Idol Recap: 2/23/10

So you may be shocked to see a recap of American Idol in this space if you're new to this blog since last May. Well, yes, some of us ECB Writers (3 of 4 of us) actually do watch American Idol. Plus, you can gamble on it (for your reference, Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia are the two Vegas favorites to win it all). If you don't like these posts, well, skip them.

I'll handle most of the writeups but I will likely have some assistance from Brien and Jason as Idol dominates the television landscape during the next few weeks and there are multiple performance rounds each week.

Off we go with a recap of tonight's performances of the top 12 females...

Paige Miles
So we're officially introduced to Paige because we didn't see her at all over the past few weeks. She leads off. Big voice trying to sing too big a song outside a genre where she should be, which will cause her trouble in later rounds. That being said, she's through.

Ashley Rodriguez
Not a good performance out of the gate for the girl who, according to Vegas, has the second highest odds of winning it all. Maybe it's time to stop trying to emulate Simon's past diamonds in the rough. You're not Leona Lewis or Jordin Sparks. You're pretty, you have a decent voice, you have a shorter shelf life than you think.

Janell Wheeler
Should probably stick to being the girlfriend of college athletes (she's Tim Tebow's ex). And try to apply the Haley Scarnato theory and wear less and less each week. You'll be surprised how long you can stick around with minimal talent.

Lilly Scott
The Bjork of American Idol Season 9. A great voice but probably in the wrong venue. She'll get some name recognition from the show, go on tour, and cut an Indie CD.

Kristen Epperly
Shocked by a much more solid vocal than I was expecting and grateful that we didn't have to hear any more of her back story about how her performing on Idol will apparently piece back together her parents' broken marriage. Also shocked by the prostitute costume that she seems to have borrowed from the Idol costume closet. Adam Lambert called. Wants his drag outfit back.

Haeley Vaughn
All I can say is she wins the "Dear God make it stop" vote of the night. votefortheworst.com has it's official candidate. There is so much else that I can say. Very little of it I'm willing to publish.

Lacey Brown
Wins the all around FAIL award. Combination of "Dear God make it stop" award and, on top of that, holds up the wrong number of fingers at the end encouraging us to dial the number for the contestant after her.

Michelle Delamor
Hi there, Michelle. We are the Idol viewers. It's nice to meet you. Another who we never saw in the prelims. Stuck around with a tough Alicia Keys song which could kill many contestants.

Didi Benami
This year's Kristy Lee Cook/Megan Joy token understatedly cute blonde contestant, but with more talent.

Siobhan Magnus
Does a passable job with Chris Isaak's Wicked Game. Still creepy enough that America is left thinking that aside from using the torch for glass blowing, she may just be an arsonist on the side.

Crystal Bowersox
Wins the Helen Keller "Miracle Worker" award in honor of the makeup artists' intense work behind the scenes. Teeth lightened 20 shades from brown to light taupe, actually looks showered. Has the most musical talent of any of the 12 female finalists. We'll be left to see how well she can fit in the Idol format.

Katie Stevens
The 17 year old tries to vamp it up and does... not... do... well... at... all. I hope her Alzheimer's-inflicted grandmother was asleep and didn't have to watch this performance (seriously, Idol producers, we have been knocked unconscious by this back story... just kill it already). Unlike Jordin Sparks, a contestant of similar age, Katie seems like she'll be swallowed up by this competition. The overall Vegas favorite has a tough night but she shouldn't have trouble building a fanbase.

Pack your bags, you may be going home:
- Haeley Vaughn
- Lacey Brown
- Michelle Delamor... the dark horse surprise voted off pick (stuck in the middle of a talented female group, somewhat forgettable, and has no following because the Idol producers have given her no screen time)