Scott Freeman

This is my last recap of this season’s Rock Star. I’m a little sad that my favorite reality show is ending tonight. Here’s hoping for a third season. Van Halen, come on, you know you need a singer.

Here’s my thoughts:

Ryan Star–Back of My Car: Ryan was sent packing two weeks ago. However, the viewers brought him back for one final encore. What’s interesting is that he might be the breakout star of this season. He’s already been rushed into the studio to record an album with the house band. Since the house band is the best thing going on that show, it’ll be the album to get. Wait six months and get the Supernova CD in the cut-out bin.

Toby Rand–Karma Police/Throw It Away: Toby is the smart choice at this point. He gave a passionate performance on the Radiohead tune, but the gold is in his original tune. I still can’t get it out of my head. I believe that he would have the broadest appeal of all of the remaining rockers. If Supernova is smart (something that shouldn’t be banked on) he’s their pick. “Throw It Away” would be a hit for them. My wife, who doesn’t care for this show, keeps singing this song.

Lukas Rossi–Fix You/Headspin: Ok, I’m not the biggest Coldplay fan, but “Fix You” is classic. Rossi’s cover made me want to hit something. And that original? The lyrics are straight from a middle school creative writing project. If he wins (and he very well might, see above comments on the intelligence of Supernova) then I am buying stock in homeless Canadians living in their car. This guy can’t sing. If Supernova’s goal for a lead singer is someone snorting coke off of a passed-out stripper, then this is the guy.

Dilana–Roxanne/Supersoul: For the first two months, she was far and away the front-runner. She fell back to the pack over the last few weeks. However, last night she showed why she is the best overall performer. I think Toby might be the smartest choice, but Dilana is still the edgiest and most enjoyable to watch. She killed on the Police classic and showed tremendous stage presence on her original. I love her and if she wins I’ll buy the album. I can’t say that about any other performer remaining.

Magni–Hush/When the Time Comes: Tommy made it clear: Magni is the first to go tonight. He would have been eliminated last week but he escaped the bottom three. He’s standing in Storm’s place and 300,000 Icelander’s can’t protect him any longer. I thought his performances were great, especially the Deep Purple tune. But Tommy nailed him with what I thought was the most mean-spirited comment of the year. Maybe it was edited, but there was no lightness in the voice as in previous critiques.

Here’s my take:
Magni is eliminated early. If Supernova is serious then it becomes a finale between Toby and Dilana. Dilana is probably the best fit overall, but Toby has the most star potential. But if Tommy has his way they are going with Lukas. And that’s not good.
I’m pulling for Dilana but would be pleased with Toby as well.
If they pick Lukas, I’m out.

I don’t have time to do the full run-down as I have the previous weeks. At this point it doesn’t really matter anyway. They are all good, except for Lukas. Here are my thoughts per performer:

Dilana: They edit this show the way they do for a reason. It seems that they are setting her up to lose. After being the front runner the first 8-9 weeks of the show, they have had nothing good to say about her lately. I thought she was great tonight, though. I think she may be going home.

Magni: He’s the weak link of the guys remaining. He’s solid and stable and his original tune shows the anger and intensity that Supernova is looking for, but I don’t believe he can outlast Lukas or Toby.

Storm: Part of what they have to be looking for at this point is the ability to bring songwriting skills. Storm knocked that out of the park tonight. Both songs she performed were stellar and she moved ahead of Dilana. I think she makes the finals next week based on tonight alone.

Lukas: What the heck was that? That was awful. I just don’t get it. I love Bon Jovi and he destroyed that song. And his original sounds like something I wrote back in 9th grade.

Toby: He is now the front-runner. And that’s the right choice, I believe. His original was memorable and this band will need all the help they can get to be memorable.

Going Home: Dilana and/or Magni

With Patrice gone, all remaining rockers have a chance.  But, with last night’s show we see that nothing is certain.  I’m afraid that we might see one of my favorite’s go home:

Lukas Rossi–Lithium: If mumbling, incoherent cocky front-men are what you are searching for (and I’m getting the impression that is the case) then Lukas is your man.  For the life of me, I cannot see the appeal.  Dilana did this in week one and blew the doors off of the place. But then again, she can actually sing.  Can anybody help me see why the band likes this guy so much?  They talk about range.  What range?  If he is there guy they will have an even more limited shelf-life than they already have.

Magni–I Alone: Now, here’s a guy who can actually sing.  Magni was tremendous bringing energy and vitality to one of my favorite tunes of the ’90′s.  I don’t think he has a chance of winning unless they want to go in a more serious direction.  He’d be a great choice but Tommy has more pull than Jason, I’m afraid.

Ryan Star–Clocks: This guy has moved into my top 3.  He’s my favorite male performer left and last night proved that he has what it takes to be a serious contender.  His performance was astounding, hitting the high notes with precision and commanding the stage.  I bought his album last week on iTunes and he is skilled at piano rawk, ala Ben Folds or Keane.  I’m not sure if Supernova would bring out his strengths, however.

Storm Large–Bring Me to Life: Sigh, I love Storm but I’m afraid she is in danger of going home.  She has dropped back in the pack over the last couple of weeks and last night’s song choice did not help her chances.  I thought she was incredible but it’s obvious that the band has lost enthusiasm for her. I hope she gets another week but it’s obvious that her days are numbered.

Toby Rand–Rebel Yell: Was it just me or was he channeling Lukas last night?  Performance style, swagger and mumbling were hallmarks of this performance.  I wasn’t impressed but I still like him.  And I’m really beginning to like his chances.  He’s likeable, he’d help Tommy score chicks (pulling all the girls on-stage was a shrewd move) and he can perform anything.  If they decide that they need a good male vocalist to front their band then he is their best choice.

Dilana–Mother, Mother: Putting the missteps of the last week behind her Dilana showed why she has been the front-runner all year long.  She is far and away the best performer and if this band is serious about staying together longer than an album and a six-month tour, then she is the one.  Her performance was inspired and one of the best overall of the season.

Here’s how it shakes out to me:

Repeat Performance: Dilana (or Lukas)

Bottom Three: Lukas, Storm and Magni

Going Home: Magni (It could be Storm if they decide to overlook Magni’s repeated return to the Bottom 3)

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In other TV news, did anyone watch Fox’s Celebrity Duets last night? Was that brutal or what?  Somebody needs to stop Simon Cowell from creating shows.  Stick to American Idol, buddy.  That’s what you do best.

There was major movement among the top contestants last night.  It’s really getting interesting at this point.  Dilana is still at the top, but under her is a lot of jostling.

Patrice Pike–Beautiful Thing: Nice song, if you like boring.  There is no way that Cynthia Nixon lasts past tonight.  There is way too much talent ahead of her, and this original song was completely non-descript. She would be swallowed alive fronting this band.

Magni–Smells Like Teen Spirit: Great, I was starting to miss the Nirvana songs.  But Magni was great.  He had complete vocal control over the song and had a great stage presence. 300,000 Icelanders can’t be wrong.  It was a good performance, but he slipped a notch last night.

Ryan Starr–Back of Your Car: I think Ryan has propelled himself into the top 3 with this phenomenal performance of his original song.  He gets better every week and he showed last night that he can write music that would fit Supernova.  His intensity, presence and vocal command provided the song of the night. I’m downloading his solo album today.

Storm Large–Cryin’: Oh, how I love Storm Large.  Last night, she pulled off a song that no one else was willing to try and she was amazing.  However, it did not stand out.  For the second week in a row she has failed to stand out.  I’m afraid she may be fading back into the pack.  She still has the chops and the persona to front this band, but if they are going in the female direction, there is no doubt it’s Dilana.  But she should get props for doing the most difficult song of the week.
Dilana–Every Breath You Take: I’ve exhausted my plaudits for Dilana.  She is far and away the best of this group.  She has consistently brought in one of the top 2-3 performances each week.  Last night was no exception. She delivered this song with naked and heartfelt emotion.  The only thing that could trip her up would be inability to pull off an original song, which she has not done yet.

Toby Rand–Layla: I hated this arrangement.  His showmanship was great but I was completely underwhelmed by his vocals.  I wasn’t impressed.  He stands firmly behind Ryan and Magni at this point.

Lukas Rossi–All These Things That I’ve Done: I just don’t get it.  If punk, whisky-swillin’ swagger is what you want, then he is your choice.  But HE CAN’T SING! I’m afraid he will be one of the final three because the band sees something that I don’t.

So:

Encore: Ryan

Bottom Three: Patrice, Toby and Storm (it hurts to write that.  It should be Lukas)

Going Home: Patrice

Thoughts?

Acoustic is my favorite style of music, so I really enjoyed last night’s offerings. We will soon be getting to a point where true contenders will get the axe. But there is still a couple of weeks before that happens:

Zayra Alvarez–Lluvia De Mar (Rainy Days): Sounded great, and if they ever decide to do another biopic of Selena then Penelope should go for it. But she does not fit and she has no hope of advancing much further. There was nothing train-wreck about this performance so it may be time to cut her loose.

Magni–Starman: In my estimation Magni is one of the two wildcards in this show. Every week he gets more comfortable and shows how he became a star in Iceland. I appreciate the fact that he is putting distance between himself and the Bono-retread he trotted out the first couple of weeks.

Patrice Pike–Message in a Bottle: Last year, Jordis started out strong and faded down the stretch. Patrice’s fall is much more dramatic. The first couple of weeks were great. Lately, however, she has been listless and uninspired. She appeared to be as bored with the song last night as I was. And I love the original. Patrice could spare Zayra for another week. I think she has already mentally checked out.

Lukas Rossi–Hero: Somebody please help me understand this. What is the appeal here? He can’t sing. This was the closest I saw to enjoyable yet but it still left me unimpressed. Am I watching a different show?

Storm Large–I Will Survive: Now, I love Storm Large. To me, she is the one true legitimate challenger to front-runner Dilana. But that was bad. So, so very bad. Granted, she had one of the worst songs in music history that for some reason or another refuses to die. I mean, seriously, can we ban this song now? I know they were looking for someone to recreate it like Marty did last year with “Hit Me Baby, One More Time” but come on, there’s only so much you can do with a song that lame. She deserves a mulligan.

Toby Rand–Solsbury Hill: One of the greatest rock songs ever. And Toby pulled it off. Great vocals. Great energy. And he wasn’t dwarfed by Gilby on stage. This bloke can sing now.

Ryan Star–In The Air Tonight: Along with Magni, this is the other wild card. Although I think there is something about him that will keep Supernova for giving him the helm, he is far and away the most improved. And last night’s performance was show-stopping. I’m anxious to see what he does each week. I was ready to hand him the encore for that, until…

Dilana–Cat’s in the Cradle: How can she lose? No one is in the same league with her. That version is now the definitive version of this song for me. She is right. She is the one. Every week she turns in one of the top 1-2 performances. She made a maudlin song about regret ring with both guilt and rage. Stunning.

So:

Repeat Performance: Dilana (with Magni and Ryan also possibilities)
Bottom Three: Zayra, Patrice, Storm (although Storm could get a reprieve for being so stellar in previous weeks. If so, slide Toby or Lukas here)
Going Home: It should be Zayra but my gut is leaning Patrice. She doesn’t even act like she wants it anymore.

Each week, the performances get better and better.  And Dilana puts more distance between herself and everybody else.

Dilana–Won’t Get Fooled Again: One nagging question through this competition has been whether or not Supernova would legitimately consider a woman to front their band.  The band answered last night with a full scale endorsement of Dilana.  Week after week she is the cream of the crop, and last night was more of the same excellence.  She performed with Gilby and had just as large a presence as he did. She is far and away the front runner at this point.  But, she still has competition.

Jill Gioia–Mother, Mother: The band loved her performance but I was underwhelmed.  I believe she has gone about as far as she can go. She’s energetic but she doesn’t have the chops to last much longer.

Ryan Star–Paint It Black:  Ryan is playing the Marty Casey role to a tee: come out of nowhere and slowly rise to the top of the pack. Every week he grows more comfortable and brings a stronger performance.  He strikes me as the spoiler at this point.

Storm Large–We Are the Champions:  I don’t think I have mentioned this yet, but I love Storm Large.  Last night, she nailed a Freddy Mercury vocal.  She hasn’t had a bad performance yet and continually shows that she has great versatility in song choices. A Dilana/Storm finale is brewing.

Zayra Alvarez–All the Young Dudes:  Words escape me.  Penelope Cruz is a side show, albeit a fun one.  While Jill is still hanging on, they can legitimately keep her for another week or two.  However, they need to toss her before they have to kick off someone who truly belongs.  She mangled that song.

Josh Logan–Interstate Love Song:  He’s smooth, even with a rockin’ tune. I think he got a little lost with Tommy behind him but still did a nice job.  If this was Rock Star: Earth, Wind and Fire he would be in the lead.  But it’s not. The edge that is needed to front this band just isn’t there.

Magni–The Dolphin’s Cry:  Over the last two weeks he has lost the sunglasses and the impression that he is trying to channel Bono.  As a result, he is bringing home more and more quality performances.  Last night’s was a stand-out. A sparse acoustic number backed solely by naked emotion was the big song of the night.

Patrice Pike–Instant Karma:  I recently heard an beautiful version of “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me” by Patrice, so my estimation of her has increased.  However, she doesn’t seem to be that popular.  She’s good.  But I’m afraid she is largely forgettable among al of these persona’s.  She was great last night but not memorable.

Lukas Rossi–Creep: I’m still not getting the appeal.  He is a showman with middling vocal ability. I’m not convinced there is anything of substance here.  But the band loved him.  I just don’t get it.
Toby Rand–Burning Down the House:  I hate this song, but I loved Toby’s performance.  He actually made it worth listening to.  That says a lot, because I REALLY hate this song.

Here’s how it shakes out to me:

Repeat Performance: Lukas (although Dilana, Storm and Magni were the best)

Bottom Three: Jill, Zayra and Patrice

Going Home: Jill

Thoughts?

The performances last night were good across the board.  To me, there were only a couple of performances that completely came up short.

Patrice Pike–Higher Ground:  Cynthia Nixon, with some messed-up hair, bounced back admirably from last week’s performance. Of course it helped that she was backed by Tommy going gonzo.  She has the pipes and the ability, but she’s still best off as a solo artist. I cannot see her fronting this band.
Josh Logan–Santeria:  Josh has the soul to pull off the reggae-funk of this song.  The performance was fun and catchy.  But his refusal to do something heavy will catch up with him.  It’s not if he gets kicked off, it’s when.

Dilana–Can’t Get Enough: There is nothing bad you can say about her performances.  Over the last couple of weeks, she has toned down her “fear factor” and has truly emerged as the one to beat.  I love it when the performers are able to make me enjoy a song I never want to hear again.

Toby Rand–Pennyroyal Tea: Please, can we go one week without a Nirvana song? Just one week? Anyway, Toby did an adequate job, but nothing memorable.

Zayra Alvarez–867-5309/Jenny: The band pretty much came out and said it last night: they keep her around because she amuses them.  If this was Rock Star: Siouxsie and the Banshees or Rock Star: some other 80′s female fronted New Wave band, she would be at the top.  But Penelope Cruz is strictly a side show at this point.

Magni–Clocks: A Chris Martin vocal is not easy to pull off.  But Magni did it.  He is the consummate performer and gets better each week. He’s not going anywhere any time soon.

Jill Gioia–Don’t You Forget About Me: Jill, on the other hand, might be catching a red-eye tonight.  She has a set of pipes and a lot of energy.  But she doesn’t have the showmanship or the presence to keep her out of the bottom 3.  She’s my pick for elimination tonight.

Ryan Star–Losing My Religion: Over the last two weeks Ryan has catapulted himself into the top 4 performers.  His stripped down piano-rawkin’ version of this song was emotional, powerful and transcendent.  One of my favorite performances overall so far.  He brought new life and texture to a classic tune.

Lukas Rossi–Celebrity Skin: Hopefully, the realization is setting in that emperor has no clothes.  In other words, Johnny Galecki can’t sing.  Let’s end the charade and just add him to Tommy’s entourage.

Storm Large–Changes: Have I mentioned yet that I love Storm Large.  Last night, she slowed things down and delivered a passionate and moving version of my favorite Bowie song.  Her ability to mix it up from week to week is rivaled only by Dilana.  That’s why they are the top 2 performers in this competition.

Dana Andrews–Baba O’Reilly: Dana improves each and every week.  Here she pulls off a timeless tune by one of the greatest rock bands of all time.  And she rocked it.  However, her transformation from the girl next door to rocker chick is still somewhat painful for me to watch.

Here’s what it looks like to me:

Repeat Performance: Ryan Star (But I would love to hear Storm again, too)

Bottom Three: Lukas, Jill, Zayra (I’m afraid Lukas might get a pass.  If so, expect Toby to be the third)

Going Home: Jill

Thoughts?

No major surprises this week other than Patrice moving downward while Ryan continues to reverse his fortunes.  The race still belongs to a toss-up between Lukas and Dilana (Lukas if Tommy gets his way) with Storm and Toby a distance behind them.

The Performances:

Lukas Rossi–Bittersweet Symphony: Johnny Rotten called.  He wants his persona back.  People love this guy, especially Tommy.  And he may be a great fit for what they are wanting to do.  But let me be the first to say it: no matter how theatrical he might be, he.can’t.sing.  Newstead is the only one who sees through the arrogant swagger. He’s a trainwreck waiting to happen.  It was a great arrangement of this song, giving it more of a rocking feel.  But the vocals stink.

Zayra Alvarez–Call Me: She has no business on this show.  The only reason she has stayed this long is because she amuses the band.  Dave’s withering comments to her will definitely put her in the bottom 3 tonight. The performance was uninspiring and flat.  She can start that solo career now. Say goodbye to Penelope Cruz.
Dana Andrews–About a Girl: Do you remember at the end of the movie, Grease, when Sandy appears all punked out? The idea is that she has made the complete transformation to bad girl in order to get the boy.  Yeah, it’s like that.  But, you don’t really buy it, do you? You still know that she’s Olivia Freaking Newton John, right? Dana brought the edge last night.  She showed she can rock.  But, still you know that she can’t continue the facade for long without completely skidding off the rails.

Patrice Pike–Remedy: Patrice has been consistently good through the whole competition.  Last night, however, was just an average performance of a second-rate song.  Lashing out at Dave because you were not at your best was not a smart move, either. Cynthia Nixon could be in the bottom three.
Toby Rand–White Wedding: Toby is talented and has a lot to offer.  This performance did not display that.  Here’s a memo to the producers: Nirvana, Black Crowes, and Billy Idol songs have been done.  We know that you got clearance to their entire catalog, but this is enough.  Do we ever need to hear White Wedding again? I didn’t think so.  So there is no adequate measure of Toby’s performance.

Magni–Heroes: He shed the Bono shades and picked up a guitar for a somewhat staid performance.  He has the chops, but is a middling showman. He could easily vault into the top 5 by listening to what the band is telling him.

Ryan Star–I Alone: He shares, along with Dana, the most improved designation.  It was obvious that he was comfortable with this song.  He’s safe for another week.

Jill Gioia–Brown Sugar: Gilby joined in on this tune and the energy immediately kicked into overdrive.  I thought Jill gave an inspired performance of a classic tune.  She has the voice but her stage presence needs a lot of work.

Phil Ritchie–One Headlight: Phil had made strides in his performance last week.  Now, after that listless performance, he is right back where he started from. It’s obvious that he won’t make it much farther in this competition.

Dilana–Time After Time: Wow. Thankfully, all three band members get a vote in the winner of this competition.  That means that Tommy can’t just hand it to Lukas, and the best performer in the lot has a shot.  Dilana is, at this point, head and shoulders above everyone else.  She’s the real deal.  I wasn’t scared during her performance.  Instead, I was touched by the emotion and pathos she brought to one of the great lyrics of the 80′s.  The fact that she can pull off “Lithium” and Cyndi Lauper shows her range. Phenomenal.

Josh Logan–No Rain: Josh is living on borrowed time. He’s a great vocalist but there is no way he will ever front Supernova.

Storm Large–Anything, Anything: Have I mentioned that I love Storm Large?  She turned in a raucous, rousing performance topped off by a head-long dive into the crowd.  She knows how to command the stage with naked emotion and has the vocal chops to pull off any song choice. To me, she is the only legitimate challenger to Dilana. I don’t know this song, but I’ll be looking it up.

Here’s how it shapes up to me:

Repeat performance: Storm Large (although if it was up to me, I’d head Dilana again.)

Bottom Three: Zayra, Phil and Josh (Patrice or Jill could wind up here as well)

Going home: Zayra

Overall, I am beginning to see vast improvement so far in the contestants.  There were a couple of performances that left me cold but, for the most part, everybody did a fine job.  However, there are a few rockers who are separating from the pack.  More on that to come.  About Last Night:

Patrice Pike–Helter Skelter: I finally figured out what it was that was bugging me about Patrice.  She reminds me of a rocking Cynthia Nixon.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  For the third week in a row she did an outstanding job on a song that is hard to separate from the original.  I feel that she is destined for something, but not as lead singer of Supernova.  I almost think, in the long run, she will be better off being eliminated in a few weeks.

Josh Logan–Come As You Are: Man, this guy is smooth.  He is the best vocalist in the group.  But there is no way I see his soulful vibe fronting a band with the likes of Metallica’s former bass player.  But he was great.  When you make me like a Nirvana song it’s truly saying something.  He needs to do something rocking to stay around.

Storm Large–Just What I Needed: Have I mentioned that I love Storm Large?  Love the name.  Love the look.  Love each and every performance.  She is in the top 3 performances week after week.  And she rocked the Cars classic.  She incorporates everything she has into her performances.

Lukas Rossi–Let’s Spend the Night Together: It’s obvious that Tommy is looking for the classic front-man: coming to the show 45 minutes late, high and looking for a fight.  If he can squeeze a show in between escapades, that’s great.  That makes Lukas a perfect fit.  However, I just don’t see the appeal.  Sure, he’s cocky and a showman.  But I like to be able to understand what’s being said.  Do we really need another Johnny Rotten?

Jill Gioia–All Right Now: She should have fought harder for “Helter Skelter” because she was unable to pull this tune off.  This is another tune I don’t really like and, after last night, I don’t need to hear it again.  Bottom 3 again for Jill.

Ryan Starr–Fortunate Son: He underperformed one of the most under-rated songs in rock history. He’s middling at best.  Not much charisma or presence to pull off fronting this band.

Phil Ritchie–White Rabbit: Although I can’t picture Phil as the psychedelic guy and, aside from the fact that he’s no Grace Slick, he did a’ight, dawg.  It helped that he had Jason Newstead up there performing with him.  He’s responding to the help of the band and showing vast improvement.

Dana Andrews–It’s My Life: Last year, Jordis was the youngest competitor and, despite how talented she was, she did not have the stamina to hang with the older, more experienced performers.  Dana, unfortunately, does not have the same talent level as Jordis.  She’s cute, but her vocals are limited.  Not destined to last much longer.

Toby Rand–Runaway Train: Toby will be one of the final four unless something drastic happens.  Week in and week out he performs.  And last night he brought life to the Soul Asylum tune.  This wasn’t his best performance but we know what he can do.

Magni–Plush: I’ve liked Magni since day one even when he was being trashed.  Now, he seems to be taking command of the stage. I think he’s trying to channel Bono too much but you can see why he is a star in Iceland.  Then again, Bobby Fisher is a star in Iceland.

Zayra Alvarez–Everybody Hurts: Obviously, I’m no music critic.  I guess I don’t really know what I’m talking about.  I thought she stunk.  The band loved her.  I don’t get how she survives.  Can someone explain how that performance was noteworthy?

Jenny Galt–Drive: I know she is talented.  I know there is something there.  But it’s not coming through.  Another listless performance.  And another uninspired song choice.

Dilana–Zombie: Wow.  She scares me, still.  But she is the best performer on that stage.  She rocked the Cranberries. Who knew it could be done?  The only reason she doesn’t win the whole thing will be because Tommy would rather make headlines with Lukas.  She is the best on this show, hands down.

So:

Repeat Performance: Dilana

Bottom Three: Ryan, Dana, Jenny (first woman goes home tonight)

Going Home: Dana

I have to say that, overall, the performances last night were underwhelming.  I’m confident that the contestants will find their footing in a week or two.  And that’s a good thing because a couple of performers are already separating from the pack.

Supernova was much more critical of the performances last night than they were the first week.  No more Mr. Nice Guy.  Here’s a rundown of the performances”

Magni–My Generation: I liked this guy last week when it seemed no one else did.  Last night, however, I nearly nodded off.  He is obviously comfortable on stage and has a great presence.  But he needs to add something extra if he is going to make it very far.

Jenny Galt–Tainted Love: This is the second week in a row I’ve been unimpressed with her song choice.  We didn’t need Nickleback last week.  We really didn’t need Soft Cell this week.  I’m convinced there is some talent there. I just haven’t seen much of it yet.  The rocking part was better than the intro, though.

Jill Gioia–Violet: I loved her performance of “Piece of My Heart” last week.  This take of Hole’s song stunk up the joint.  How, in your thought process, do you get to the idea that channeling Courtney Love and her traveling freak show is a good idea?  I agree with Dave Navarro.  It made me a tad uncomfortable.  What’s next? Lukas belting out Michael Jackson’s classic “Man in the Mirror?”  Bottom three tonight for her.

Zayra Alvarez–You Really Got Me: I will give her this: Penelope Cruz has some spunk.  Her song was boring and lifeless, but her sass in ripping the band for being old has me hoping she sticks around a while longer.  Gilby is right.  She has no clue what they are looking for.  But she’s fun to have around.  Unfortunately, it’s bottom 3 for her as well, I believe.

Chris Pierson–Take Me Out: This is the first performance of the night that I truly enjoyed.  I think that he has acquitted himself nicely from the “Roxanne” debacle.  But I think the Suzy McNeil factor might linger here: if you screw up your first performance it will take a long time for the audience and band to forget.

Dilana–Ring of Fire: Once again, Dilana was a stand-out.  She completely re-created a classic Johnny Cash tune and was able to pull it off.  She will be one of the final 3 performers standing.  I’m just waiting to see her perform something that doesn’t make me want to curl up into a fetal position.  Seriously, she scares me.

Josh Logan–With Arms Wide Open: This is the best pure singer in the lot.  He got some great advice from the band on excess ad-libbing which, if he heeds it, will keep him around for a while.  I’m not sure if he can front this band, but he is 2-2 in great performances.  He even pulled off a song I hope that I never have to hear again.

Phil Ritchie–If You Could Only See: Serviceable, yet forgettable. A complete, under the radar performance.  It may be because it’s such a boring song.

Storm Large–Surrender: I love Storm and I loved this performance.  She brought life to my all-time favorite Cheap Trick tune.  Edgy.  And rocking.  Storm is number one on my list two weeks in.

Patrice Pike–Heart Shaped Box: This girl is good.  She will go on to record great stuff with or without Supernova.  Her success on this show is really the secondary story-line.  America is getting to hear a consumate musician.  Loved it.  And I hate Nirvana.

Lukas Rossi–Don’t Panic: What’s with the Coldplay songs.  It’s obvious: Tommy Lee loves Lukas.  If it ended today, he would be fronting Supernova on Lee’s opinion alone.  I just can’t shake the feeling that, if he does win, we are two years away from Johnny Galecki playing him in the telepic, Lukas Rossi: The Tragic Life of a Rock Star.

Ryan Star–Jumpin’ Jack Flash: Nice performance.  Rocking. But strictly middle of the pack stuff.

Dana Andrews–Born To Be Wild: Another song I could go the rest of my life without ever hearing again.  But, Dana is young and has great upside.  I expect to see great improvement as we move along over the next few weeks.

Toby Rand–Somebody Told Me: I believe ths will be the song that Supernova asks to hear again tonight.  Most likely the best performance of the night.  If he continues to make the right choices then he’ll be duking it out at the end of this competition.

So best performance: Toby, Storm, Patrice, and Dilana.

Bottom Three: Chris, Zayra and Jill.

Going Home: Chris

Any thoughts?