American Idol 11 – Houston

AMERICAN IDOL: Contestants line up for a chance to become the next AMERICAN IDOL at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas airing Thursday, Jan. 26 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Aaron M. Sprecher/FOX

Houston – I hope we don’t have a problem…last night’s episode was lacking in every aspect! They have been to Texas 5 times and this is where they found Kelly Clarkson. Let’s mess with Texas and see what they bring!

Phong Vu (25) – this looks like it is not going to end well. He sings Unbreak My Heart (Toni Braxton). He broke the hell out of this song, I am not sure I will ever be able to listen to it again without cringing in fear. Of course he did not make it. Texas is not making the best impression…

Back from break with two horrible auditions…I am losing my faith in Texas.

Skylar Laine (17) – she’s a girly girl who shoots deer and works at a family restaurant. She’s singing the Pistol Annies’ Hell on Heels. This is one of my favorite country songs currently and she does a nice job with it. Riding off to Hollywood.

Baylie Brown (21) – Baylie auditioned in season 6 of AI and made it to Hollywood, but did not progress farther than that. Tonight she tries again. She sings Bed of Roses (Bon Jovi)…her country arrangement was really nice – it took me a moment or two to actually discern the song. She definitely has grown – her voice is lovely. Back to Hollywood she goes.

Kristina Sorio (27) – she has a bit of a hard luck story…3 kids under the age of 7, going through a divorce and odds and ends jobs. She used the money that was supposed to fund her divorce to buy a plane ticket to audition. Singing Nelly Furtado’s Scared of You, she has a raspy, soulful voice. She is going to Hollywood.

In a classic case of boys against girls…Randy and Steven say no to the first three women that Jennifer loved. Finally they show Linda Williams (24) who sort of yells her way through Fallin’ (Alicia Keys) they let her go through to Hollywood, but without Jennifer’s vote. Today – I agree with J Lo.

Alejandro Cazares (26) – he wants a revolution! He wants an idol and a world where the underdog can win. His ugly sounding version of Paramore’s Looking Up was ridiculous. Not going through.

Cortez Shaw (20) – a formerly homeless young man who was raised by a single parent. He has had tough luck and it looks like it is time it started to change. He chooses to sing Adele’s Someone Like You and I am blown away. He changes the tempo and he makes it his own. After a little discussion, he makes it through to Hollywood.

Ramiro Garcia (28) was born with no ears. Doctors told his parents that he wouldn’t be able to hear or speak. But surgeries that started when he was 4 revealed that he had inner-ear workings. He auditions with Chris Tomlin’s rewrite of Amazing Grace, called Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone). And the judges are visibly moved.

Houston was slightly better than Austin last night, but only slightly better. 54 people got golden tickets this time. Next week they travel to Portland to see what the city of roses has to offer where talent is concerned.