There initially seemed like a lot to make fun of with the premise of tonight's Idol. Adam Lambert was mentoring Elvis Presley week because they…what? Share a hairdo? And doesn't that Cirque du Soleil Elvis show look like something. It has a giant blue suede shoe in it! What up with that?!
But you know what, I realized I really like Adam. While I didn't love his falsetto tongue-lashing last season, I obviously didn't hate him too much or else I wouldn't have bought some of his songs. He seems like a nice, honest guy and I liked that instead of saying "Uh-oh, I'm scaaared of these kids!" in the condescending manner most mentors do, he was honest and said everyone needed to pick up the energy. The best part though was the face he made after Ryan said, "My tongue is not nearly as talented as yours." "There you have it," Adam said, as if to say "Don't try and cover up your snarky self-loathing gay panic sexual innuendo as a mere awkward stage banter gone awry, guy."
Also, the show dug deeper than I thought your typical Elvis episode of Idol would. There were a lot of Presley songs sung that I had never heard before, and while there were a few embarrassing moments, I liked that nobody really seemed to try to pretend to be Elvis.
Crystal began the evening singing "Saved," an Elvis song she obviously had a good time performing, wailing and getting into it with the backup singers, slowing it down halfway through and bringing it on home. I liked her glittery guitar and sort of wish she had dressed a little bit the part, just something a tinge more tailored or glam, either way. The judges all adored it and Simon noted that he liked that it didn't sound like bad karaoke, which he figured we'd hear some of tonight. I wondered whether the show had saved the best for first.
I should have known that things weren't going to go great with the next performance because Ryan engaged Andrew in some of the most awkward pre-song banter I've heard this season. Ryan asked Andrew how he felt hearing Michael sing for his life last week, since he "broke a ceiling with his performance." Andrew took that opportunity to remind us twice that he is a father. Then Ryan introduced him by rolling the r's in "Garcia," snapping his fingers and dancing around in a circle going "Ay! Ay! Ay! Ay!" So, anyway. Elvis had a pompadour. Adam has a pompadour. Andrew has a pompadour. One of these pompadours cannot stand! And it was Andrew's. I loved that Adam told it like it is and said that Andrew's rendition of "Hound Dog" as he heard it was "boring." "We know the song. Make it yours." Well, sadly, Andrew's version of "Hound Dog" is the completely castrated version. I wish I had the musical vocabulary to describe the arrangement of the song—like a bossa nova or something—but it was so boring as to be embarrassing. Nothing you'd swivel your hips to, that's for sure. And Kara made a good observation by saying that Andrew dragged his mic around the stage like a crutch. Only Ellen seemed to like it but she was clearly wrong, the end.
Next Tim took on "Can't Help Falling In Love,” and once again didn't do a horrible job. I didn't think it was anything close to Crystal's level but I liked the spots where the melody was re-arranged, his guitar-playing, even liked the falsetto. I don't like how Tim does that little creak at the beginning of his notes a la Britney Spears, but whatever, it was good for Tim. I wouldn't go so far as to agree with Simon who said that Tim went from "zero to hero" in two weeks but I'd say he at least went from zero to .5. Ryan liked it so much that he slow-danced to it with Michael Sarver, a stunt I knew he'd think was so cute he'd mention it after the performance to make sure everyone was aware of it.
Lee sang "A Little Less Conversation" and I agreed with Adam that old Lee needs to be a little more engaging onstage, because basically, I've been bored with Lee these past few weeks. He sings well, but I'm not finding a lot, in terms of stage presence or persona, to really get into. Kara said she wished Lee had been a little more playful with the song, which I agree because I think Lee slowed the song down a bit too much, but Simon thought she was full of crap and believed that Lee is fine as is as long as he sings well.