American Idol: Top 12 Guys

After watching the American Idol auditions and Hollywood week I thought for sure we would be in for a memorable season. Though there has been mention of a few American Idol finalists who have had previous musical experience I still felt excitement tonight as I looked forward to watching the first "real" Idol show. The beginning of tonight's American Idol show unfortunately began with disappointment.

David Hernandez, 24, started the night out with a rocky start. His performance on American Idol only confirmed Simon's feelings of doubt. David Hernandez appeared to be nervous and it came through in his singing. Hopefully for David American Idol voters will grant him a second chance. I feel as if David Hernandez could make it further in the season once he calms his nerves. American Idol judges appeared to like David's performance, though he did receive a bit of constructive criticism.

Next up we were introduced to Chikezie, 22, an American Idol finalist with a beautiful voice. In fact I would compare Chikezie with singers such as Luther Vandross. Chikezie appeared on American Idol dressed up in a suit which gained attention from Simon but, not in a good way. I did not particularly care for Chikezie's singing on Idol, though I doubt that he will be kicked off just yet. Chikezie was criticized by Randy for being too old-fashioned and by Simon for being out of fashion.

David Cook, 25, appeared to be calm as he sat and talked with Ryan. David Cook appears to be one of the American Idol finalists who has a unique voice. His performance suffered however due to poor song choice. While he can definitely sing I would have liked his performance on Idol better had he chosen a different song. The American Idol judges, unlike myself, enjoyed his performance and praised David's performance. I guess you can't always agree with the judges, can you?

Jason Yeager, 28, was the next American Idol contestant to hit the stage. Jason appeared to be the type of American Idol contestant I would normally root for. Unfortunately I feel that Jason Yeager played it safe when he sang the song "Moon River", a song you may remember from the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's". He did manage to make Paula cry as she reminisced about her first ballerina recital. Simon, the American Idol judge who everyone loves to hate, delivered another one of his rude comments comparing Jason's performance with one you would hear on a cruise ship. Not exactly the kind of words an American Idol contestant wants to hear. I feel that Jason has a chance of going home based on tonight's American Idol performance.

Robbie Carrico, 26, has been a singer since he was 16 years old. Robbie appears to be the male rocker on American Idol this year. While he tries to follow in the footsteps of Chris Daughtrey, I feel that Robbie reminds me more of former American Idol contestant, Bucky. Robbie did a great job singing a classic hit by Three Dog Night, "One". In fact Robbie's performance outshined the performances of the American Idol contestants who hit the stage before him. Even Simon recognized Robbie Carrico for being the better performance of the night, though he stated that Robbie is struggling between pop and rock.

David Archuleta, 17, is one of the younger contestants on American Idol this year. He seems to be a happy young man and a real "cutie" for the younger girls in the audience. David Archuleta has a voice which can easily carry him far into the competition. His song choice for tonight's American Idol could have been better, though he still "rocked it out" on the stage. David received compliments from the American Idol judges, even going so far as having Simon telling him that his performance was the best of the night. David Archuleta is an easily likeable Idol contestant who is sure to fetch plenty of votes.

Danny Noriega, 18, who was cut during Hollywood week last season on American Idol, has made it to the top 12 this year. Danny Noriega seems to have the personality to make it on Idol, a good mix of arrogance and spunk. Danny appeared to be having fun with his rendition of "Jail House Rock", originally sung by Elvis Presley. The judges seemed to have liked Danny's performance better than his singing, with the exception of Simon. Still I feel that Danny will survive far longer than Simon may predict.

Up next was Luke Menard, 29, a carpet cleaner looking to make it to the big time with American Idol. Like Danny, Luke, has experience with American Idol from a previous season. Luke was met with criticism as he stood in front of the American Idol judges, which wasn't too hard to predict. Simon described Luke's Idol performance as forgettable, though Luke let his disagreement be known. I feel that Luke Menard may not make it past tonight.

Colton Berry, 18, was the next American Idol contestant to perform for America and the panel of judges. Colton performed a famous song, "Suspicious Minds", though I feel that he should not have gone that route. While I will agree that he can sing and has personality to boot, he did not make a wise decision when he picked the song for his first American Idol performance. The judges tended to agree that his Idol performance was "okay", Simon told Colton that he did not seem to be fit to be a current recording artist.

Garrett Haley, 17, appears to be a memorable American Idol contestant. If not for anything else, he will be remembered for his long curly hair and comparison to Leif Garrett. Watching Garrett on stage made me feel as if I were watching an older 70's performance. While Garrett has a memorable face his performance was simply forgettable. This poor kid seems to fit poorly in the American Idol competition, though he does appear to be a nice kid. Can you say Sanjaya?

Next we meet Jason Castro, 20, a singer with a beautiful voice and beautiful eyes. He seems to be the "silent but deadly" contestant on this season of American Idol. Jason used his vocal and guitar playing talent to try and impress the Idol audience. Jason actually did better than that as he managed to impress Simon as well, the hardest American Idol judge to impress. Jason appears to have a sweet personality as well, almost reminiscent of Melinda from last season's American Idol.

The final American Idol contestant to take the stage was Michael Johns, 29, an Australian who has spent his adult life living in America. Michael Johns has appeared from the beginning as one of the strongest American Idol contestants this season. Michael "lit up" the stage as he performed the song "Light my Fire" by The Doors. Michael did so well that he put the rocker nurse's performance of the song during Hollywood week appear truly amateurish. Out of all of the top 12 male finalists Michael Johns easily gave the top performance of the night.

To find out the results of who is going home on American Idol this week you will have to wait until Thursday night. Be sure to tune in on Wednesday night to watch as the top 12 females compete on American Idol.