March 10 , 2004 - Wild Card

Their decisions were based on what they'd seen during a week-long workshop.

The judges eliminated Lisa Leuschner, despite saying that she has a strong voice. Marque Lynch was cut because he was too much of a "stage singer." Tiara Purifoy and Eric Yoder were cut with little explanation.

Then the contestants in the Wild Card round took the stage. This time many of them seemed to realize that they had to pull out all the stops, since it was now or never.

Jon Peter Lewis, a.k.a. the "pen salesman," performed "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Presley. He gave it his all, performing with lots of energy and winning smiles and praise from both Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, the perennially nice judges. But tough judge Simon Cowell said the performance was awful and that Jon was like someone who sings outside a subway with a hat. And the hat, he noted, would be empty.

Jon might still have a chance if people vote for personality over performance, but he's up against some strong competition. Still, the future might still hold some gold for the "pen salesman," if he turns his charisma into other avenues, like perhaps acting.

Elizabeth LeTendre performed "The First Time I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack, turning in a solid performance. But as Simon said, she doesn't have the "it" factor. She doesn't stand out in a crowded field.

The last time Katie Webber had performed, she did a jazzy number, "Orange Sky," which left everyone cold. This time she made a better song choice in "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston. Still, the performance was somewhat emotionless. Even Randy said he was "not blown away," and Paula said her pitch was off. Simon said, "You're our Jessica Simpson," meaning that she was a pretty face but not much of a singer.

Then George Huff stepped on stage with "Lean on Me." Whereas his previous performance seemed a little uncertain, in this one he was filled with bouncy energy, his voice rich as a gospel singer. Randy said it reminded him of the dean in his church when he was growing up. Paula praised his soulful, bouncy rendition. And Simon said that George's personality may just get him through, since "people will root for you."

Again, I have to side with Simon. It's hard not to like George Huff, especially with that brilliant smile. He radiates light, as Paula once said at an earlier round. He even smiled cheerily for Jasmine Trias when she advanced instead of him during last week's show.

Susie Vulaca performed "I Will Survive" but had trouble finding a natural rhythm in the song. Randy said it was "a little pitchy," which I believe is his way of saying it was off-pitch. The best thing Paula could say about her was that she's "shown growth," and Simon said she'd done well. But will it be enough?

Clearly nervous, Matthew Metzger performed "When I See You Smile." The singing was weak, but he has a great presence. Randy pointed to his uneven performance and Paula to his personality, calling him a "heartthrob" but saying he needs to find his "rock edge." Simon said that he "tickles all the boxes" but that he lacks star quality. Matthew will only advance if enough teen viewers want to see his golden boy good looks again.

Although many might have believe Leah LaBelle was robbed the last time she competed, this time her wobbly performance of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" will convince people they made the right choice. Randy said it wasn't her best performance but commended her for returning to a song choice that felt right for her personality. Paula commended her for taking direction well during the workshop, and Simon called the performance "shaky" and "ordinary." Leah will only advance if people were moved by her crying on stage the last time she failed to advance.

The indefatigable Jennifer Hudson moved the audience with "I Believe in You and Me," showing off her great range. Randy called it the best performance of the night and Paula said she has a musical muscle that she flexes when she sings, praising her ability to tell a story within a song. Simon, who's teased Jennifer about her outfits from the start, said that "You're lucky you're not judged on your outfits." But just as he has in the past, he seemed to be won over by her personality, even as he told her she had to work on control.

Four people will move on to the finalist round from last night's performances, three of them selected by the judges and one by the viewers. I'm predicting the four to move on will be Elizabeth LeTendre, George Huff, Susie Vulaca and Jennifer Hudson, with either George or Jennifer being the viewer's choice.

The wild card in this wild card round would be Jon Peter Lewis, whose enthusiastic Elvis rendition may win votes from viewers who don't want to say good-bye to him yet.

 

Other Musings by Alyce on American Idol:

American Idol Index

Moral:
With a field this good, America wins no matter who advances.