She's telling much more of a complete story with her choices on this one. Particularly with her facial expressions. But her off hand needs to stop stuttering. And I loved loved loved when she thought she lost her placement sitting back down on the piano and still kept singing. It was a fantastic number. This one should sell iTunes singles.

Joshua: "Runaway Baby" - I love this song, and Okay what's with the dancer? What is this, the X Factor? That carrot line is nasty. I love Joshua, I think he's fantastic, but compare his facial expressions to Jessica right before him, and what he's lacking is telling a story. This song should have much more fun visible in his face - but instead it looks like he's grunting it out. It doesn't sound like that however. It sounds incredible. If he can deliver the facial expressions, he could beat Jessica.

Colton and Skylar: "Don't You Wanna Stay" - I would like this more if the song itself wasn't so milquetoast. Yeah I said it again. At least at the beginning. It picks up steam eventually. This is the kind of country song that makes me not like country as much as I wouldn't admit to like it anyway - cause this is a pop song with a country overcoat, not actually country. I want to hear them do this song and then incorporate a mashup of "I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls as a tribute to Colton's hair. Are they dating?

Hollie: "Perfect" - I love her beginning of this song. Something is different - it actually seems like she's thrown out all the advice and is just being. The only thing I'm dreading is when the judges are going to say that "she's back!" Ugh. The sentiment of this song matches her ability to draw from her experience to be credible and believable, which is turn makes her notes all the more fantastic. When she picks songs, she needs to pick songs that are as age appropriate as this one was.

Phillip: "Give a Little More" - There's that secret again, and it's going to make me want to buy his Albums. That saxophonist looked as fake and forced as the go go dancer. I really don't have any affection for that actual song as originally recorded, and the fact that I loved that performance really speaks to how fantastic he is.

Joshua, Hollie, Jessie: "Stronger" - Yeah, cause this song needs more propping up - I don't think everyone in the universe has heard it yet. I think my life would have been just fine without any of the duets or this pseudo-trio. This actually hurts Jessica and Joshua and nearly puts the nails in the Hollie Coffin. But this song won't kill me, it will only make me… oh nev-nev-nev-never mind.

Elise: "You and I" - She's selling this pretty well - I don't think the pick is strong enough to be a show closer and because of that I think she's gonna pay for that. I am also annoyed by how plastic the BGV sounds singing their "A's"… She did well. She'll be in the bottom three, but she won't go home.

Random Notes:
Is there anything more fake than these Tommy Hilfiger costume parties?
When they say "______ is back," it's like the death knell for these contestants. They couldn't stop saying that Heejun was "back" on the week he was eliminated.
Steven Tyler: "The crows may crow, but the hens deliver the goods."
I think Steven Tyler started speaking in tongues when critiquing Colton. Seems appropriate.
Joshua gets a Happy Birthday greeting from Fantasia: "From Fantasia to Mantasia?" They really call him that? You mean calling him Flip Wilson never took off? Sexual Chocolate? Come on!
Steven Tyler: "Get the Number!" - he's so cute. He thinks people call people in 2012.
How great is it to hear a Texan with a British Accent?
JLo: "Steve McQueen and Johnny Cash had a baby" - what?

So - who's it gonna be? Is it too obvious that it's Hollie or will we have a Daughtry Surprise? Last week I thought that the judges might want to save Hollie, but after their reaction to her performance tonight, if she goes home, she goes back to Texas or England. I think the bottom three are three girls: Skylar, Elise, and Hollie.

What do you think?