Michael Sarver - “I Don't Wanna Be” by Gavin DeGraw

Michael, we all know, is the roughneck on the oil rig.  He's a nice guy, but I was never particularly impressed with him during the auditions.  And, he's singing a Gavin DeGraw song.  My hopes are not high.  He is predictably a little bit awkward.  Here's the thing - Michael's not a very good singer, but he's a smart one.  This was a good choice of songs, and he generally maximizes his modest abilities.  Still - the performance was not impressive, eminently forgettable.

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Randy thought there were good parts, thought it started out rough (it did), and was hoping for some more soul from Michael.  Kara didn't think it was her best performance, but I disagree - I think that absolutely was his best performance.  Paula like Oil Rig Guy.  "This is a tricky one, Michael," says Simon.  Simon didn't think it was a great vocal, but Simon would like to see Michael stick around, because he likes him. 

Anne Marie Boskovich - “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin

I like Anne.  She's got a really solid voice, cute girl, and she could very well make the Top 12.  Tough song choice. She starts off OK, voice maybe a little weak from nerves, but she gets it going after the first couple notes.  She wears a tight, short dress.  Anne sings in tune, which is a nice change of pace. Maybe spoke too soon – she mucks up one big note.  I don't know what to think of this.  Really old-fashioned song.  I don't think the voting audience will respond terribly well, but I thought she did pretty good. 

Randy didn't like the song choice, and thought she fell a little below what the song required.  Kara agrees with Randy, thought to see that big of a song, she absolutely had to kill it.  Anne talks back to Kara, and it's kind of funny.  Paula think Anne improve.  Simon uses the hotel singer analogy, says that her voice isn't good enough to sing that song.  He's probably right.

Stephen Fowler- “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson

Stephen, aka the Guy Who Angrily Forgets His Lyrics, sings next.  I actually have high hopes for Stephen, who I remember being pretty good during the auditions, aside from the lyric-forgetting part.  Stephen was pissed about forgetting his words, and he wants to redeem himself.  Singing MJ is never easy, let's hope he kills it. The song starts awkwardly, and I realize that this is a weird song to choose. He's nervous, goes flat on some of the high notes.  He should have sang a harder-hitting song, or a way softer song.  This is too in-between.  The big note he hits near the end of the tune is executed weakly.  Not very good.

Randy didn't like the song choice, not close to what he should've been singing.  Kara liked it all right, and wanted him to do a lot better.  I can't take anymore of you Paula.  "I actually wish you had forgotten the lyrics," says Simon.  He hated the arrangement, hated the song choice.  Another disappointment.

Tatiana Del Toro - “Saving All My Love For You” by Whitney Houston

I have never rooted for someone to crash and burn this hard since Sanjaya Malakar was in my life.  Please suck.  Tatiana has big arms.  She starts the song off very delicately, but really gets into it during the chorus.  Here's where Tatiana has an advantage - whereas the other young girls struggle with nerves, Tatiana's extreme arrogance and narcissism work to her advantage.  As much as I hate to say it, she's singing pretty darn well tonight.  And she's not just belting out the song, she's singing it, as i said, delicately.  She gives the over-dramatic "O-face" after she finishes.  Not great, but pretty good.  The last note was mediocre.

Randy thought it was OK, pretty good.  Kara thought it was very reserved, but she has no idea where she fits in the industry.  "I fit everywhere," says Tatiana.  Umm - that's what she said?  Paula throws out the word "demure," which was probably the word of the day on Paula's desk calendar.  "You are an absolute drama queen," Simon states bluntly.  Tatiana speaks some rubbish about marketing.  Simon thought it wasn't bad.  This was just weird.  I don't know what to think. 

Danny Gokey - “Hero” by Mariah Carey

Well, here we are, the last performance of the night.  Danny Gokey is one of the early favorites in this competition, and with all the mediocre performances tonight, Danny could very easily secure a spot in the Top 12 with a solid performance tonight.  I don't like this song choice - Mariah Carey, really?  At least it's not the Enrique Iglesias version.  Still, a really cheesy song choice.  Danny is just a solid singer.  He sings in tune, his voice is strong, and he's able to add just a little twinge of soul to his performances.  Even though I don't like the song, Danny sang it well, especially the bridge, where he really unleashed his voice. Very good performance. 

Paula and Kara applaud like a couple of drunken wenches.   Randy calls him the redeemer of the night, Kara calls him a hero, Paula doesn't understand English.  Simon keeps everyone in check, says it was a good performance, but not spectacular.  Again, Simon is correct. 

That's it for tonight.  Later, we'll have a Episode in Review with pictures, early tomorrow morning we will publish the performance rankings and tomorrow mid-morning, we'll have out first John vs. Oscar Podcast of the season, where my colleague John Kubicek and I predict who will make it into the Top 12.  Until then, Mahalo.



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-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of FOX)