Gina Glockson sat in the audience full of envy as the 6 finalists performed the rockin catalog of Bon Jovi. She missed out on the chance to work with front man Jon Bon Jovi and learn from the experience of the last hair band left standing.
It was 1990 and Jon Bon Jovi broke away from the band to have his first solo single with Blaze Of Glory from the Young Guns 2 soundtrack. He took it all the way to the top of the charts. Phil Stacey opened the show with his own version of the song and it was very clear that he genuinely loves it. Normally he sounds like he's yawning through his performance, but tonight he actually had the appropriate amount of energy. Good, but he's still out classed by the competition.
Livin On A Prayer is something that Jordin Sparks has not been doing in this competition. She's proven so far that she's got the vocal talent to be a contender for the finals even though the theme for this week is not something she can face with her usual ease. For tonight she needed to depend on a prayer as she took the stage with her huge teased rock chick hair and she belted out Bon Jovi's biggest hit that spent four weeks at #1 in 1987. She faced the challange head on and managed to do a very respectable rock show.
Rather than trying to interpret a huge smash, LaKisha Jones found This Ain't A Love Song that quitely slipped into the top 20 in 1995. For Bon Jovi it was a standard power ballad, but LaKisha reinvented it as an uplifting and soulful jam. She looked great in a tight black ensamble with her hair long and straight. The look and the song combined showcased some stage presence that she has been lacking all season.
At first glance, I must admit that I am not pleased that Blake Lewis decided to color his hair darker. But he proved there's a lot more to him than those blond tips. After demonstrating his ethereal and dreamy side for the last few weeks he decided to not only rock the house, but bring back the hot shot beat box boy all at once. He conformed to the theme like an eager student while taking it up ten notches with his completely original, exciting and captivating personal style. Blake re-arranged Bon Jovi's first #1 smash from 1986, You Give Love A Bad Name. It was surprising, fun and entertaining. The audience was truly mesmerized to wait and hear what notes were going to come out of him next! By the end of the extravaganza, I was even convinced that the hair choice worked.
Chris Richardson is not Blake. He has failed to demonstrate the ability to even be mildly interesting. Chris is stuck in a rut with his late 90's boy band mannerisms and they were a dreadful match for Wanted Dead Or Alive, that hit the top 10 in 1987. Nothing about it worked, from the members only jacket to the white belt. With no exciting fashion choice or dynamic stage presence there was nothing to hide the weak vocals.
Bon Jovi proved themselves as the last hair band left standing when they hit the charts again in 2005 with Have A Nice Day. It's a classic rocker with all of the energy of their biggest hits in the 80's. Melinda Doolittle did her best to dress the part in a torn t-shirt, but it was very clear that she is not comfortable with the theme. It still didn't prevent her from putting in the accomplished vocal rendition of a seasoned pro.
Since all six finalists were saved last week, the bottom two will be going home tomorrow night. All of the votes from last week will be combined with the ones cast tonight and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the totals will finally be sending Phil and Chris home.
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