This crazy little thing called "American Idol" continued Wednesday night with a tribute to Queen, and judging from all the superlatives spewing from the judges' mouths ("Incredible." "Fantastic." "Over the top" ...), the late Freddie Mercury would have really dug it.
The Top 6 contestants opened the show with an energetic Queen medley, accompanied by surviving members Brian May and Roger Taylor. Then, they each performed a song by the British group before coming back in the second half of the show with their own song choices.
All in all, it was a pretty good night if you overlook the unfortunate sight of three gigantic Jessica Sanchez heads on the big-screen backdrop during the first of her numbers. Scary stuff, indeed.
Here's a critical rundown by our readers panel on who rocked and who better be ready to pack their bags:
CHRISTINA WISE, Boulder Creek
Round 1 brought a rocking ode to yet another band that will leave at least one of my fellow judges asking, "Who?" No, The Who is a different group. Maybe they'll be featured next week.
Here's my take:
Jessica Sanchez -- Started us off with a gorgeous rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody." While I love the sound of her voice, the background was wickedly distracting. Putting Jessica's face on a huge screen like the great and powerful Oz was a really bad move. At one point, her head seemed to be protruding from her own projected nostrils.
Bad producers. Bad. Then came "Dance With My Father" and I was nearly moved to tears. Her voice is so gorgeous, and I felt every word.Skylar Laine -- "The Show Must Go On" was one of her more sedate performances physically, but a crazy-good performance vocally. She is such a powerhouse, and I will root for this country girl until the bitter end. Also, I DUG the six-shooter earrings. Wicked good.
Her second vocal featured her sparky country twang, cowboy boots and a Western guitar. She is a joy to behold, and she has tattooed her voice onto my heart. Love her like the feather on her wrist, all full of wispy hope.
Joshua Ledet -- No joke: I threw my laptop onto the couch, got up and danced with my Joshua. His performance of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was delicious, fun and all his own. I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat by the end.
His second song? No idea what it was, but he can sing it to me any day of the week and twice on Sundays. What. A. Voice. Yo.
Elise Testone -- Her voice was made for this genre, and her vocal strength shined through. "I Want It All" worked vocally, visually and was totally in her "wheelhouse." I would have liked to see her lose herself a little more, but no damage done.
"Bold as Love" was deep and gutsy and gritty. I loved how JLo stood up for the performance, and I was with her all the way.
Phillip Phillips -- I've never heard "Fat Bottomed Girls," but Phillip could sing "The Wheels on the Bus" and I'd buy the track. No sound of Dave Matthews there, but just that snarly, gritty boy from the South that makes my heart go pitter-patter.
Song 2 brought my Dave Matthews fix via "The Stone," but he needed WAY more at this stage of the competition. Listen to Jen -- you've gotta go hard, dude, and you've gotta bring it.
Hollie Cavanagh -- "Save Me" showcased her vocal control and was an ironic plea to voters. She has such a pure voice and is such a capable artist that, in a different year, she would have placed higher than she will in this competition.
That second dress was full-on killer, and her voice carried the message of "The Climb" straight up. She sang the bangers and mash out of that tune.
I am to the point where I can't watch the elimination shows. They are all so damned good, and I have no doubt they will each make their mark in the entertainment industry.
VAISHNAVI KASHYAP, Sunnyvale
True confession: I was moping around the house, crushed and devastated, the whole past week, wondering why and how Colton Dixon got eliminated. What happened to the votes of the throngs of female fans?! The final weeks definitely won't be the same without him. So the top spot on my list has now been occupied by Phillip Phillips.
Jessica -- Rock definitely isn't her forte. Not as strong as usual ... Maybe we'll have another surprise elimination? Her second performance was way more her style. And way better too. It might have actually saved her from joining the Bottom 3.
Skylar -- Whoa, girl. I actually got "goosies" on that one too. Still not in my Top 3, but could be getting there sometime soon. And I really liked her second performance. Very "thick-boned." :D
Joshua -- Good, but not worthy of a standing ovation. He's growing on me, though. The second time around was pretty beautiful, not going to lie.
Elise -- I'm still strong in my conviction for her to go home, but I grudgingly have to admit it was a pretty good performance. But the second song didn't do it for me. "I did not love that."
Phillip --YEAAAAAA. I've listened to his version of 'U Got It Bad' so many times now I can replicate it exactly. And this performance was right there with it. And JLO?! What happened to your Phillip fan-girl status?
Hollie -- Ehh. Not her best night. But she's No. 2 on my list so she better come back strong ... And she did! Her version of "The Climb" is so much better than the original.
EILEEN SIMON, Walnut Creek
Time to narrow the field. It isn't hard. My three favorite Idols sang my three favorite Queen songs.
1. Jessica is indeed a Bohemian Rhapsody. I can't wait to see her with her father tomorrow. I hope they dance.
2. Joshua is a Crazy Little Thing Called Love. He's Ready for love and I'm ready to give it to him.
3. Phillip sang "Fat Bottomed Girls" and he was a good time once again. He has the most personality and the best smile. I'm always on pins and needles to hear what he's going to sing because he's a real musician.
These are indeed my Champions. I've got to go vote.
BEN WENTLING, Concord
For the first time this season the judges got it right when they said everyone did great. Top to bottom, each contestant nailed at least one of their songs. This is getting tougher and tougher as we move into the home stretch.
The two who stood out (both of whom I rewound to watch again) were Skylar and Elise. Skylar took an obscure song from the Queen songbook and did a phenomenal job making it her own. She showed she's more than just a country rocker.
Elise brought down the house with her version of "I Want it All" and even had the judges rocking. She reminds me of Grace Slick and probably moved toward the top of the pack. I would be very surprised if she wound up in the Bottom 3 this week.
Jessica took on an awfully big song with "Bohemian Rhapsody," and while it wasn't her best performance she's still an awesome talent and with her second song showed she's also still queen of the ballads. She stays.
The person who surprised me most was Joshua, who I've never really cared for until tonight. He had my tapping me toes during "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and showed he can tell a story with the song with "Ready for Love." Very impressive.
Phillip and Hollie are the ones who should be worried after tonight. Phillip is still one of the better performers on the show but all his songs are starting to sound the same. I still really like him , but I'm just saying ... And I love Hollie to death, but her effort in the first round was the weakest of the bunch. She more than made up for it in the second round, I just don't know if it'll be enough to save her from the Bottom 3.
DIANE WILSON, Saratoga
At this point, the final four are going to be Jessica, Phillip, Joshua and Skylar. Elise rocks and has the vocal chops, but I don't think she has the charisma to win the votes.
Jessica can SING Queen, but she can't ROCK Queen. The ballad part of the song was exquisite. She needs to let loose with her personality and moves. "Dance With My Father" is right up her vocal alley. Touching, tender and beautiful.
"The Show Must Go On" wasn't Skylar's best performance. It seemed like she struggled with the low notes, but this girl is versatile and confident. Reba meets Freddie Mercury! Then we go to Tattoos country style. She just can't wait to sing the chorus. I'm not a strong country fan, but I am a Skylar fan.
Not feeling the "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" during Joshpel's version of this song. Too screechy. The judges must be getting bonuses for the amount of Standing Os they give to Joshua. Do the judges have instructions to "guide" America to vote for an African American soul singer? A tender performance of "Ready For Love" puts me back in Joshpel's corner. No shrieking or screeching, just hanging out with the song. Another Standing O. This one more deserved.
Elise nails "I Want It All". She can hold her own against any rocker/blues chick. Best tambourine twirl of the season. She was the one who stood out during the group performance. I didn't recognize the Hendrix song but I still thought she rocked it with her distinctive style.
How can such a spastic performer be so darn sexy and engaging? I hated watching Joe Cocker in his day. But Phillip reels me in again. I always want to hear his take on any song and let's dedicate "Fat Bottomed Girls" to JLo.
So everyone says P-Squared is the second coming of Dave Matthews. So "The Stone" should have been his chance to shine. Ugh. Double Ugh. Hope he doesn't do that type of song again. Even Picasso "The Artist" didn't always have a great painting.
Hollie picked an apt named song, "Save Me" since she keeps landing in the Bottom 3. Hollie performs well but there is something missing. Is it the emotion? Not sure. "The Climb" is next. Liked it much better than Miley Cyrus' version. Though she got a standing O, I think she will go this week or next. Too little, too late. She definitely has more personality than Jessica, but Jessica has had the vocal consistency.
TONY LEONG, Oakland
Top Performers Tonight:
Jessica -- She had excellent voice control on "Bohemian Rhapsody." Very nice. Freddie Mercury would have loved it. And she nailed it again on "Dance With My Father." Her vocal range is so impressive.
Skylar -- "The Show Must Go On" was a good test for someone who has been singing in her country comfort zone. She passed with flying colors. Of course, she was back in her zone on "Tattoos on This Town." Solid performance.
Middle of the Pack:
Joshua -- I wasn't as impressed with his version of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" as the judges were. Still, he had a lot of energy and stage presence. "I Am Ready For Love" was another good, but not really great performance.
Bottom of the Pack:
Elise Testone -- "I Want It All" was a perfect song for her. Great performance. She milked it for what it was worth. She seemed pretty relaxed and flowed with the song. But, yikes, she struck a bad note with her bluesy take on the Hendrix song.
Phillip Phillips -- He seemed to capture the essence of Queen, or rather Freddie Mercury, on "Fat Bottomed Girls." Perfect song for him. But his follow-up was weird. It sounded like an experimental improv song. I agree with Jennifer: They all need to give it their best shot at this stage of the game. To me, he wasted an opportunity in these final weeks by trying to be offbeat.
Hollie -- "Save Me" รข€" Sounded like she was imploring the voters to save her, which isn't a bad idea at this point. It was just OK for me. She was much better on "The Climb." Hollie just seems to shine more on the upbeat stuff.
Those in Jeopardy: Phillip, Elise and Hollie.
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