Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox look excited at Target Center

Star Tribune photo by Brendan Sullivan

This year's American Idols Live exceeded my expectations – they were worse than I expected. You've probably already read my review of Friday's concert at Target Center, but here's a more detailed recap of the entire evening featuring seven guitar-playing singers. Didi Benami. Lay It on Me and Terrified (Katharine McPhee, written by Kara DioGuardi). She set the bar – very low. Her voice managed to be both breathy and husky ,if you can imagine that, and devoid of believable emotion. Andrew Garcia. Straight Up (Paula Abdul) and Sunday Morning (Maroon 5). The first song was bad karaoke. He loosened up on the home stretch of Sunday Morning when the coffee kicked in. He'd have trouble landing a spot in a chorus. Katie Stevens. Here We Go Again (Demi Lovato) and Fighter (Christina Aguilera). She seemed more concerned with rockin' those 5-inch heels on her over-the-knee boots (she needs practice) than her music. On the metal-tinged Fighter, she had no edge or toughness in her voice. Tim Urban. Better Days (Goo Goo Dolls) and Viva La Vida (Coldplay). Finally, a singer who is competent, confident and comfortable onstage, though he's merely good karaoke. Dig the vintage David Cassidy haircut. Siobhan Magnus. Paint It Black (Rolling Stones), Spiderwebs (No Doubt) and Stockholm Syndrome (Muse). Loved the dark reimagining of Paint It Black but Spiderwebs was as plain as Stockholm Syndrome was excessive. At least, she has a sense of ambition, adventure and fashion. And she can scream. Aaron Kelly. Somebody Like You (Keith Urban), Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn) and Fast Cars and Freedom (Rascal Flatts). The girls thought he was cute. I thought he was competent and confident. He could have a future in country if someone finds this 17 year old the right song. Ensemble by the previous six: The Climb (Miley Cyrus). The show needed something uplifting but this tune wasn't it. Intermission Michael Lynche. This Woman's Work (Kate Bush), Ready for Love (India.Arie) and My Love (Justin Timberlake feat TI). Big Mike looked the part in a white shirt, black vest, black tie, black suit coat and black jeans. But trying to do two ballads in an arena just didn't work. Liked his falsetto but his voice is just aw-ight, as Randy Jackson would say. The uptempo My Love was a good idea but his voice was not in sync with backup band and the results were painful. Casey James. I Got Mine (Black Keys), Don't (Shania Twain), Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman (Bryan Adams), It's All Over Now (Stones). He went for the star turn, wailing on electric guitar. Like Siobhan, he chose a versatile repertoire but he's a plain-voiced singer who wouldn't stand out at the corner karaoke bar. A highlight of his set was one of the few spontaneous moments of the painfully choreographed evening; when Big Mike came out to join him for the Bryan Adams number, Mike called Casey "Mr. Pretty." Crystal Bowersox. What's Up (4 NonBlondes), Come to My Window (Melissa Etheridge), Up to the Mountain (Patty Griffin), Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin). She played guitar and harmonica and she was the only singer to use a headset microphone. We all knew she had the season's best voice and she proved it again. She showed a warm, earthy presence with a nice smile (she got her teeth fixed since Idol ended). Lee DeWyze. Beautiful Day (U2), Rocket Man (Elton John), Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen), Treat Her Like a Lady (Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose), Use Somebody (Kings of Leon). The only commendable performance in the champ's set was the aggressive funk-rock Treat Her Like a Lady, a 1971 hit that was unfamiliar to most of the 5,000 folks at Target Center. The six male singers: It's My Life (Bon Jovi) and then the four female singers: My Life Would Suck without You (Kelly Clarkson), with the guys eventually joining in. The guys were OK, though they did too little (maybe a verse and a chorus), and the women sounded regrettable except when Crystal sang lead. But all 10 finalists singing on My Life Would Suck without You – you fill in the joke.