Top Three: Hallelujah Lee!

Wow, tonight's show was a real fight to the finish IMO....I enjoyed each performance and can't wait for more hometown footage tomorrow and the announcement of our finale performers!

I know you're shocked, but my favorite tonight was Lee, my hometown boy! His personal choice of "Simple Man" (Lynryd Skynryd) didn't thrill me at first only because I didn't know the song, but Lee delivered it beautifully and his connection to the lyric really showed through. He seemed more comfortable than ever (perhaps like Ryan suggested, that hometown visit did change him!) and I loved to see him smile. Simon says he crushed it....I agree! But the second song, Simon's choice of the show-closing "Hallelujah" was an Idol moment....it's not up there with Fantasia's "Summertime" or Carrie Underwood's "Alone" but it definitely makes the list. I think it a bit unfair that he got orchestral backing and a choir.....who decided that? Simon? And I also think it's a bit contradictory to call out the contestants for choosing songs that have already been done well by previous Idol performers, only to trot out a song that Jason Castro slayed 2 seasons ago.....but....Lee did put his own spin on it and it might end up being the first (and only?) track I purchase from iTunes this season. Well done!! I think I saw Simon start to shed a tear.....Kara was very convincing when she said that Lee has grown the most during the season.

No one can argue that Crystal is a strong Idol contestant, but she has been from the very beginning. Contrary to Kara's assessment of Lee's upward growth over the season, Crystal has been Stable Mable and that may be her downfall. Tonight's performances were both vintage Crystal, and held no surprises. Her choice of Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window" was excellent....I was a little distracted by how the mouth harp got in the way of her singing when she wasn't playing it, and I agree that her vocals didn't have the power nor the raspiness of the original, but I liked it and give Crystal credit. Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" was a bit of a bolder choice for her from Ellen, and while it is an incredible song, I agreed with Kara that it got away from her a little but her vocals were still awesome, earning her the first standing "O" of the night. I think it's a Crystal-Lee match-up for the finale, as predicted!

Meanwhile Casey, to his credit, held his own. I perused the Idolsphere this morning well in advance of tonight's show and was surprised to read, on many fronts, that many bloggers felt it was an even playing field heading into tonight's show. I couldn't disagree more...I think Casey was the weakest link heading into tonight's show and remains so at this writing. He chose an unknown song (Eric Hutchinson's song "Okay, It's Alright With Me") to open the show and while I really dug the song and thought it showed Casey's fun and easygoing side, the judges really didn't like it at all. I thought that was a bit harsh. I've said all season I haven't connected with Casey and this song I thought showed me what he might record post-Idol. And then he trotted out John Mayer's "Daughters" as requested by Randy and Kara and I got a new glimpse of Casey. I LOVE this song, so I figured I would like Casey singing it, and I was right....and we can all agree that Casey is the best guitar player Idol has ever seen. But I have to agree with Kara that it wasn't the "moment" Casey needed...laid-back song and nothing to really break out of, and indeed, a limp guitar solo (which I still think was pretty good). Casey, Casey.....you've come along a little too late I'm afraid. You were enjoyable for me, but you were outsung and outperformed by Crystal and Lee.

What do you think? Did Casey fight to the finish? Did you like the song choices? And did you think Lee was totally pimped as I did?