Tonight on American Idol, we get to see Group 3 perform and find out if worship leader Felicia Barton joins fellow worship leaders Danny Gokey, Michael Sarver and Kris Allen in the Top 12.
It’s a season rife with Christian contestants. Besides Felicia, also performing tonight is Scott MacIntyre; while not a worship leader, the “blind pianist,” as he’s been dubbed by Idol, performs regularly at his home church and has appeared on the Crystal Cathedral’s Hour of Power. Kristen McNamara, who doesn’t perform in the Christian industry, is a professing Christian. I’ve read that Lil Rounds performs at her church in Memphis, TN. And one of my readers said Taylor Viafanua is also a Christian.
The contestants performing tonight are:

Alex Wagner-Trugman
Arianna Afsar
Felicia Barton
Jorge Nuñez
Ju’Not Joyner
Kendall Beard
Kristen McNamara
Lil Rounds
Nathaniel Marshall
Scott MacIntyre
Taylor Vaifanua
Von Smith
So what are your predictions for Group 3? Got a favorite? Join me here as I blog live tonight, and share your thoughts and comments on Group 3.
8:00PM – and we’re off! Ryan looks good, and judging from the line up they put the best at the end. Lil will sing last.
First up is Von Smith singing “You’re All I Need To Get By” by Marvin Gaye. It’s a little rough at the beginning, a little low for him, but he’s better as the song gets into the chorus. At least it’s not some 3 note pop karaoke. A valient first performance for the night. Randy agrees and says it was better than Hollywood for Von, he’s finding himself. Kara says the same thing, that he seems to feel more comfortable. Paula says it was a memorable first. Simon says that Von might not take this comment as a compliment, but he reminds Simon of Clay Aiken, has the same dress sense – “You look appalling,” he says, and I have to agree – and his voice reminds him of Clay. Or as my David says, “He’s a geek. A talented geek. I’d vote for him. But he’s a geek.”

Taylor Viafanua is up next. When they show her flashback, I didn’t even recognize her with the curly hair. She looks totally different. She’s singing “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. Again, it’s a little low for her at the start, but she kicks it out as the song goes on. She has a great voice. Kara says she hit the notes and has talent, but she wants more of Taylor’s personality. What’s it like to go shopping with Taylor, she asks, and says the performance left her cold. Paula says they heard the song in Hollywood and wished she’d sang something else. Simon says he doesn’t get the shopping thing, and so begins the first judges’ of the night. Simon says he couldn’t remmeber her from the earlier rounds. Her performance tonight was bland. The band cuts in before Randy can talk. Ooops! He says that she didn’t tell them anything new about herself. Taylor’s a bit weepy (and tall; she towers over Ryan), and Ryan tells Simon, “Shopping. That’s where you find shirts from this decade.”
After the break, it’s Alex Wagner-Trugman. He’s cute, in a new puppy kind of way. He’s singing “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” by Elton John. He should be singing a rock song. He’s goofy on stage, but he is cute. Again, like a puppy. Paula and Simon have one of their love spats. Paula tells Alex she was glad he got to channel his inner rock star. Simon said they had fun watching Alex but not listening to him. He said the growling was ridiculous, along with kicking over the microphone. Alex says that was an accident. Simon likens Alex to a hamster trying to be a tiger. Randy says it was crazy in a “buck wild kinda way”; he said Alex screamed the song instead of singing. Kara says, “At least you do you. I mean, the choreography. You can’t pay for that kind of dancing.” Ryan tries to replicate the mic move and breaks the stand. From the crowd reaction, they like Alex. I didn’t love the song, but I could see how Alex could stick around in the competition, especially if he picked some rock songs. He’s at least easier to watch than Adam Lambert. It’s the geeky pin up guy phenomenon.
Arianna Afsa is up, singing the first ever Abba song on Idol. Her rendition is a little weak and weird. She has a great voice, but the song is just all over the place. Simon says it was absolutely terrible and a dreary arrangment. I agree. Randy says that she should be showing America that she’s young; it wasn’t good. Kara misses the ray of sunshine in her audition and they miss the “cute as a button” Arianna. Paula says there were some bright moments in the song but agrees that it was a little old fashioned and she should have just stuck to the original melody. The judges say she still has a shot with the right song – preview of the wild card round? Is she coming back if she tanks tonight?
Ju’Not Joyner is up now. He’s singing “Hey There Delihla”. He has a good voice, but so far … boring. That’s too bad because he sounded good in the Hollywood clips. Randy loved it. Huh, what do I know? I thought he was off key a few times. Kara loved it too. Paula says that even though he already sang that song in Hollywood she liked it because he changed it up. Simon says it was better than he thought it was going to be, although he wished he’d stripped the whole song down. Random information: Ju’not had to have a cortisone shot to help his voice; apparently he had an asthma issue or something. Anyway, everyone, including my David, liked it. I like Ju’Not, just didn’t love that song too much.
Kristen and Nathaniel are up, and Ryan brings up the drama in Hollywood week. Nathaniel recaps that it wasn’t Kristen he had a problem with, and she says she loves Nathaniel.
Kristen is up and tells us that the purple hair in her audition was an accident. That drama from Hollywood is going to haunt her the whole season if she sticks around, which is too bad. She’s singing “Give Me One Reason”by Tracy Chapman. I’ve thought Kristen had a great voice from the start, and I think she sounds great tonight. Kara likes the hair better, and says she’s a great singer but thinks she should have picked a song with a rock edge. Still needs to “dial in that outfit”, as Kara says. Paula says her Kelly Clarkson song in Hollywood song was a better choice because is shows her range. Simon comments on Kristen’s look, and says he’s puzzled. He says he isn’t quite sure who she is. Randy agrees and says it was a little karaoke, which is ironic because Kristen hosts a karaoke show. Kristen says she’s always had a problem with her image and putting together clothes. Lucky for her if she makes the top 12 she gets a stylist.
Nathaniel says he’s has the ‘drama queen” reputation this season and that America has seen a lot of different Nates, and that we need to see goofy, good natured, humble Nate. He’s singing “I Would Do Anything For Love” by Meatloaf. It’s pop, it’s drag, it’s disco, it’s high school musical, it’s just weird. Good grief. And yet, the crowd is screaming. Simon thought it was excrutiating and uncomforable. On the positive, Simon thinks people will rememeber him. Randy is curious about the song choice; Nathaniel says he and his mom used to dance around to it. Randy says he can sing, but can’t imagine what kind of record they would make with him. Simons says a “keep fit” video. Kara says if he wants to be taken seriously he needs to pick a song that shows his more serious side. She says right now he’s the guy she wants to go to karaoke with. They show Nathaniel’s grandma, who says, “I’m used to Nathan’s music. I love to hear him sing.” Paula proves that despite the fact that she can’t speak she has a great memory, remembering what songs the contestants sang in Hollywood. Paula called this the Boy George version of this song and says he needs to be wise picking songs.
Ryan says that since Simon was uncomfortable, he brings Nathaniel to the judge’s table where Nathaniel sits on Paula’s lap and says, “Go Simon go!” Thing is, that kind of playing around stuff can give a contestant the edge with viewers. Nathaniel is fun, we like fun, Norman didn’t get through, so maybe people will put Nathaniel through instead.
Felicia Barton is up. She’s in because Joanna Pacitti was deemed ineligible, in case you forgot. Felicia starts out good but is it just me, or as she sings it gets a little iffy? The song kind of doesn’t go anywhere. But she does have a great voice. It just wasn’t the greatest song. Paula says they’re glad they brought her back. Simon says the first part of the song was better than the second part (so it’s not just me) and it was a bit copycat. Randy says she has a great voice. Kara says it’s her best look, a few problems with some notes, but they noticed her this week. She says she’s having the time of her life and feels so blessed to be there.
Scott MacIntyre sings “Mandolin Rain” by Bruce Hornsby. He sits on a chair to start the song; he seems lost without his piano. OK, I like this guy as a person, but I just don’t think he’s that great a singer. Maybe it’s because he’s without his piano. Randy says it wasn’t the most perfect vocal but the parts that were great were really really great and he feels the passion. Kara says he moves mountains when he steps on stage and issues with his vocals don’t matter. She can’t wait to see him play and sing. Paula is happy he’s there and that he’s a genious at the piano and can’t wait for him to play. Simon says he wasn’t crazy about the song, but Scott is growing on him, because he thinks Scott is starting to believe in himself. In a sea of forgettable people Simon says he’ll remember Scott, and will be amazed if he doesn’t get through. Scott tells Ryan to give him a high five, adding, “I’ve got a stationary target.” He’s a jokester, too!
Kendall is up, singing Martina McBride’s “This One’s For The Girls.” She’s pretty but it’s not a great vocal performance. Kara starts with the positive: she’s got a big personality and country is good, but the song has issues. Paula said she takes the prize on the best outift (put together by her mom, Kendall says). Simon says it was the right thing, she’s cute, she’s country, but half way through he couldn’t wait for it to be over because it got shrilly, and she could have picked a better song for her voice. Randy, who loves country, said she looks great, told them who she was, etc but it wasn’t her best vocal performance.
Jorge Nunez has traveled from Puerto Rico to be there. Let’s see what he does with “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,” by Elton John. He has a great voice, he had one moment where he sounded like Desi Arnez but otherwise did a good job with the accent issue. Simon said he thinks they were wrong to tell him not to sing with an accent. I agree with him. He sounds funny without the accent, to be honest. Randy says it wasn’t the perfect vocal, but it was really really good and he vindicated himself from Hollywood. Kara says he was born to sing; that’s his gig, that’s what he was born to do. Awww, the girls are all weepy, Jorge is weepy and so emotional he forgets and speaks with his accent. When he gets emotional he says he can’t think in English. Whoever told him to get rid of the accent – and it wasn’t Simon, I don’t think, because in his audition when Kara didn’t like his accent Simon told her that’s why they’d gone to Puerto Rico – did him a disservice. A good singer with an accent? Who cares! He’s talented and adorable. Let him sing in Spanish if he wants to.
Lil Rounds is batting clean up. I expected to see a lot more of her in Hollywood, but maybe because she was so memorable we didn’t need to see her that much. She’s singing Mary J Blige’s “Never Can’t Be Without You”.Ugh, she threw in a plug for the show in the lyrics – “Call this show if you want to see me around”. Simon says brilliant, his favorite performance, woulnd’t have chosen that song but she has great great prospects. Randy agrees that she’s one of the best this season. Kara calls her a powerhouse and a steady boat because she knows herself. Paula calls her first class.
Overall?
I thought there were some very strong female performances tonight – Felicia Barton, Kristen McNamara, Taylor Viafanua and Lil Rounds. I think Arianna has a good voice but that song was just a bad choice.
The guys weren’t great, but they stunk less than the previous weeks. I think Jorge Nunez had the best vocal performance; my David says it was Ju’Not Joyner. I could go either way on that. The rest of the guys are getting judged on likability. Scott MacIntyre is beloved by judges and fans and I think people want to see him play the piano and sing. Nathaniel is an emotional basketcase but he also had that likability factor and a big fan base.
My David said this was the week of the Island of Misfit Singers.
if I had to predict? Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, and the third one is up for grabs. Could be Felicia, Kristen, Taylor, or Jorge. Shoot, it could end up being Alex or Nathaniel for all we know. What is clear is that a couple of these contestants will be back for the Wild Card Round.
What do you think? After watching those performances, who do you think is going through?
Don’t forget: the Wild Card Round is Thursday. We’ll have our final 12 this week!
MORE AMERICAN IDOL POSTS
American Idol Wild Card Round This Week, Thursday March 5Tension At The American Idol Judges’ Table: Is The Honeymoon Over?
American Idol: Is This The Season of the Worship Leader?
American Idol Contestants With Ties to Christian Music – Round 2 & Updates
American Idol’s Felicia Barton a Worship Leader at Freedom Fellowship in VA
American Idol Contestant Kristen McNamara & L.A.U.G.H.
More on American Idol contestant Danny Gokey and wife Sophia
More American Idol Posts
And if you want more American Idol show recap, visit my Idol blog at NewChristianVoices.com.
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