Mourning Two Family Losses

It was ten minutes before 4 PM this past Saturday when I got the call. My Great Uncle Les, who was diagnosed with colon cancer a few months ago, had passed away. I was prepared for his passing because I knew his cancer was terminal. So that didn't come as much of a shock to me. However, to hear that my Great Aunt Midge also passed away, just 12 hours later of her husband, was a total shock. She had undergone a leg bypass vein surgery that day and suffered one heart attack. She was stabilized and then suffered another heart attack which ultimately lead to her passing. As you can imagine, it wasn't easy to take the news so suddenly. I had gotten to know them both very well the past ten years at least so to have them both gone in such a short span of time is a difficult pill to swallow. However, I think with them passing in such a short amount of time together is a sign of their undying love for each other. I think it was meant to happen the way that it did.

Les and Midge were born and raised in the Upper Peninsula, eventually moving to Lower Michigan to raise their family, and would often come back to the U.P. in the summer and fall seasons. Approximately ten years ago, they purchased a home to live back in the Upper Peninsula full-time. My dad and I ending up doing a lot of work on their home for them, including mowing their grass, picking up the leaves in the fall, shoveling the snow off their roof, installing a new closet in the hallway, and painting the siding on their house, among other things. For me, I ended up becoming quite close with both Les and Midge during the past ten years, more so than I had earlier when my visits with them during their trips up north were fewer. I enjoy sitting down with them, hearing their stories, and even catching up on present day events. I sure am going to miss those visits with them.

Ever since moving to their new home in the U.P., I was entrusted with the yard work. There were only a select few times since they owned their home that I did not mow their grass. They liked the job that I did and the yard ended up looking better cut with a push mower. Their yard was not an easy one to mow, especially in the front near the highway. It was a steep grade and it was necessary for me to have decent shoes with good treads to tackle such a yard. But I can say that I've had a safe record mowing their grass. There were times where I didn't get over to their yard in a quicker fashion to mow, resulting in a yard that looked like a hay field. But they did not seem to care - and I could take care of it whenever I had the chance. They were good that way, not rushing me to get the job done and paying me whatever price I asked. They always provided me good refreshments for when I was done and I always enjoyed their company. They even provided me with dinner on occasion which proved to be an extra-special treat. Yes, mowing grass was a physically exerting job at their house, but for me it was all worth it, getting the chance to spend time with them.

Uncle Les wasn't in the best of health, particularly within the last year, even prior to his cancer diagnosis. He had gotten pretty weak and frail. But he still had a great desire and interest in life. Aunt Midge had one leg amputated about a year in a half ago due to veins in her leg being blocked. It was due to having diabetes. But other than that, she was in great health. And now, they are suddenly both gone. The blow of losing them both within 12 hours of each other came as a total shock to the entire family. For me, it was like losing a pair of grandparents that I never had. Both of my grandfathers passed away when I was five years old, so I never had the chance to really get to know them. For my Uncle Les, he kind of filled that role for me. Both Les and Midge led full lives, being married together for nearly 65 years, and were lucky to spend every possible moment together right to the very end. Wouldn't it be nice for all of us to experience that? I feel blessed for having known them and having gotten to know them better these past ten years. Maybe that's why it's been a lot more difficult saying goodbye to them both than I thought. R.I.P. Great Uncle Les and Aunt Midge. Until I see you again.

The Center of It All: Marquette, MI

Marquette is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula and in more recent years, has garnered several national honors bestowed on it. You could attempt to compare it to any other city of its size but more often than not, Marquette will have an advantage in something. Just take Lake Superior; the city is bordered by it to the east. The city owns the majority of the shoreline within its borders - a feat many communities along the Great Lakes cannot admit to. So, instead of condos blocking the view from the various roadways that parallel the shoreline, all one sees is the pristine lake and white sandy beaches. One of several examples that make Marquette a city unlike any other.

It's difficult to list everything that's great about the city in one blog posting, because there are virtually thousands of reasons why Marquette is so great. So, I'll attempt to list some of the finer points, including Marquette's vibrant downtown. These days, with bigger retailers building stores miles away from any center of a city, many downtown areas have suffered. The exact same thing has happened in the Marquette community; the bigger retailers have built stores out in Marquette township. However, Marquette's downtown has not suffered, not in the very least. It's probably the most vibrant downtown that one could expect, with very few shuttered store fronts and a plethora of activity. The downtown has a combination of unique and interesting stores, eating establishments, and even things tailored for fans of arts and culture. Historic businesses such as Donkers, Washington Shoe Store, and Getz's are just a few of the places that make up the heart and sole of Marquette's downtown.

The city also caters to the walking and biking crowd. It boasts a trail system that circles the city. With its bike path system in place, it's not uncommon for an individual to be able to walk or bike from point A to B. And the city even plows its bike paths in the winter time, so walking and biking is not limited to just the warm weather months. With the creation of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, Marquette's bike trails will soon be connected with other nearby municipalities. So that means a person would be able to bike from Harvey, Marquette, Negaunee, to Ishpeming without having to travel on a busy highway. And what biking community would it be without some bike races? The Superior Bike Fest is held annually in downtown Marquette, where they race the city streets, even at night. The Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic travels from Ishpeming to the finish line at the Superior Dome in Marquette. So needless to say, it's no wonder that Marquette has become such a notable destination for walking and biking.

There are some great things to see in Marquette as well. I already mentioned the relationship the city has with Lake Superior, but Presque Isle Park is another gem. It's a 323 acre park opened to the public year round, featuring scenic outlooks, wooded areas, walking trails, a gazebo, a pavilion, a marina, a band shell, the Moosewood Nature Center, a small ice cream shop (open seasonally), and public beaches. I mean honestly, the "island" has it all. It's easy to spend hours here exploring what all there is to see. Presque Isle Park Road, which circles the island, is closed during the winter months, but people are still able to visit the island's southern and western points as well as walk, snowshoe, or ski the closed roadway during the winter. And as one would expect visiting a wilderness area, it's not uncommon to see a variety of wildlife active on Presque Isle such as deer and many species of birds. It's a place unlike any other.

I've only scratched the surface when it comes to discussing all there is to see and do in Marquette. Honestly, there is so much to cover that I could write a series of blogs on what goes on within the U.P.'s largest city. And if what I've told you so far about the city has piqued your interest, be sure to check out the city's official website to find out even more. No wonder Marquette has received so many awards and distinctions within the past few years - because it's all deserving! Be sure to plan a visit to find out about it for yourself.

American Idol 10 - Top 13

I barely have enough time to finish writing this week's top 13 American Idol performance recap before the night is over - in fact, the results show has already been over for almost an hour! Well anyways, I finally got it completed. You know, it takes a lot of time recapping all 13 contestants. I try to keep my comments fairly short, but some need longer recaps than others. Nevertheless, here is this week's recap. It's featuring songs from each contestant's musical idols, and some have some interesting choices for idols. Here's how it all went down...

Lauren Alaina - "Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain : One of the proverbial favorites goes first tonight with another country tune. I wasn't aware she was a big country fan, so color me surprised two weeks in a row. Yes, the song is a fun one to sing, particularly in a karaoke bar. But by no means do I think it's a smart song to sing on American Idol. It was just an okay performance by Lauren. I mean sure, she sang it fine but it's not a performance I find to be all that memorable. She seemed rather surprised by the negative critiques she got from the judges. Lauren must not be lazy with her song selections from here on out, otherwise she'll be in for a rude awakening and an even quicker departure from the show.

Casey Abrams - "With a Little Help from My Friends" version from Joe Cocker : Casey is one of this season's eclectic performers, who you cannot help but root for. He has a comedic side to him, yet he's a pretty good singer, too. I wasn't sure if this was going to be the right song for Casey, but he was absolutely stellar. He infused a lot of energy into the performance and gave it all he got. It's not a song that really shows off a singer's vocals per se, yet it suited Casey quite well. He really got the crowd into his performance and it was one of the most energetic of the night.

Ashthon Jones - "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" by Diana Ross : Ashthon is one performer with big potential; she just needs to know how to use it and in the perfect moment. She could even be this season's diva; that is if she can stay in the competition long enough. She barely made it through last week, so we'll see if she's able to capitalize on another opportunity. All in all, I didn't think it was too bad of a performance. It was slightly boring and not all that memorable, but I did like the fact that she was able to turn the song into something current. It had a contemporary feel to it and the song didn't over power her. It was a decent performance, but there's definitely room for improvement.

Paul McDonald - "Come Pick Me Up" by Ryan Adams : Paul is up next and his song choice has me scratching my head a little bit. I know of Ryan Adams and I am familiar with a couple of his songs, but is he that mainstream nation-wide? Is enough of America going to recognize the song to connect with Paul's interpretation? I do rather enjoy his shout-outs to America before he sings - like he is so comfortable being out there. Yep, my earlier fears as to whether this song will work for Paul are confirmed. It started out rather slow and pretty low for Paul's range. Then as the tempo picked up, so did his pitchiness. Although I do enjoy his random movements on stage most of the time, I think it kind of threw him off during this performance. Certainly not his strongest night on the Idol stage.

Pia Toscano - "All By Myself" by Celine Dion : Here is one of last week's brightest stars - a memorable rendition of "I'll Stand By You" that had everyone on their feet after she had concluded singing. She has raised the bar quite high for herself so it will be interesting to see if she's able to keep that momentum going. I would like to see her experiment a bit and go away from the ballads, but there is no denying that she excels at performing the slower-tempo songs. And again, it's another strong performance by Pia. She even hits higher notes with such ease. She is quickly becoming one of this season's front runners with her vocal prowess.

James Durbin - "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney : As James performed this song, I think back to last season and remember Crystal Bowersox singing this song, hitting it out of the park. Let's see if James will have similar success. Despite some of his unfortunate comments during Hollywood week, I think James changed a lot of people's opinions of himself last week. And I think even more people are becoming Durbin fans after this week's performance. James picked a very smart song by one of the world's most enduring singers. I really enjoyed his look this week and I enjoyed his performance even more. His vocals were spot on, he didn't overdue it with his rocker-esque screech, and he presented himself quite well. Another strong week for James.

Haley Rinehart - "Blue" by LeAnn Rimes : Haley is one contestant who has sort of flown under the radar, but she has a unique sound to her voice that is unforgettable. However, she has to know when to use that uniqueness, otherwise it sounds off. Whether it was nerves or what-have-you, she's pitchy right from the get-go. She almost sounds like a strangled hound dog at times with her howl. Needless to say, I am not a fan of this performance and this song just not suit Haley all that well. She thinks she did well and had fun, but it did not translate well on the Idol stage. I think she could find herself in trouble during result's night.

Jacob Lusk - "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly : Here's one song that should be permanently banned from being performed on the Idol stage from here on out - because it's been performed too darn much, and to mixed results, too. However, I'm not upset that Jacob is performing it because maybe he'll be able to work his magic on it. It seems that thus far, everything he's performed has turned into a gospel affair, which is definitely not a bad thing. But tonight, it did not work. I actually thought the second half of the song was better than the first and I wasn't a huge fan of the falsetto-portion of the song, but he did seem to get things together at the end. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to save his performance this week. However, he's in no danger of going home anytime soon.

Thia Megia - "Smile" version by Michael Jackson : I don't entirely get Thia yet - and I understand that's how many people feel about her at this stage of the competition. A lot of people are wondering about her personality, because at this point it looks as if she doesn't have one. Yes, it's obvious she loves to sing and she is totally passionate about it. But we don't know much else about her, do we? What other hobbies does she enjoy, does she like school, etc? I mean there's no question she's an excellent singer. However I don't think she is connected to the American audience like she could be. Tonight's performance was great again, albeit not too memorable and kind of sleepy. Let's see if she's able to pick up the pace a little bit more one of these weeks.

Stefano Langone - "Lately" by Stevie Wonder : I have really been finding myself enjoying Stefano as a performer lately. I did not get a chance to comment on the wildcard performances of last week, but my god, the passion and soul he poured into that wildcard performance that solidified his spot in the top 13. It was well-deserved and so I am looking forward to more awesome performances by Stefano, now that I know that he is capable of such. Now this week wasn't quite as memorable as last for Stefano, but I did find his performance of this Stevie Wonder song to be enjoyable. I liked how the tempo picked up, although it was a tad-bit corny. However, he sang it well and every note was spot on. Now THIS is how you perform an up-tempo song.

Karen Rodriguez - "If I Could Fall In Love" by Selena : There is something very intriguing about Karen and I think it could be her bubbly personality. I enjoy her smile and she appears to be a very positive person. Now Karen is an example of someone who's personality we can connect to. Let's see if she's able to connect to the audience with her singing this week. All in all, I wouldn't say it was too bad. It certainly wasn't her best vocal. She seemed to struggle with the lower-end notes in the song, particularly in the beginning. It was a bit of an underwhelming performance from Karen and I know she is capable of much more.

Scotty McCreery - "The River" by Garth Brooks : Another one of this season's proverbial favorites, who had a bit of a rocky road, particularly during Hollywood week, but now seems to be hitting his stride. You know what would really surprise me one week, if he did anything but a country number. I am sure later on that could happen, especially if there are more specific themes. But Scotty is in a league of his own and totally excels on any country song he sings (except when he doesn't know the lyrics). I'm not a huge country fan but I've always enjoyed Garth Brooks' songs. So needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Scotty's performance this week. It was a song that virtually everybody knows and he performed it splendidly.

Naima Adedapo - "Umbrella" by Rihanna : There have been a few contestants who have picked questionable song choices this week and Naima can be included in that bunch. It reminds me of Jordan Dorsey singing "OMG" and Ta-Tynisa Wilson singing "Only Girl" last week. These are not songs that caters to an individual's vocals. And Naima's performance was all over the place. However, she did something different with the song with the infusion of reggae into it and the little bit of rapping. And her dance moves were pretty cool. No, it wasn't the best vocal this season, but she made it very entertaining and it proved to be a nice way to cap off the night. I think Naima will be around for a few more weeks, at least.

Top 13 Performance Rankings:
1: Casey Abrams
2: James Durbin
3: Pia Toscano
4: Scotty McCreery
5: Naima Adedapo
6: Thia Megia
7: Stefano Langone
8: Lauren Alaina
9: Jacob Lusk
10: Paul McDonald
11: Karen Rodriguez
12: Ashthon Jones
13: Haley Rinehart

UPDATE: Ashthon Jones is sent home during tonight's results show. The judge's do not invoke the save.

American Idol 10 - Top 12 Girls

Here we are back at it again for another recap, this time the top 12 girls. The semi-finals this season are going to be much shorter, as tonight there will be a massive cut in contestants. We'll go from 24 down to 10 in one night! There is talk that next week, a wildcard show will take place which will allow two contestants previously eliminated the chance to join the ten that made it through and form this season's top 12. So we'll see how that all pans out next week. As for last night's girl's performances, here's how it all went down:

Ta-Tynisa Wilson - "Only Girl (In the World)" by Rihanna : I guess I am a bit perplexed as to why Ta-Tynisa chose this song because it is not a song that really caters to a person's vocal abilities (much like Jordan two night's ago). It's such a fast-paced song that she seemed out of breath at times with it and she had difficulty keeping up. Plus the background singers and herself did not match up very well together. Her voice just didn't sound very good performing the song and it was just okay for me. It does not look like she'll be moving forward.

Naima Adedapo - "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald : Another questionable song choice, particularly when Fantasia in season two absolutely killed it, making it one of the greatest Idol performances of all time. So you know those comparisons are already going to take place. I actually thought she sang it pretty well, but I'm not sure that she made it all that memorable. She created this jazzy, loungy feel to it which is a pretty interesting combination. Naima definitely proved that she has the pipes to sing such a song; now we'll see if the voting audience connected with her.

Kendra Chantelle - "Impossible" by Christina Aguilera : Kendra had a couple of memorable performances prior to the green mile selection show, including her rendition of "Georgia on my Mind" and her duet with Paul McDonald on "Blackbird." So you know she has the capabilities of doing something special this season. And there's a lot of risk in doing a Christina Aguilera song but Kendra proved she was up to the challenge. She was in tune, she made the performance interesting, and she's got a pretty darn good voice. Nice job to Kendra.

Rachel Zevita - "Criminal" by Fiona Apple : The judges and/or producers in previous seasons (and to some extent this season) have always been on contestants to turn songs into their own. But, you don't want a song completely rearranged into something that makes it unrecognizable from the original. And that's exactly what Rachel did with "Criminal." I liked her attempt with the song, but it was just too much. I agree with Steven's assessment that it turned into a broadway-type performance, whether Rachel wanted to hear it or not. It just did not work on the Idol stage.

Karen Rodriguez - "Hero" by Mariah Carey : So Karen did something to turn this Mariah classic into her own; she sang half of it in Spanish! Prior to tonight, I didn't think she had much of a chance to make it to the top 12, but she just might have a fighting chance after last night's performance. I don't know that she did anything else different with the song, other than sing half of it in Spanish, but she proved that she can sing with the very best of the best on the girl's side of the competition. I certainly thought she made the song interesting to listen to.

Lauren Turner - "Seven Day Fool" by Etta James : Now here's a contestant on the girl's side in which I don't know very much about! I don't know if she received as much air time compared to the rest of the girls, but she proved with this performance that she belongs within the top 24, at least. It was such a fun, upbeat little ditty and she made it so contemporary! It's as if you could listen to that on the radio today, it sounded that good. Now that's how you perform an old classic like an Etta James song.

Ashton Jones - "Love Over Me" by Monica : This is one Monica song I am not familiar with, so Ashton is doing good by me in picking a more unfamiliar Monica song (at least in my eyes). I mean, she sang it pretty well, I'll give her that. But I don't know if it's a performance I am going to remember again tomorrow. Actually I don't remember any of her other performances prior to tonight! So that doesn't bode all that well for her. I will say this, she performed this Monica song pretty well, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the song when all is said and done.

Julie Zorrilla - "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson : There is always a risk in choosing a Kelly Clarkson song on this show, considering that she is THE original American Idol! If you choose such a song, you have to nail it, and sadly Julie did not. There were a lot of high expectations for Julie - she did such a stellar job during Hollywood week. But alas, it did not pan out as well during the first live show. It just wasn't the right song for her style. She was off-pitch and sharp in spots and it just did not flow together as well as when Kelly sang it originally. It just did not work.

Haley Rinehart - "Fallin'" by Alicia Keys : She has a really unique female voice, doesn't she? I remember her being rather up and down during Hollywood week, so we'll see if she can step it up here. It usually never bodes well for a contestant to perform an Alicia Keys song - nobody ever seems to have much success doing it! And I'd have to say the same for Haley. Right off the bat I knew it was going to be the wrong song for her. It just did not suit her vocal style. It almost seemed a bit too theatrical for me, as well. She should have tried a little less harder to prove herself - and to pick a different song, too!

Thia Megia - "Out Here on my Own" from the musical Fame : Thia is an amazing vocalist for someone so young, but some people do not find her singing to be all that endearing. Let's see if she's able to prove herself to those folks tonight. I actually thought it was a pretty decent performance. Maybe she wants to focus her talents towards broadway singing, because she performs those kinds of songs quite well. Her performance seemed to be controlled more so than usual, as if she was holding back a bit, and I didn't mind that at all. Nice first try on the big stage for Thia.

Lauren Alaina - "Turn on the Radio" by Reba McEntire : Here we have one of this season's front-runners, even Steven has her picked as being the winner already - and that was after her audition! Well, she has a long way to go yet, but she's off to an exceptional start. I actually thought she made a smart move by choosing a Reba song as opposed to choosing a Mariah, Whitney, or Alicia Keys song like a few of the others. She knows exactly who she is as a singer and she proved that she can sing country, too! It was an enjoyable, upbeat performance and she should glide right into this season's top 12.

Pia Toscano - "I'll Stand By You" by the Pretenders : Pia had that memorable moment in Hollywood week when she was with two other girls performing the song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars. Their performance of that song made me enjoy that song all the more. So we know Pia can definitely sing, and she proved it by knocking "I'll Stand By You" right out of the park. It was soulful, sensual, and just plain good. She was very deserving of that standing ovation from the judges and it looks like she's capable of going very far in this competition.

The Top 12 Girl's Performance Rankings:
1: Pia Toscano
2: Lauren Turner
3: Kendra Chantelle
4: Lauren Alaina
5: Thia Megia
6: Karen Rodriguez
7: Naima Adedapo
8: Ashton Jones
9: Ta-Tynisa Wilson
10: Hailey Rinehart
11: Rachel Zevita
12: Julie Zorrilla

So there we have it; the top 24 performance shows are in the books. The semi-final results shows are always so unpredictable - last year we definitely had a few shocking eliminations at this stage. So we'll see how it all goes down this season; especially when 14 contestants will be sent packing tonight! Enjoy the fun! I will recap the wildcard show next week.

American Idol 10 - Top 12 Boys

So I haven't had much time to blog lately, and that's especially the case this week with me being on afternoon shift (not exactly the best week for the American Idol live shows to start!). But I will do my best to get through last night's episode, where the top 12 boys sang from a pretty wide-open theme. There were a few stand-outs as well as some disappointments. Let's see how it all shook down:

Clint Jun Gamboa - "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder : I don't know if I was totally impressed with Clint's rendition of a song that's been overly-done on American Idol through the years. Yes, he definitely can sing as I did not detect too many botched notes. However, he did tend to overdue it with the runs and over sang at times. It is a very energetic song to perform and he definitely had people clap along. He certainly is no karaoke singer and proves that he has the vocal chops but I wasn't totally won over quite yet.

Jovany Barreto - "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain : The song is kind of a safe one for Jovany to pick as he did not change it up too much from the original. I was actually pretty bored by his performance and it was just okay. There's no question he can sing; heck they all can if they made it to this point in the competition. But he has to bring a lot more fire and intensity if he wants to make it further than the top 24. It probably would've done him better if he selected a song a little more upbeat, or if it had a more upbeat chorus. "I'll Be" is pretty much a simple, syrupy ballad and it did not do Jovany any justice.

Jordan Dorsey - "OMG" by Usher : I'll let you in on a little secret (last night's episode was actually taped this past Friday!)... so, spoilers were released as to which songs each of the boys picked. Usually I can't wait to find these things out, so I checked it out and to me, Jordan's choice of this song probably left me the most bewildered. It isn't a song that allows an individual to really show off their vocal abilities. I mean sure, it's a fun, upbeat song but it does not cater to a singers vocals. And just as I figured last week, it was not a good song for Jordan. Unfortunately I don't think he'll make it beyond this week.

Tim Halperin - "Streetcorner Symphony (Come on Over)" by Rob Thomas : I can honestly say that from out of the top 12 guys, Tim is probably the least I know about. He kind of flew under the radar, even though he did get screen time prior to the live rounds starting. I'm not sure that this particular song did Tim any justice. It started off pretty underwhelming and it kind of ate him up. I don't think he's all that comfortable performing on stage without a piano in front of him. It was just an okay performance for me as he could've done much more to the song to make it his own. To me at this point, he's just an average singer.

Brett Loewenstern - "Light my Fire" by the Doors : So Brett is one contestant we've been following right from the very beginning and could be considered as one of the early favorites. I must say his song choice was a little odd as I figured he would pick something a little more contemporary. However, I think he did a pretty decent job with it. I wouldn't say it was his best vocal, particularly early on in the song. But I think he did make a pretty positive impression on the voting public tonight (if he didn't already). Brett is definitely unique and different, and that should help in his favor.

James Durbin - "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" by Judas Priest : James is a bit of a controversial contestant, especially in regards to his stage-parents comment during Hollywood week. However, he does have a bit of an endearing side to him, too. He really wants to make it big with a singing career. And honestly, out of all of the male contestants tonight, I think James' performance was the best of the night. It was controlled, he didn't overdue it with the rock screech and it was an absolute fun song to hear James perform. It was as if he was already a professional on stage. He certainly hit a home run with this song.

Robbie Rosen - "Arms of an Angel" by Sarah McLachlan : Robbie was one of those stand-out younger contestants featured during the early rounds of the show who could go far, if he can just get through the semi-finals! He did a pretty decent job with the song vocally, although it wasn't totally perfect. However, it was a boring and safe song choice. If I would've watched it live, I probably would have been in danger of dozing off. He needs to carefully choose his songs; there's no question he can sing great ballads, but it needs to be a ballad with a little more energy, too.

Scotty McCreery - "Letters from Home" by John Michael Montgomery : Scotty needs no formal introduction; he could quite possibly be this season's most famous contestant thus far. No real surprises from Scotty this week as he stays true to his roots and selects a country song. And I think that's good because if he chose to take a risk and deviate away from country and fails miserably, he could never recover. And he did a solid job performing "Letters from Home." I wouldn't say it was anything outstanding, but it was much better than a lot of the performances we saw last night. He certainly has great quality and control with his vocals.

Stefano Langone - "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars : Stefano is going very contemporary with this Bruno Mars hit and he does an admiral job with it. Obviously it wasn't perfect particularly in the end with that falsetto, but it was pretty decent. I enjoy it more when a contestant chooses a song that's more relevant to today - not that there's anything wrong with songs in the past. But more people, particularly the younger voters, can relate to a modern song more. I really enjoy the tenor sound to his voice - he's another contestant that can stray higher in his range and still be comfortable doing so.

Paul McDonald - "Maggie Mae" by Rod Stewart : Here's a contestant who has the ability to make anyone smile when he sings. Yes, he's quirky and unique and he's also a pretty good performer. Just look at the way he acted on stage last night; just like a true professional. I think "Maggie Mae" is a song that suited Paul well and he did an exceptional job choosing it. And yes, the way he moves around on stage is a little quirky as well; fits in perfectly with Paul's style. I think he already has a big audience following and he should be able to advance quite far.

Jacob Lusk - "House is Not a Home" by Luther Vandross : Here's the guy that is totally passionate about singing and really gets so emotionally involved within a song. Earlier on, we did not really know too much about Jacob, that is until he blew the box out of "God Bless the Child." Now Jacob has become a household name. He was back in true form last night singing "House is Not a Home," infusing his own style into the song, yet still keeping true to the original. He is such a delightful contestant and honestly, a breath of fresh air to the Idol stage. At this point there's nothing that Jacob cannot do.

Casey Abrams - "I Put a Spell On You" by Jay Hawkins : My goodness, what a potentially great season we have unfolding, and we haven't even seen the girls perform yet! Casey is another one of those unique birds, as we saw him perform with a large bass instrument during Hollywood and do exceptionally well with it! I liked it last night that he took an old classic and brought it to the forefront on American Idol and knocked it out of the park. Was it as unique memorable as some of his Hollywood performances? Probably not, but it was still a great way to end last night's episode.

Top 12 Boys Performance Rankings:
1: James Durbin
2: Jacob Lusk
3: Scotty McCreery
4: Casey Abrams
5: Paul McDonald
6: Stefano Langone
7: Clint Jun Gamboa
8: Brett Loewenstern
9: Robbie Rosen
10: Jovany Barreto
11: Tim Halperin
12: Jordan Dorsey

And there we have it, the first night of live performances is in the books (although it wasn't technically live). All in all, it was a decent night with the latter half of the episode being the best. Tonight, it's all up to the girls to show off their vocal talents. Be sure to check back here tomorrow for a recap of that.