Don't AI my blue suede shoes 5/11

Okay. I'm a huge Elvis fan. Big, big Elvis fan. Like, he's in my top-10, all-time favorite performers. Both in musical ability and for what he did for rock and roll.

So, it was with a degree of anxiety I entered this week's Idol.

Thoughts at halfway: Taylor and Chris both performed as I thought they would. I dug 'em both and they were good. Elliott shocked the heck out of me. He was amazing. Katharine sucked ... I mean, sucked so bad she sucked at sucking. What a way to drop the ball.

Second half thoughts: Taylor gave a real stand-out performance with In the Ghetto. This is actually one of the few Elvis songs I don't like, but I liked Taylor's take. Chris' performance was very weak until the end. Wish he would have added some more fire to the entire song (and Simon agreed with me).

Commercial break: I wouldn't normally blog a commercial break, but a commercial using Tone Loc's Do the Wild Thing came on and it reminded me of how awesome some tunes are. You know, when a musician hits with so strong a song, where can they really go but down from there?

I caught a bit of Remember the '80s 3-D while in Orlando and they made the point about David Johannsen (sp? too lazy to look it up at the moment) releasing Hot, Hot, Hot as Buster Poindexter. It both revitalized and killed his career. Most folks didn't know he was the lead singer of The New York Dolls (if they even knew who the Dolls were). Hmm. No real point here. I just found it an interesting observation.

Back to the wannabes: Elliot is doing the great Elvis tune, Trouble, and is not doing a particularly good version of it. Not that he can't sing and really get those notes. But his voice just isn't right for that song. Of course, it doesn't help that I will forever associate that song with Glenn Danzig (who, like him or hate him, IS an evil bastard). But the judges loved him, and I'm probably just biased about this performance ... I don't know, it was just too vanilla for me, you know?

Kat's closure ... coming up next ...

Gee Kat, why don't you sing the most covered Elvis song ever? You know, the one that everyone, regardless of how big a fan of the King, is sick of? Oh, you are, and you're going to a big, Queen-esque, overblown version and totally drop the last note horribly? Okay, thanks, as long as we have that straight.

In the end: Man. It's sad to say that the last girl delivered the worst performance, but it's true. It's a bit harder to judge who's the winner tonight. I mean, honestly, it's rather gotten to the point where personal preference plays such a huge part of all of this. I think Taylor rocked and he was my favorite of the evening. Going home? Should be Katharine, but she may have the fan support to put her over the top; if that happens, it'll be Elliott because Taylor and Chris are too popular with the fans.

To hell with it, I can second guess myself all night. Katharine's going home dammit.

UPDATE the first: Sarahk's thoughts are up at IMAO. I knew this would be a hard week for her because she hates Elvis. But I won't hold that against her. Seriously though, even with her silly hatred, she called it better than me.

UPDATE the second: Dial Idol has predicted Katharine and Chris as the bottom two with Chris going home. Surprise, surprise. However, they claim their margin of error is about 1.5 which could flip-flop Chris and Katharine as they are very close in score.

UPDATE the third: Dean's thoughts are up and he also calls Chris and Kat as the bottom two.