American Idol (5/6/08) — Final 4 Perform!

Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Night!!!

Seacrest looks like he spent some extra time in the tanning booth this week to prepare for the Final Four!

David Cook –

• Hungry Like the Wolf — SWEET!!!  I love the song and (despite the somewhat lackluster reviews from the judges) I thought his version was a very cool.
• Baba O’Riley — Cool to choose a song that’s never been sung on AI.  Extra credit for hopefully getting people to stop calling the song “Teenage Wasteland.”  He did a good and evil job, as usual.  David seems like a genuinely nice and normal guy.  I think that he’ll have a great career, even if he doesn’t win.  I just hope he doesn’t get all Daughtry on us (ie: getting a huge tattoo with his own name on it across his back.

Syesha Mercado –

• Proud Mary — Well, I’m never a fan of people talking about themselves in third-person: “I said, Syesha, just have fun with it.”  Ugh.  Anyway, she looks GREAT tonight!  I think she almost “McPheed” us a couple of times in the low shots in that short dress!  I think that was one of her more exciting, fun performances.
• A Change is Gonna Come — I don’t know this song, but I love that Syesha picked two VERY different songs to show her range tonight.  She can nail a fun song and then follow it with a power-ballad.  She can wear a super-short dress and then follow it with a super-long dress.  JK.  I was surprised by how negative Randy was, but glad that Simon and Paula were so positive.  Good to see Syesha cry and laugh and show some human emotion because I think she’s sometimes seems a little robotic.  I’m impressed that she researched the song and had such a connection to it.  Cool.

Jason Castro —

• I Shot the Sheriff — I think/hope Jason was kidding when he said that he’s familiar with “a few” songs on the list from the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.  Bob Marley is probably a pretty safe choice for him, but he managed to really screw it up.  At least Jason always handles criticism well.
• Mr. Tambourine Man — Jason!!!  It’s getting VERY hard to keep supporting you when you forget the lyrics at this level and with THIS song!!!  What the heck!?!?!?  There’s no way he’s not going home this week, right?

David Archuleta –

• Stand By Me – The first time David has performed this song outside of his bedroom.  I’m not normally a big Archuleta fan (not that I dislike him, but the whole child-prodigy thing creeps me out a little), but I loved this performance.  He’s pretty amazing.
• Love Me Tender — David could just stand on stage and not sing and still move ahead to Final Three.

Going home?  Jason.  It would be a HUGE upset if it was any of the other 3.

See ya tomorrow night!