Tim Urban and Katie Stevens rounded out the bottom three this week. Tune in next week to see who makes American Idol’s top 8.

On a good note: Mia Michaels will be back on “So You Think You Can Dance” this season – along with previous performers who will compete with new contestants. Announcements have been made that Twitch (a fan favorite) will be one of those to return. I think the changes will be good for the show and certainly give our favorite dancers more opportunities to shine.

Kara mentioned to Casey that he did a great job, but she wanted more and for him to “show it all” (obviously meaning to showcase his vocal range more) – but Ryan made it extremely awkward by pointing out that Kara wasn’t meaning for him to “show it all” as indicated by her comments in the past. Ugh. Kara burst out “Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?” and you could feel the tension. I think network officials should give a reminder that those comments are not only inappropriate and make the contestants feel uncomfortable, but also make audience members feel awkward – can you say “sexual harassment”? Poor Casey – he doesn’t really respond but it’s obvious to everyone that he’s wishing the focus was on his music. I think they are heading towards a lawsuit if they don’t knock it off.

Of course it could be much worse, and I’m not personally “offended” – but it is inappropriate behavior and with so many young and impressionable fans – should be stopped.

On to my reviews for the performances…

I loved that Usher was the mentor for this week – he not only gave great feedback and actual mentoring to contestants – he showed why he’s a superstar – genuine and connecting with the music as well as the audience. I love his personality – not a huge fan of his style of music – but he seems very nice as a person.

Siobhan Magnus seemed to struggle with her performance. I felt bad for her as the judges were very critical. Simon even called her performance “manslaughter”. That is harsh criticism. I like her and think she’s very talented, but she was not up to par tonight.

Casey James actually did a great job. His song choice fit his voice perfectly and he looked like he was having fun. I felt as though I was at a concert rather than watching an audition.

I love Michael Lynche. His voice is smooth and velvety and its always a pleasure to listen to him sing.

Didi Benami is at risk in my opinion. I felt bad for her that she followed the incredible Michael Lynche whose voice tone is so pleasing. The comparison was not kind to Didi – as her song choice wasn’t great and she seemed to falter a bit. The judges even commented that it kind of “flatlined” and she “lost her way.”

Tim Urban … what can I say? Judges were harsh and the criticism was well-deserved, but Tim took it all in stride with his smiles and even a bit of laughter. When it came time for Simon to judge his performance, he said, “It doesn’t matter what we say. It’s like a mouse taking on an elephant – you’re not going to win – but you’ll keep on smiling and people will vote for you… and we’ll see you next week… good job.” It was actually quite funny and perhaps a true – but it’s apparent that Tim should be pursuing a career where he can be adored by screaming young girls and not perhaps be focused on singing.

Andrew Garcia is back! He got some great advice from Usher about connecting to the audience – and he followed through. His performance was amazing and he showed us why we liked him so much in Hollywood. Andrew has been redeemed.

Katie Stevens. She is a cute girl – but I still felt that she hasn’t quite found her niche. The song was too big, or too old, or she didn’t have enough soul to be singing it. Something was just not quite “there” for me. Even though she did a pretty good job, I think she’s at risk this week.

Lee DeWyze – absolutely and completely my favorite performance of the whole night. I loved Usher’s counsel to Lee that he needs to believe in himself and realize that he deserves to be there. I love his voice and loved his song choice. Everything was awesome – I just wish I could buy the song right now – but have to wait a few days for it to be available. (Note: I went on iTunes to see if I could download the song – and discovered that Lee already has a couple of older albums out — pretty cool — so now I can listen to his older music while I wait for him to win “hopefully” and release a new album.)

Crystal Bowersox – Crystal’s big surprise was that she put away her guitar… and instead played the piano. She did a great job – but I don’t think it truly did the job it was supposed to – to get her to connect with the audience without something in the way… this week instead of the guitar in the way, she was now behind a huge piano – again with her eyes closed for most of the song. But she did get up and stand as well and that went pretty well – but it was apparent she was not as comfortable as she typically was when she had her guitar. She said she was comfortable, but I didn’t get that vibe. Nonetheless, she did a great job as always.

Aaron Kelly. Usually producers save the best performances for last – to end the competition on a high note. And after hearing Aaron Kelly’s rehearsal session with Usher, I had great hopes and high expectations. I was truly expecting him to shine, but was a bit disappointed as his voice felt tight and he didn’t really shine. I think he had the potential but either he was nervous or just having an off night.

Lee DeWyze, Michael Lynche, and Crystal Bowersox were the highlights for me tonight. Casey James, and Andrew Garcia also did great…

I think Didi Benami, Tim Urban, or Katie Stevens will be going home. Who do you think will be leaving?

I have to say 2 of the contestants who were eliminated were completely shocking to me. Katelyn Epperly and Lilly Scott – when each was announced I literally gasped and could not believe my ears. I thought for certain Paige and Katie would go home tonight. Granted Lilly’s country song this week did not showcase her well and was a poor choice, but it was a total surprise to me.

I wasn’t surprised that Alex Lambert did not make the top 12 nor Todrick, but I did think they both performed well last night.

So now we’re down to the top 12 contestants on American Idol and the fun really begins.

Matt Giraud did a great job in his performance and I felt he had become so much more refined and comfortable performing – it reminded me of why I liked him so much last season. And Scott McIntyre was about the same as when he was on Idol – just not my favorite performer.

Anyway, I’d be curious to know if anyone else was taken off guard by tonight’s elimination vote… let me know your thoughts.

Brooke White, who placed fifth in the seventh season of “American Idol,” recently released her debut album, “High Hopes & Heartbreak,” and will perform at a Salt Lake concert this weekend.

“It’s finally out,” said White during a telephone interview from her Los Angeles home. “And we’re getting ready to go on tour.”

The last time White spoke with the Deseret News, she was on the “American Idols Live” tour in 2008.

During that interview, White said she was looking forward to making an album.

Now that it’s been released, White reflected on the planning and recording process with fondness.

“I didn’t overthink it,” she said about the songs she wrote for the album. “I really started to get ideas when I was off the tour.

“I had time to unlock what I wanted after that. I have a hard time just sitting down and writing. So, I thought I would do some collaborating.”

She hooked up with producer Dave Cobb who, initially, was only going to be a writing partner.

“Dave and I clicked musically,” White said. “And after we wrote a few songs, he called and told me that he’d really like to produce. He said he had a good idea of where I wanted to go musically and he could help.”

The two wrote the lead single, “Hold Up My Heart,” and recorded it in five hours.

“That’s the way it was with the whole record,” she reported, saying the process was “natural” and “ongoing.”

“I don’t like to use the word ‘easy,’ but that’s kind of what it was,” she said. “We played all the songs as a band together, and it was in real time. Everything happened simultaneously when it came to the recording.”

With Cobb on as a formal producer, it was “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson who gave White some tips in his role as executive producer.

“We took songs to Randy,” she said, “and he would give us suggestions outside the studio. He was on the outside looking in.”

White was in Salt Lake City in August to do radio spots and an in-store performance at a Barnes & Nobles store.

“That promo tour was crazy,” she said. “I was on a plane every day and was so tired when it was over.”

White is grateful to her husband, David Ray, for being her main support.

“My whole family is really supportive, but he is always there, even when I’m sure he gets tired of it, or when I get tired of it,” she said.

After looking at the tour schedule, White said she found herself abuzz with excitement about coming to Salt Lake City.

“It was like when I was there for the ‘Idols’ tour,” she said. “Utah audiences are so enthusiastic. I’m excited to come and do a real show, and I want to see everyone there.”

What: Brooke White, Michael Johns, Benton Paul

Where: Murray Theater, 4916 S. State

When: Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.

How much: $20

Phone: 801-467-8499,800-888-8499

Web: www.smithstix.com

And for those who didn’t want to see the spoiler in the first paragraph….

Our new American Idol winner is …

Kris Allen!

I was actually very surprised as I thought Adam Lambert would win – since he’s become such a media darling… but personally I was happy to see Kris Allen become the new American Idol winner. Please don’t send me hate messages — I know many of you are adoring fans of Adam… but I think Kris will fill the “main stream” audience (ie country, pop) and Adam will go on to do great things for the rocker and alternative music fans.

Was anyone else surprised?

(Note: I think the Danny Gokey fans probably voted for Kris – which put him over the top.)

I also have to add that I’m totally and completely psyched for the new “So You Think You Can Dance!” The talent there is utterly amazing and I LOVE THAT SHOW!!!!!

If you love Danny Gokey… you were sad to see him go home tonight. I’m hopeful he’ll get straight to the recording studio and get his album going soon.

As for the final 2 — it’s down to Kris Allen and Adam Lambert.

Although it seems that Adam has had more of the spotlight (he’s on the cover of People magazine this week….) I actually think that the fact that there was less than 1 million votes separating the top two contestants could put Kris as the next American Idol.

My theory is this…. There are many Danny haters and many Adam haters out there. There seems to be either passionate like or dislike for these two. But generally speaking Kris is either liked or okay. My guess is that all of the Danny fans will vote for Kris next week, pushing him to the top and it will be an incredible upset.

What do you think?

A few observations.

1) Simon chose an amazing song from U2 for Adam to sing (whereas the song chosen by Paula for Danny was almost completely unknown and did not showcase his voice, and the song for Kris was just a copy of the original).

2) Adam Lambert has gone last (prime performing spot) more than any of the other contestants remaining — and he went last again tonight.

3) Adam has been given extra spotlights on entrances and staging (example: the red lit staircase from last week).

4) This is the first time in American Idol history (at least that I can recall) that Simon has actually urged viewers to vote for a specific contestant – Adam Lambert.

5) Simon helped get Adam a specific arrangement for the U2 song tonight, and accused Randy and Kara of not giving Kris an arrangement that would spotlight his voice. Both Randy and Kara proclaimed they didn’t know they were allowed to do that….

6) Tonight specifically the judges were very distracting after performances by both Kris and Danny… arguing, teasing, Simon covering Paula’s mouth so she couldn’t speak… and yet no distractions just rave reviews after Adam’s performances.

Hmmm… not biased at all. What do you think?

It will be interesting to see if America follows the preferences of the judges, or select one of the other contestants as the winner. At this point, I don’t think it really matters who wins. They will all have careers in the music industry. Obviously the winner will be “owned” by American Idol for the first year of their contract and will have tremendous obligations to go on the circuit and be involved in loads of travel. The runner up will have to go on the American Idol tour, but may end up having more opportunities to record their album and even get it released before the winner does.

Here is a recap of the show tonight along with random musings. I’ve been accused of being an Adam hater / Danny lover… well, I do like Danny. I like Kris too. I think Adam is really talented, but I really do not enjoy his singing style – it doesn’t mean I hate him – I just don’t like Rock music… if you’re a rocker fan, you probably love Adam. It comes down to personal taste…. to each his own — and to the Anonymous reader out there who keeps submitting hate comments claiming that I am not allowed to have my opinion… well… I say… thanks for sharing yours. It would be my preference that Adam go home this week… so I don’t have to fast-forward any more performances… but hey, that’s just me.

Danny Gokey Well Paula selected a song called “Dance Little Sister” by Terrance Trent Darby.. who? What? I’ve never heard of the song, and apparently most of America hasn’t either. Wow. It seems that it was not a song selected to showcase Danny very well, there was even a sax solo in the middle… strange. I thought he performed fairly well but it was not a favorite of mine. Kara and Simon criticized Danny’s dancing even though Simon reiterated that this is a singing competition and said that the vocals were very very good. Simon agreed with me that the song was the wrong song choice. It would be interesting if America could vote on the song they wanted their favorite contestant to sing – rather than the judges. The judges could pick 3 or 4 song choices and America could vote. I like that idea… what do you think?

Kris Allen. Kara and Randy chose “Apologize” by One Republic for Kris. I was excited because I love the song and thought he’d do a great job. I liked that he was behind the piano, and he did a respectable job but I didn’t think he made it his own. Kara agreed that he didn’t make it his own. Then the arguing between the judges began…

Adam Lambert Simon selected “One” by U2 for Adam to perform. I have to say that I loved Adam’s first outfit — jeans, a denim/casual shirt. He looked great and I like that look on him better than the black rocker and pushing boundaries outfits he has worn in the past. I did like the first half until Adam hit the high notes and started his rocking screaming style. Then I have to admit I fast-forwarded the rest of the song. Simon patted himself on the back claiming it was a brilliant song choice, and a brilliant performance. “If you’re not in the final next week it will be the greatest upset in this competition.”

Danny Gokey. Danny’s second song choice was “You are so Beautiful to Me” by Joe Cocker. I really loved the arrangement and thought Danny performed it beautifully. Randy “You’re here because you can really, Really, REALLY sing!” Kara “That was stunning!” Paula “You left us all breathless”. Simon “I would call that a vocal master class.” So all of the judges enjoyed the performance. I think the only problem with a ballad is that it does not get people to spontaneously jump to their feet. It was beautiful, but will people be moved by it so much that it will convert to votes? I guess we’ll see.

Kris Allen. “Heartless” by Kanye West. Wow, Kris was very brave to sing part accapella and then with not accompaniment except his guitar. He did a great job – but I think the same as Danny’s last song — will people vote? Did it make enough of an impact? Randy “I like that better than the original.” Kara “it was bold, brave and fearless.” Simon “I had written you out after your first performance, but that changed after this performance.”

Adam Lambert. Aerosmith song (I didn’t catch the name). Obviously a very rocker song – which I couldn’t get through. But the crowd seemed to love it – and it was what the end of the competition needed – something to leave the crowd screaming and excited. Randy “You’re one of the best that we’ve ever had on this stage.” Kara “We’ll see you at the finals.” Simon “It’s very easy to assume that you’re going to sail through… Everyone should vote for you, and not assume.”

Now that we’re getting to the end of American Idol.. I’m getting excited for So You Think You Can Dance… (actually I like So You Think You Can Dance better than American Idol — gasp!)

So I’ve predicted a few weeks ago based on Twitter traffic that Adam Lambert would win. I do think both Kris Allen and Danny Gokey have a chance — in year’s past the “rocker” has not gone through to the finals (seeming that America prefers the country or pop contestants), but this year may be different … only time will tell.

Personally I loved that Danny could laugh at himself and the “horror movie” last note in his song last night. I think the fact that he could admit that it was horrible and laugh about it – well, it made me respect him even more.

Doughtry performed their new single “No Surprise” which will be available on their album coming out in July. I liked the song, but remembered why I actually prefer the studio versions of Doughtry’s music to the live performances. I love their songs, but Chris Doughtry’s vibrato is a bit much for me when he sings live.

I could have done without the No Doubt performance. Gwen Stefani is just too out there for me. Your thoughts?

Okay… so now for the sad news. Allison Iraheta left the American Idol competition tonight. It was actually a surprise for me but at this stage it’s hard to call. I think the home town visits next week will be interesting and either create a stronger fan base for each of the contestants as they get more connected with their favorite – or show some personality that may get fans to switch over to a different favorite. It will be fun to see how the hometown crowds react to Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Danny Gokey – our American Idol top 3.

First to perform was Adam Lambert. “Whole Lot of Love” by Led Zepplin. Trying to get past the creepy outfit, black eye makeup, open shirt with strange necklace, and that it felt like a load of screaming… He is truly creepy. Please make him stop! The scary thing to me is that on Twitter I saw a comment that Adam is the best thing to walk the earth since Jesus. Wow. That is the most horrible thought ever – that people are putting him up as a true “idol”. This is a talent competition for pete’s sake. Even the judges are holding him up: Kara “you’re a rock god”. I’m just shaking my head and feeling sad for the state of our society if a guy like this is being “worshipped”.

Alison Iraheta. “Cry Baby” by Janis Joplin. Even though I don’t love rock, I thought Alison did a good job – she can make almost anything sound good. Her voice is so mature and she’s seeming more confident and personable as the week’s go on. Plus when she sings, even singing rock, it does not feel like she was screaming. Randy didn’t love the song. Kara “Janis is the right choice for you… but Piece of My Heart…” would have been better. Paula “You’re downright fearless.” Simon “Terrific vocal. but I wouldn’t have chosen that song.”

Duet by Kris and Danny “Renegade”. I loved the harmonizing in the song. Their voices blended really well. I even liked the song choice. I did think Kris was a little out of his league in rocking but Danny held his own. I was wondering how they would do. I loved that they performed a more “classic rock” song rather than a “hard rock” song – much more to my liking.

Kris Allen. “Come Together” by the Beatles. I think the Beatles song tonality fit Kris much better than most other rock songs. But I do have to say it was so odd for me seeing him (a sweet looking face) trying to rock – just not a great fit for him. He did a pretty good job, but I’m concerned for him – I think he has a big enough fan base that he may be okay based on past performances. It’s a hard call at this point as each contestant stands out in different ways. Randy “I appreciate you picking something where you could still be you.” Kara “You’re definitely the softer side of rock, but for me this was not a great performance.” Simon “I actually didn’t like it that much. It was like eating ice for lunch.”

Danny Gokey. “Dream On” by Aerosmith. Another song I actually like. I’m a little scared about the scream at the end but we’ll see how he does. Okay – so I liked most of the song but the screaming at the end was NOT GOOD. Sorry Danny… He just didn’t hit it. Randy “I know this is not your genre, it was alright for me, but A+ for valiant effort.” Kara “I think you took it a little too far. I don’t see you on this type of song. But I commend you for taking chances.” Paula “I don’t know if this was the right song for you but I’m a huge fan of yours.” Simon “The last note, it was like watching a horror movie. But I still think you’re going to be safe.” I did like Danny’s response to the judges criticisms — he’s not cocky, knows he can do better, trying to take risks.

Duet by Allison and Adam. “Slow Ride” – what in the world were the tight striped pants that Adam was wearing. Okay enough of that – not a good choice in my opinion. I thought the duet was a bit contrived and there didn’t seem to be much blending. But again the judges loved it. Randy “that was the bomb baby”. Paula “the two of you are the perfect blend, the perfect marriage”. Simon “In the battle of duets… You win the show tonight”.

Definitely not my favorite show of the season.

At this point of the competition it’s really difficult to predict outcomes. I wish Adam would go home this week and then I’d be happy with any of the others to win. But I think the scare from last week will get his fans voting fanatically this week – as well as the fact that the Rock genre is his style and those who love hard rock will probably like his performance this week.

My guess is that Kris will go home. What do you think?