“May I take your order?” …. “Yes…I’d like one bucket of KLC to go, please!”

If you like your sustenance deep-fried and crispy, you’re out of luck on AI for the rest of the season. The last remaining countrified contestant took the last punch she could withstand last week and went down for the last time. After becoming a near-permanent fixture in the bottom three, KLC finally got the hook. What’s surprising is that she actually seemed to be getting better. The first 2-3 weeks were almost unbearable, but something happened and she began to make progress. Her pick of “Proud To Be An American” was a stroke of genius and I really thought she might make it to the top 5. But, I’m not cryin’ in my grits over her departure either. This has become a very up and down sort of season with contestants rising and falling and rising again and falling again. There have really only been two consistent performers so far which makes everybody vulnerable. So, with that said, on to this week’s rankings.

1. David Cook (STEADY, Last week #1) - I didn’t really care all that much for what DC did last week. I thought it was a step backward for him, but all of the judges took a different point of view. I really don’t care if the judges disagree with me or not, I didn’t dig it, and I didn’t think it was “all that”. Still, he has enough good-will built up from a string of rock-steady performances that I’m still not ready to drop him a spot here. But he is teetering on the edge of dropping.
2. David Archuleta (STEADY, Last week #2) - No change here either. The kid consistently delivers high-quality performances. It’s just that they almost all sound alike. If that’s what you like, you must be absolutely loving this kid. If you like it in small doses, a little goes a long way. This is his primary weakness. Give him a ballad and he’s gold. Give him something else and he suffers by comparison. The speed-dial element still makes him a strong candidate to take it all, but I’m not quite convinced yet that he’ll get there. Another solid week by DA, and another slightly off week by DC could rearrange these two.
3. Jason Castro (UP, Last week #4) - For the second consecutive week I’m forced to rank this guy in a place I do not think he deserves. It’s not that I have a personal vendetta against him, but I just honestly don’t think he’s that good. But he’s still here. The difference between him and KLC is that he has a lot more personality. I think that’s what’s keeping him alive. And quite honestly, I think it has him ahead of the rest of the gals.
4. Brooke White (DOWN, Last week #3) - Brooke and JC have shuffled spots in this week’s ranking. If you offered a recording contract today to both BW and JC, she would run rings around him in sales and tickets. But we’ve learned that AI is not always about identifying the most marketable or promising entertainer. BW has the potential to be an amazing artist. I believe she will be successful regardless of the outcome of this season of AI. JC’s future in the recording business depends on success on AI. But with AI being what it is, and with Brooke falling into the bottom three yet again, I have to drop her this week.
5. Carly Smithson (UP, Last week #6) - I just really don’t get the whole Smithson thing. Every week I confess she has great skills. But every week she fails to truly connect with what she is doing. She has been applauded, lauded, and wound up in the bottom three. She’s all over the chart. Which I think indicates that there are lots of people who believe in her overall talent, but don’t believe in her performance. And they can’t make up their mind. She is in this spot purely because she did not wind up in the bottom three last week, but I still think she should have gotten the exit cue cards last week.
6. Syesaha Mercado (STEADY, bottom feeders don’t move a lot) - Mercado actually out-fought Smithson last week, but got no credit for it. As with Smithson, she has real talent. But unlike Smithson, she HAS consistently wound up in the bottom. Even when she delivered a stellar performance, she would up in the bottom. That spells disaster. When you can’t rise above the bottom three when you deliver what was possibly the best performance of the night, I think you need to get out the oxygen bottles, because she is on life-support.

Early in the early rounds of the competition, predicting who will get knocked out is relatively easy. The middle rounds prove to be pretty challenging as contestants disappear and new voting alliances form. It’s also a time when contestants are finding their stride or losing steam. Which makes the middle rounds pretty unpredictable. I think the only safe bet is that DC and DA are safe and everyone else is up for grabs. Once we say goodbye to a couple more, it will stabilize again, but right now it’s a crap-shoot. Stay tuned tomorrow night for Round 7 analysis.

I made no bones last night about who I think will be taking the long train home…..Carly Smithson. I would still rather see a couple of others take the KO, but I just don’t see it happening. Of course no one saw Double D (Dingo Dude) taking the fall last week, so there remains the factor of unpredictability each week when names are called. But there is plenty of evidence that would point to Smithson being the fall guy (or gal in this case). She’s been in the bottom three a couple of times, she doesn’t seem to connect, others have carved out more stable niches and seem to be getting stronger. We’ll see in short order.

Worst Performances Last Night

• Smithson - Hands down, the one performance that I though completely failed to deliver
  • Don’t really have anyone else to put here, but there still have to be two more in the bottom three, so here are my thoughts
• Brooke White - I love Brooke and enjoyed her performance, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see her wind up in the bottom three tonight
• Mercado - I thought she did a surprisingly good job with a Mariah Carey song, but she’s still somewhat vulnerable. White and Mercado are listed here not so much because of what I thought of their performances but because someone has to wind up in the bottom three other than Smithson.

Who’s In Trouble???

• JC - I’m ready to see him go, but I think he’s safe……and……we’re going to play the waiting game
• David Cook - I’m confident he’s safe…will he go to the same side as JC???? HMMMM…opposite sides…who’s in trouble?
• Smithson - Her side will tell me which guy’s in the bottom. She’s hanging w/JC which tells me that’s the bottom side.
• KLC - I expect her to be with DC…think she’s improving and hitting her stride….and she heads to stand with DC, which means that she should be good to go to Round 7
• Mercado - Very strong performance last night, she is hanging w/JC and Carly….ladies and gentlemen…you’re bottom three.
• Brooke White - She will obviously be going to be with the Cooks
• DA - The Boy Wonder will be asked to pick a side, I’m sure….. It’s time now….. what the heck… swapping. This is all wrong. Dang it!!! Smithson is still alive. ARRRGGGGH!
• Bottom Three - consists of Brooke White and Mercado, which I thought could happen. But there’s no way anybody other than Smithson should be headed home. I thought KLC had finally found a spot to protect herself. This is anybody’s guess at this point. I really don’t have a clue.

Other Stuff

• Each season I despise the group songs. They have typically been out of place and hopelessly overblown. But I have to admit that this season’s group efforts have been above average. Not sure why, just observing that they are.
• Dang…I just realized that I wanted to try to submit a song for the competition and totally forgot….Bummer. Guess I won’t be winning the big bucks this year.
• Elliott Yamin - The Roaming Gnome returns for a special song. I use the term because as a contestant he really reminded me of the little dude on the commercials. I actually thought he was one of the better singers and it’s cool to see him getting some pub and air time.
• Mariah Carey - She may go down as having one of the most incredible voices ever in pop music. Her songs aren’t really my style, but her voice is amazing.

And the loser in Round 6 is……

KLC - WOW!  I am so thankful that Brooke is still in it… but am a little surprised that KLC is finally done.  Her first few rounds were pretty shaky, but it seemed she had finally found her spot.  And having the country fans all to herself, I thought she just might climb into the top 5.  I never saw her making it to the top, but I really thought she would survive another round.  No more country-fried music…and no more KLC lives on at the end of this post.  Good luck with the horse!

OK Gang…let’s get out our scorecards for Round 6. This is Mariah Carey night which means that there will be some pretty ugly vocal gymnastics on stage tonight if they try to follow the leader. There may be one or two that can pull it off, but it’s probably going to look a lot like me trying to Double Dutch….not pretty. Does Mariah have enough hits for them to sing? Sure, but nobody, NOBODY will be able to duplicate what she does. You really have to question this choice of vocal coach. I thought Dolly Parton would be a disaster, but I’m convinced that proved to be much better than what we are about to witness. I’ve been wrong before (OK…it’s on record now…I’ve admitted it.), and I can be wrong again, but I say again…NOBODY can do what she does. We shall see. Let the fight begin!!!!!

• David Archuleta - The Boy Wonder is up first tonight and once again he’s doing the type of song that is becoming maddeningly familiar from him. STILL….the dude can cook with gas on these types of songs. He is definitely living up to his #2 ranking this week. A strong (but predictable) performance for DA. He’s good to go to Round 7.
• Carly Smithson - The Irish lass may be singing for her life tonight. She has shown a frustrating lack of ability to actually connect with the material and with the ring-side audience. She has the strongest punch in her arsenal of any of the gals, and will easily come closest to mimicking Mariah Carey, but unless she delivers something extraordinary, she will probably be in trouble. I don’t think she did herself any favors by saying it was boring without Double D. Really weird performance. She’s a power singer, but she was much better off in the quiet piece early on. When she went to the power stuff, I thought it went off track. I am on the opposite scale of Randy. I think she’s in trouble unless there are other train wrecks.
• Syesha Mercado - Another cellar-dweller with potentially powerful punches. She is in the same boat with Smithson this week, and maybe for as long as either of them last at this point. Neither has really been able to carve out their own space, and they are fighting the same kind of fight. Mercado totally went the Whitney Houston route the other week, so she will in all likelihood try to go the Carey route tonight. Here we go…I think Simon nailed it after DA finished “We’re not going to have many laughs tonight.” Not much fun music here so far. I can only do so much emotional overwrought stuff in one night. As predicted Mercado did go for the Carey impersonation and came much closer than Smithson. I will say right now, that Smithson is in BIG TROUBLE, Mercado beat her in this round.
• Brooke White - Brooke has continued to be unique and real week in and week out. There will be no attempt at imitation from her. So what we hear from her tonight will be a genuine song, not an impression of a song. That can be a huge plus or a huge minus. For me it’s a plus, but I still think there are a few too many that aren’t convinced of her real talent. Once again, she has the ability to deliver wonderful emotion without a lot of extra help. I don’t care what happens to her in this contest, she will develop a following when this over.
• KLC - KLC has the biggest challenge in doing something from Mariah Carey….how do you deep-fry a Carey song? Still, she has more going for her right now than Smithson. Smithson’s best hope is for a KLC disaster. KLC has come a long way from the first 2 rounds…she’s getting better and better, and Smithson’s best hope just busted her in the chops.
• David Cook - DC has bought penthouse space at the top of my weekly rankings since he thinks it’s his permanent place of residence. And so far, he hasn’t had much to worry about. But there was a bobble last week and a slight sign of weakness. Add to that a strong performance by DA at the top of the show, and DC will have to bring it tonight to stay put at the top. According to the preview, he’s going outside the box again, which he has been the most courageous fighter this season to do so. So far though, I’m just not getting it. The first several rounds, when he tried something new, it was dead-on. He seems to be losing his footing though. I think DA may be on the verge of passing him. I disagree with Randy. (that’s twice tonight.) I guess I’m on my own against the judges on this one.
• Jason Castro - Smithson’s last best hope of making it to Round 7 is for the court minstrel to blow it…which is entirely possible for him. Half of what he does is really weak, and the other half is pretty weak. But somehow he’s managed to find a following. But still, if he flops, he’s vulnerable enough to go home. Smithson is probably backstage calling on St Jude (patron saint of lost causes) to keep her in the game. So far, he’s maintaining his footing which probably spells bad news for Smithson….not great, but I think he’s in a stronger position than Smithson.

SURPRISING PERFORMANCES OF THE NIGHT

• Good
  • Mercado - Way better than I expected, she outsung the other gals
  • DA - I’m tired of his same-ol’ same-’ol, but it was still quite good.
• Bad
  • Smithson - Once again I thought she failed to connect.
• Most Enjoyable
  • NO ONE - I’m not saying that none of the performances were good…they just weren’t enjoyable. It was a sort of dark emotional night. No fun…just a round to survive.

Final Round Six Scoring Analysis

• I think DA may be establishing himself as the co-favorite of DC.  Cook has had it alone since Round 1, but DA is climbing again.  Mercado made a strong showing tonight, and I don’t think anyone else really hurt themselves……except for Smithson.  I think she’s done.  I’m not even predicting a bottom three here.  I just think it’s Smithson’s due date.

Doh! The immortal words of Homer Simpson seem like the only appropriate response to last week’s shocker. How in the world can JC still be strummin’ and grinnin’ while Double D hit the mat and went down for the count? It’s almost as if Robin just outlasted Batman….some things just should not be. I guess that Double D will, in fact, have to “Dream On” since he got knocked out of the competition in Round 5. Can he make it on his own? Maybe….it’s happened before. But this is an awfully early exit and since it’s indicative of fan support, he might not be able to carve out a niche. So tie me kangaroo down sport and dream on! (and don’t forget the ascot!)

Here are my power rankings for this week…changes are in order, again (DOH!).

1. David Cook (STEADY, but a bit shakier)- No change here. Last week he showed some weakness for the first time. Of course every fighter has some sort of weakness. But it doesn’t really matter unless the other fighter (or fighters in this case) can figure out how to capitalize. There’s a lot of shuffling up and down right now, but I’m not sure anyone has shown that they really know how to overtake him in the top spot. If he has another misstep this week, we may have to reassess.
2. David Archuleta (UP from #4) - Major move up the rankings this week. This spot was occupied last week by Double D and we know what happened to him. During the college football season last year, being #2 was the kiss of death, but I just don’t see that happening to DA. He’s almost (but not quite) a one-trick pony so far, but man-oh-man, do the girls love his one trick. He is NOT the strongest fighter in this contest in my opinion, but he may have the power to outlast everyone else. And if you’re the last one standing, you win.
3. Brooke White (UP from #6) - Another major move this week. The last two weeks have not been Brooke’s best, but even when she’s not at her best, she is still totally engaging and real. There is never a sense as to whether she is faking something or not. What you see is what you get. There’s a lot to be said for that. She may have wound up in the bottom three two weeks ago, but there’s no one left who hasn’t been there as well. She is the most consistent and genuine contender of the remaining contestants.
4. Jason Castro (UP from #8) - It pains me to move him up to this spot. IMO he should be sitting in his living room enjoying the show on TV at this point. But hey….that’s just me. Apparently enough people like dreadlocks and questionable talent to keep him alive. How else do you explain the Sinjuju phenomena from last year? (minus the dreads of course). It seems to me that he has weathered his weak spot and is now back in the middle of the ring. Go figure!
5. KLC (UP from #7) - I can’t believe that I’m actually ranking KLC ahead of Smithson and Mercado. She clearly does not have the vocals that either of them have, but she does seem to have hit her stride and is gaining in strength and confidence. Add to that a fighting strategy (going Kuntry) that is unique to her in this competition, and I think she is in a stronger position than either of the two lower-ranked (but superior talent) contenders. Listen, Double D had way more to offer the recording industry than JC, but JC is still in it. ‘Nuff said.
6. Carly Smithson (DOWN from #3) - In a major tumble down the rankings, Smithson has almost hit rock bottom. She had one brilliant moment where punches connected with their intended target and she looked like a genuine contender, but it lasted only for one round. She almost made a believer of me, but I was brought quickly back to reality after last week. There is just no connection between her, her music, and the audience. Great vocals…no connection. In this competition, that spells trouble…and that probably spells Carly.
7. Syesha Mercado (DOWN from #6) - She only fell one spot, but when that puts you at the bottom, you didn’t have far to fall in the first place. She has become a weekly cellar dweller and that usually means we’ll be watching your video as you wipe tears from your eyes sooner rather than later. Her only hope is that Smithson will hurt herself. Otherwise, we will be minus one serious ‘fro.

While the early exit of Malubay Barbie was surprising, it was at least deserved. Double D suffered from a blind-side sucker-punch. Everyone has shown vulnerability except for David Cook. Makes you wonder if he’s due for the bottom three this week. This can be a week where the title contenders establish themselves for the closing rounds, or where a bad mistake could cost them dearly. Always be wary of the middle rounds.

I’m on a slight tape delay tonight since I just wrapped up an evening of band rehearsal myself. But, with commercials being what they are, I’ll be caught up to real-time in a snap. I always have mixed emotions about the elimination nights. First you have to endure some of the hokiest, cheeziest group medleys ever created. I often wonder if the gang would rather skip this portion. Second, you have the whole wait to see who got the short straw. There’s always the hope that the worst will go home, but there’s always the realizaton that people like Chris Daughtry got sent packing before their time. It’s a bit of a crap-shoot but I guess that’s why we watch.

Worst Performances Last Night - This is a bit misleading because I didn’t really think anyone stunk the joint up last night. But, there will be three at the bottom….so who do I think will be there?

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Dear readers, I will be late with this post this evening. I have a very important meeting that must take precedence. But fear not! I will offer my witty and insightful analysis after viewing the recorded version…. so make sure you check back here later…..and later……and later…..and later…..and, well, you get the idea.

OK Gang….I’m back. I’ve just finished a long, but invigorating and productive meeting. Everyone should have one of those every so often. Thanks for being patient and dropping back in for another helping of instant (but late) analysis. That’s the beauty of recording devices….heck, I can even program my own VCR…How’s that for technical genius? Anyway, Dolly Parton is our song mistress for the evening…sort of the good version of Elvira. I’m sure she’s fun to be around but I still have serious doubts about how much fun it will be listening to the gang do their thing with her stuff.

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Some were surprised and deeply saddened at the early departure of Cheezit. But in the immortal words of wives and mothers everywhere, “I TOLD YOU SO!” I personally enjoyed the new brand of Cheezits that debuted in Round 1. They were spicy and surprisingly pleasing. Apparently I wasn’t alone in that opinion as Cheezit was invited back for more in Round 2. But he went to a mixed box in Round 2 and ultimately broke out the old, tired, stale box in Round 3…..and stale Cheezits are only really appreciated by rodents who didn’t appear in Ratatouille, and they lack the requisite dialing abilities to keep their favorite snack in play. As a result, we are less one tasty snack to enjoy in Round 4.

Tonight, we will see the remaining candidates attempt a truly surprising selection of songs……the Dolly Parton song book. WOW! Is this still American Idol? This will be an interesting hill for the competitors to climb and I have my doubts that many of them will reach the summit. Maybe this is all part of a conspiracy to keep KLC hanging around. I just can’t see Carly Smithson doing Dolly Parton…..Ireland meets East Tennessee…..there’s a combo huh? For whatever reason they went in this bizarre direction, we’ll still have our share of surprises, good and bad.

Here are my power rankings for this week….and I’ve decided to be bold and mix up the guys and gals as I now see them.

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• Malubay Barbie - She’s still not hitting on all cylinders and last night was another case of having a missing spark plug in the engine. But she’s got a great pit crew that will keep her in the running, so I don’t think she has any worries.
• JC- There’s no way around the fact that JC has a lot of appeal. He’s got a natural sort of style. But that can’t carry you forever…and I think he may be about to get his first dose of reality tonight.
• Cheezit- I’ve never understood when people/teams are winning, why they pull back. I’ve seen that strategy fail time and time again. Cheezit had everybody wanting more just two short weeks ago. Then last week, he straddled the fence. Finally last night, he fell back into his old style. I don’t fault the delivery that much. I still think he has more chops than JC. But he will most likely wind up in the bottom.
• KLC and Smithson - If this is an effort to predict who will wind up in the bottom three, then this slot is equally shared between the two of them. I don’t think that Malubay Barbie will wind up in the bottom, and JC may have one more week to skip his day of reckoning. If so, Cheezit still has to have some company at the bottom, and it could be either or both.

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OK boys and girls…everyone line up and buy your tix for the AI 2008 tour now, because this is your TOP 10. That’s right…these are the guys and gals that will help lighten your bank account by $100 or so (which is cheap by Hannah Montana standards). But that’s just the fringe benies for these guys. They are all still fighting each other to wear the championship belt a couple of months from now. We better hope that everyone is over all the sickness that was everywhere in the early rounds since we are missing one rockin’ nurse. AO missed out on the tour by the width of a hypo needle and I, for one, will miss her melodic screaming. But hey…we still have the country-fried goodness of KLC. So, let’s get this round started and see who can survive another round and who will hit the mat.

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Shocker! #3 Seed Gets Ousted in Early Round!

It sounds a lot like a headline from last weekend’s opening rounds of the NCAA B-ball tournament (aka March Madness…by the way, you can check my bracket standings by clicking here). But it’s actually my headline from last weeks 2nd Round of AI. My #3 seed in the women’s bracket took an unexpected tumble last week while the lower seeds remained active. I had said in my previous rankings (which you can read here) that AO would probably never rise above her #3 ranking since she had a limited repertoire. It was kind of like Duke going down to Belmont (which is a NASHVILLE music school ironically). Duke is the better team and would win 9 out of 10. But when they went cold on the perimeter (3 pointers), they had no other alternative. Our Rock n Roll Nurse was always a one-trick pony…but it was entertaining. Unfortunately for her, she wasn’t on her best game last week, and the fans didn’t get behind her. That’s not a good combo. Maybe AO should invite the Dukies over for her first post-tournament concert. Now, on to this week’s rankings:

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