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It's Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame week in Idol, which got me pretty excited for two reasons: one, the song choices should be awesome as they would be coming from the museum's list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll," and two, David Cook clearly had the advantage with the theme (I might as well admit that I'm a DC fan). Sadly, this is one of the AI nights that didn't live up to the hype, which is even more disappointing because there are only four Idols left and competition is tight for the top three spots. That should be enough to pressure contestants into doing exceptionally well, but this seems to be the part where the consistently good deliver a "just okay" performance, and someone continues to shape up erratically while another contestant is all set to throw down the towel.

So, how did the top four fare this week? Mind the spoilers if you'd rather wait for the broadcast!

David Cook - "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran; "Baba O'Riley" by The Who
Maybe it's because I've been so used to David reinventing songs that I was slightly put out with "Hungry Like the Wolf." Duran Duran is awesome, but DC's cover wasn't as thrilling as his recent performances have been--to illustrate, I switched from Youtube to another Firefox tab and just listened halfway through because it simply lacked energy. I hate to agree with Randy, but he did get it right this time--more so Simon, who said it was a bit of a copycat act. So it was a bit of a relief when he picked up the tempo in round two with "Baba O'Riley," complete with his rocker growl and that screamy ending. Randy wanted him to have more fun (and, come to think of it, a rocker having fun would be really spectacular), Paula said she's hungry for more David (really--I kid you not), and Simon pleasantly welcomed back the David Cook. Let's hope his voters don't get too complacent and that he does better next week.

Syesha Mercado - "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner; "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke
The problem with Syesha, other than the fact that her fan base is only starting to grow, is that she chooses songs that have made former AI contestants unforgettable, more or less. First it was "I Believe" that Fantasia Barrino covered in season three, and then here comes "Proud Mary" that was Trenyce's final fantastic performance in season two. Not to mention it was also a predictable choice for her, and nobody can really top Tina Turner's vocals. Still, her movements on the stage makes her amazing to watch, and her dramatic rendition of "A Change Is Gonna Come" showed how powerful her voice is. While Randy praised her for showing the heat late in the competition, she couldn't help but burst into tears when his comment on the second round was harsher than usual (what is Randy on tonight, I wonder). But she got enough support from Paula and Simon (and her ex-roommate Carly, who was sitting behind Paula!) who confidently proclaimed her a star. But really, who can deny that she's come a long way and she's definitely gorgeous now? And it looks as if she's stepped up to the drama plate that Brooke left behind--way to make this otherwise boring night worth the watch.

Jason Castro - "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley; "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan
Finally, Jason gets to do a Bob Marley, which he clearly enjoyed, and which honestly made him fun to watch--give him a break, it was his element! Unfortunately, the judges didn't think so--even Paula, who said the display of the real Jason won her over though she wasn't crazy about the performance. "Mr. Tambourine Man" wasn't any better and it only made Simon want to pack his bags for him. Ouch. Seriously though, what is it with this season that contestants keep on forgetting their lyrics? First it was Archuleta, then the train wreck that was Brooke, and now Jason--though we've got to give him props for not restarting. It was such a great bit of guilty pleasure to hear him retort and defiantly admit that he screwed up, though. Yes, I've got to admit it, the attitude was a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, his devil-may-care way does turn off fans and will probably earn him the trip home that he seems to be longing for at this point.

David Archuleta - "Stand by Me," by Ben E. King; "Love Me Tender," by Elvis Presley
I was starting to accept that "Stand by Me" was something you could sing without messing up its arrangement, but little David had to insert that Sean Kingston segue a few seconds before the screaming fan girls took over--and convinced me all the more that nobody should mess with this feel-good song. Was it an attempt to make the over-covered song something that Archie could own? I hope not. Unfortunately, the judges seemed to be deaf at this point (again, cue screaming fan girls) because they loved it. But yes, I do have to agree that "Love Me Tender" was adorable, standard Archuleta stuff that was impossible to ignore. After all, he really is better with slow songs. This second performance cemented his sure place in the top three, and got him the "hot vocals of the night" praise from Randy, the favorite star badge from Paula, and the confirmation that he crushed the competition from Simon.

My favorites: The Davids on the second round
Are we finally saying goodbye to Jason? I was hoping for an all-male finals, but with him not looking up for it, it might be kinder to just let him go.

What did you think of tonight's performances? Would you still have Jason after all that, or has Syesha completely won you over, too? Unsettling though this night has been, it still makes me look forward to tomorrow's announcement of the top three, finally! Are you bracing yourself for America's decision? Let us know what you think!

Photos courtesy of AmericanIdol.com