AI Top 11

Grand Ole Opry Night with Randy Travis as the mentor--who I thought was super nice and seemed really genuine. I didn't get to vote, again--I'm gonna have to fight Jared for the TV with the Tivo every week and come home straight from church every Tues. to watch it in time to vote. I think it will be OK this week, as I think my very favorites will be safe. I have to say that this has to be the best group overall for a top 11; I thought they all did really well--some better than others, of course. Here goes:

1. Michael ["Ain't Goin' Down 'Til the Sun Come Up" by Garth Brooks]--I thought it was good, not great; he has a country look and sound but I think he should have done a song that showed his vocal capabilities better; he had fun with it, though, and sang it OK; I liked the personality he showed. Simon said it was "a bit clumsy" which may be a tiny bit true--some of the rhythms were a little lazy.
2. Allison ["Blame It On Your Heart" by Patty Loveless]--Great song choice for her voice; she had fun with it and showed a lot of personality and great stage presence; I would have like for her to make more of a rock rendition, however, than keep it country; she sang it great, though!
3. Kris ["To Make You Feel My Love" by Garth Brooks]--I was nervous for him when Ryan said he'd be singing it without his guitar but his voice REALLY shined. I LOVED his rendition--he really made it different and it was very heartfelt. LOVED it!
   
4. Lil ["Independence Day" by Martina McBride]--Sang it great but I say forget honoring the country genre--this competition is about showing who you're gonna be as a recording artist. But I do think she did great, even if it was a teeny tiny tad bit on the boring side in the verses. I agreed with Simon when he compared her to a wedding singer who is forced to sing a requested song, that she looked uncomfortable.
5. Adam ["Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash]--OMGosh, Randy Travis' reaction to Adam was HILARIOUS! The comment about the nail polish had me LOL--literally! Priceless! Bwahahahaha! OK, on to the performance: Whoa, what a risky choice of arrangement; I was skeptical at first but kind of liked it by the time it was over. I know I say something about his vocal range every week but it really is something spectacular. What I liked about the arrangement was that it showed here is someone who truly knows how to be himself. I nodded in total agreement with Kara when she said it was "strange but I liked it". Still laughing at Randy Travis, though! :)
6. Scott ["Wild Angels" by Martina McBride]--I thought it sounded lovely and I liked that he powered up his voice a bit the 2nd time through the chorus--I appreciated the build to the end. He definitely is a true musician, even if he doesn't have the strongest voice. When Paula was talking about the piano separating him from the audience, I thought Scott was so cute when he said "we could move it closer". I happen to really like him at the piano and agreed with Simon about there being no point to him going w/o the piano when he's so good with it. I also agreed with Simon that Scott's song choices have been a little too similar. I really liked this performance, though.
7. Alexis ["Joleen" by Dolly Parton]--I love her voice but I'm still trying to figure out what kind of music she would record--very confusing. Some pitch problems throughout the song and she over sung it in a few places but who can deny she has a great power voice?
8. Danny ["Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood]--It was painful to watch him make so many mistakes when he was singing for Randy Travis; I felt so bad for him. I wasn't thrilled with the verses but I didn't think it was horrible, either. I LOVED the chorus, though! Not his best performance overall by a long shot but I liked it as a whole. He could use some work on his lower register. I still love 'im, though!
9. Anoop ["You Are Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson]--Now THERE'S the Anoop voice I've wanted to hear the last few weeks! Gave me goose bumps! And, wow, way to make it his own! That boy can SING!--and in tune! Great performance!!
   
10. Megan ["I Go Walking After Midnight"]--Good choice for her and she DEFINITELY put her own spin on it. The arm movements were completely out of place, though; and, of course, there were pitch problems out the wazoo--as always with her. I loved the arrangement, though, and she looked beautiful, even though I'm not a fan of the tattoos. I wrote the previous statements before finding out she had the flu; I gained some respect in that she was able to do that well being that sick. Kudos to her for being strong enough to push through that. She always sings out of key, though, so she can't blame that on being sick. Just sayin'.
    
11. Matt ["So Small" by Carrie Underwood]--I love that song and I REALLY love what he did with it. He sounded amazing (both voice and piano playing) and I really felt his emotion. I've been thinking the Michael Buble resemblance (that Simon mentioned) from the beginning--I should have mentioned it sooner. I loved his performance! Probably my fave of the night.
    

So my faves of tonight were Matt, Anoop and Kris. I think Michael or Megan might be in trouble (Michael more so than Megan) but they were all pretty good so who knows? I just hope that Matt, Anoop, Danny, Kris, Allison and Adam are safe. I feel like this is such a close competition already--woohoo! SO exciting! :)