Lee is looking more and more comfortable on stage and it shows this week. Yet, here's a performance that really didn't do justice to the song or the scene in the movie it was played. Ok, I guess, but short of being idyllic.

Please don't make anyone remember that movie.

We had no choice, they did.

LAST EDITED ON 05-11-10 AT 08:18 PM (EST)

Coke stool interview now with CD pimpage.

How has the pressure been different? If you make the top three you get the city visit. And his goal from last year was to make it into the top three and bring it home to my city.

Michael Jackson--Will You Be There

ETA: movie: Free Willy

Back up singers on stage, just singing, not playing an instrument.

Randy. Listen Yo. Not quite going on. Made great by Michael Jackson, didn't love this for you either. Should have picked an R&B song.

Ellen. Can't go wrong with a choir behind you or a song from the classic movie Free Willy. Your goal should be to win, not get in the top three. You are consistently good, but predictable.

Kara. I'm ready for Love and Women's Work and goose bumps but I can't have them. I didn't feel that from you. Played it safe. Go back to those moments.

Simon. I have no idea what Free Will is. Mike: It is about a whale. I can't connect that with what you just did. You could have chosen

More confused with Kara explaining it. You gave it 100% and you meant it.

From the backup singers! (Weren't they good?)

Is this a new AI curse? Those who openly wish for the home visit only get the home visit?

Swaybots!

Willy dilly, dilly dally, R 'n' B, set him free!

Whoops, I think Michael made the wrong song choice here, although he did a good job of it. Not sure about the back-up singers following him onto stage, he didn't really need it. This dude can sing (he's on my fav list), but the song lyrics and arrangement didn't really jive with the performance.

Unfortunate. Just wrong on so many levels.

Does anyone else feel like he hasn't seen a movie in about thirty years?

Especially anything with Jennifer Hudson in it.

Falling Slowly from Once

Both playing guitar facing each other.

Other than this song puts me to sleep....

Oh judges.

Randy. Great song by two great singers, that could be a hit amazing. That is what I am talking about.

Ellen. Like the new Captain and Tennile.

Kara. One of my favorite moments of the season. Felt like artists, liked the chemistry and you brought out the best in both of you.

Simon. I don't know if I would call that a good song, I would call it a fantastic song.

Really interesting... Lee with the capo on the 7th fret, playing high, singing low, Crystal playing the lower strings, singing high, and they wove it together quite nicely. Very well done. I enjoyed watching and listening to this.

I've never seen a Patronus on someone's back before...

Shielded, but that must have been draining. It felt as if she was both trying to buoy him up and cover for him on the same notes. As for Lee -- what was he looking at, exactly? Did something in the audience catch fire?

And there goes the pimping. Hint, hint, America! It's too late to be subtle!

At least in the usual tournament, they'd pair the 1st and 4th, with the 2nd and 3rd. It's obvious who they see and 1st and 2nd.

Lee was still flat on that! He almost made Crystal go flat.

Wonder what Simon will think/say after he listens to the show on TV tonight.

The sound guy must be high tonight or Lee is really, really pitchy.

Crystal giving Lee some pimpage by calling him her musical crush.

Oh.

That sound you hear is a million Lee/Crystal fan fics uploading.

Maybe the sound guy was getting dizzy watching the camera guy on his new Hover-round spinning around and around and zooming in for extreme tilted closeups.

Barf-cam.

I had to close my eyes and take some Dramamine to watch that. Sheesh.

Simon and Garfunkel: Mrs Robinson
Movie: The Graduate

Jamie wants Casey to seduce him.

he he he

That was actually pretty good.

Sirring on the stage by the swaybots.

Is that a mandolin or some other small string instrument?

Randy. Dude why did you choose that song. A lot of things. Points at Kara.

I thought you sounded cool, not jumping up and down, just a cool laid back song. Just curious abut the subject matter.

Ellen. Want a big boy guitar. got beat up last week and came back and did something different thought you would go further with it. I liked it.

Kara. This is you fighting to stay in the competition. You have difficulty being attached to the song. This was a good choice. Simon and Randy still bothering him.

Simon asks what the movie is about. She doesn't know why they are looking at her.

Simon. Personally I didn't think the song or performance had the substance required. A little bit lazy. Could have made more of an impact.

Is the soul patch a shout out to VFTW?

That was the most boring rendition I've heard all season. You couldn't seduce a turtle with that. Kara, maybe, but not a turtle. The turtle would be running away. And as laid-back as Casey wants to be, he'd never catch it.

Now, I know this song. And the movie. And I was wondering what's with that dual-string short acoustic for the day and age this movie came out? Yeah, classic Casey, I suppose, (we know where he's at) but the whole sound and performance didn't jive with the movie take.

Woo Hoo!

1) GREAT song choice. Everyone knows this song and can hum it anytime.

2) The Kara irony of the song. Heh.

3) He controlled the performance--no back up singers, no getting overwhelmed by bandzilla.

4) Good job, Casey! You pulled a Jason Castro here.

Wow, he looked just like it said in the Antique Shoppe chapter! ;)

He was thinking about MC.

In all honesty, though, I think the wrong instrument was played with.

With his hair and the teeny weenie um, instrument I think he was channeling Tiny Tim. Tiny Tim did the heavy vibrato thing, too.

No, he didn't sound like Tiny Tim, but I was expecting him to sing "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".

Funny you say this, but I was thinking the same thing, given the era of the song.

I would say that great minds think alike, but that's a far greater compliment to me than it is to you.

Too late.

He knows who his fanbase is? That's as much self-awareness as we've ever seen.

Making this the only time she's been nailed all year.

G'night, everybody!

Cougar!

Not for quite a while yet.

And possibly the wrong cat entirely.

Gets a coke stool interview. She says the mood has been low and it is a funny movie and a good song.

She was a little star struck. Wants it to be a testimony, not just a song.

I'm Alright from Caddyshack by Kenny Loggins.

So entertaining, great!

Playing acoustic guitar with drum set on stage. Has the bong mic stand.

*gopher dancing*

I think she did the most with the arrangement of the constestants.

Randy. You are an artist. Not my favorite, but did change it up to fit you.

Ellen. Got Crystallized. Took that and made it better.

Kara. I agree with Ellen. Artist.

Simon. I'm not going to ask what that movie is about. I would say you are back in the game.

Finally, at least one performance that does the movie take at least some semblance of justice. Interesting arrangement and switch ups, but I think the AI sound dude totally screwed up on the board with this one. It could have sounded a lot better with who and what was already on stage. Nonetheless, Crystal won't suffer for it.

That felt a little disjointed -- and I think I know why. To me, Crystal's a folk singer trying to cross over into the other genres -- and she sung that primarily as a country mix. Folk and country are closer than either would ever want to admit, sure. But this time, she couldn't quite close the gap. Possibly the strongest solo performance on a night of weakness, but -- off.

Bryan Adams: Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman
Movie: Don Juan DeMarco

That sound you hear is the sound of panties falling to the floor across the country.

Oh my goodness! How did those end up on the ceiling fan?

Your legs were already in the air?

Indeed. How else would that happen?

There's ways.

*listens*

Um, do you think the lesbians will take me?

Both playing guitar.

Randy. The guitar playing was excellent. When Mike came in that was brilliant.

Ellen. Yes I have loved a woman.

Kara. The duets tonight were incredible, better than the solo performances.

Simon. I think we should give Jamie's artist t-shirts to the duets. Well done.

Um, do you think the lesbians will take me?

Ask Ellen! It's what she's there for!

No, really. She has to be there for something.

The last time this song was performed on AI, I decided the performer had never really loved a woman and had just blown any and all future chances. This time...

...well, Casey may still really want MC back. But it's only for her vote.

Good luck with that.

You make it sound so sordid.

S'my job.

Honestly, I thought that both of Casey's songs tonight translated directly to 'I have identified the largest percentage of my fanbase, and now I am going to svck up to save my life.' It wasn't exactly subtle.

Here's a duet totally set up for failure. Guy, guy, Black, white. Soul, pop-country. Big, slim. Yet... they played and sang this song like a pair. Fantastic dual melody on the guitars, Casey with the vibratos, and while they weren't perfect, they put on a cool performance. Thumbs up, and a second thumb up, too, just because it was a greater challenge for them than it was for Crystal and Lee.

I have to give a shout-out to Casey's guitar playing. That Spanish classical was wonderful, and throughout the season he has shown to be a fantastic player.

I am so gellus.

Yup, kudos to the AI cam man on the frets. For once, we got to see how Casey really plays the fretboard. Although Mike's play was fairly basic on the chords and their song just on the same key, I think they both did well with this song. As a guitar player, fun to watch.

Casey is impressive on the guitar, in fact, this season has more capable guitarists that any other season I've seen. But Casey is the best we've seen. Lilly Scott, Crystal and Lee can all play capable accompanying guitar parts.

And what's even more impressive is that he had only this week to get it and the duet vocals down, along with his individual song (The Mrs Robinson vocals and the Mandolin part) and the various picture/press events they have to attend. That was a nice guitar part. I think he blew a couple of notes with his fret hand, but good musicians can make blown notes go unnoticed.

Mike was badly out-classed on the guitar. I actually felt badly for him. I think he is (like me) more of a melody strummer, which he uses pretty well to accompany his singing. But up against Casey he looked bad.

We might end on time??!?!?!?

They have to bring Jamie on stage as filler at the end.

here's some more dessert.

14.77 Lee
14.66 Crystal
9.604 Mike
5.307 Casey

14.77 Lee

I already know America has no taste. America can stop proving it now.

Does this help??

10.4 Crystal
8.85 Lee
4.62 Mike
3.20 Casey

Does this help??

As if we didn't know it (and the judges pimped it) already!