'American Idol' - 'Top 9 Compete ... Again' Recap

"My tongue is not nearly as talented as yours." - Ryan Seacrest to Adam Lambert

It was an interesting night on 'American Idol,' as that statement suggests. Obviously, Ryan was talking about Adam's tongue action while singing, but when he said it, Adam's eyebrows went up. He and Ryan would make a cute couple, wouldn't they?

Anyway, Ryan's mom was in the audience, too, which made things even more interesting. That and the fact that after Big Mike's save last week -- which I'm thankful for -- the Idols are definitely feeling the pressure. Two -- count 'em, two -- people will be sent packing this week.

Based on the performances, I'm guessing they won't be the ones we predict. Meaning that Tim Urban and Andrew Garcia will still be here after tonight. Ok, maybe not Andrew.

The theme this week is Elvis, and the mentor is Adam Lambert. What a great combination! The Top Nine took a field trip to Vegas to grab the Elvis vibe and meet with Adam. There's a lot to love about Adam, including his 3-foot high hair (totally glambert), his inspired advice to the Idols, and the fact that he's this fun-loving guy off-stage and fierce entertainer onstage. He's the perfect former Idol to offer advice, because he's been through the mill and knows the drill.

Before I launch into the performances, what was up with Ryan's Brian Dunkleman reference? He was talking about 'Idol Gives Back,' then said Dunkleman would be hosting, then said no, he's just kidding and Queen Latifah was the host. It was all very weird. By the way, check out Patricia Chui's interview with Dunkleman. Good stuff. Now, for the performances...

Crystal Bowersox, 'Saved.' Adam suggested she rock the (totally bedazzled) electric guitar, and I loved it. Randy loved it, too, calling it "the second coming of Bonnie Raitt." Simon said he could personally relate to the lyrics about lying and cheating, and he loved that she chose a song that suited her. "It was original, it sounded great, and congratulations once again."

Andrew Garcia, 'Hound Dog.' After hearing him during rehearsal, Adam flat out told him it was boring and he needed to step it up. He did ... sort of. His version was a little slower than I'm used to hearing, but I liked it. He looked like he was making out with the mic, but Kara thought he was using it as a crutch. Randy called it karaoke, and Ellen was hoping for a little more swagger. Simon said "it was like you see in some of these musicals, there's always the one part which nobody really wants to see and hear, and that was the part." He added that all of Andrew's coolness is being sucked out of him right now. Well, that's harsh.

Tim Urban, 'Can't Help Falling in Love With You.' Adam encouraged Tim to use his falsetto at the end, which he didn't do, but it would have been pretty. I also liked the guitar work. Randy said, "This may surprise you, right? I actually liked it." Ellen compared it to doing shots of tequila, and Kara said it was her favorite Tim performance ever. Simon said nice things, too: "You've managed to go from zero to hero in two weeks ... you don't need much. You, the guitar, good song, very clean arrangement, you're growing in confidence, and you've taken the advice really really well from us. Congratulations." Mark my words, Tim could be the last one standing.

Lee DeWyze, 'A Little Less Conversation.' Adam encouraged him to smile, connect with the audience, and actually "perform." He's not in the studio, after all, he's in front of a live audience. This is one of my favorite songs, and it's slower than the Elvis version, but he definitely puts his spin on it. There's not much range in the song, so he can't really show off. But Lee has that raspy rocker voice that works well with just about anything. Randy called him "in the zone." Ellen said it sounded like a brand new song, and Kara was glad he went for it, but wants him to be more playful and looser. Simon asked what the hell she was talking about, because Lee nailed the song. I get what she's saying, though; Lee is pretty intense. You sort of grit your teeth when you're watching him onstage.

Aaron Kelly, 'Blue Suede Shoes.' Aaron said the song was probably wrong for him in every possible way, but I still loved it. I'm rooting for both Aaron and Katie. Randy liked when he broke into the half-time in the middle, Ellen thought it was a big song but he did a good job, and Kara said, "You're out of your comfort zone, and I like it." Simon called it karaoke, like Aaron was playing dress-up.

Siobhan Magnus, 'Suspicious Minds.' It was fun seeing Adam and Siobhan together. They should do a renegades tour together, although I wasn't crazy about her performance. As usual, she got conflicting advice from the judges, ranging from Ellen liking the bigger voice to Simon saying it seemed like she went back in time 20 years. I agree that it sounded very screechy and erratic. "I kind of feel like you've lost who you were two or three weeks ago," said Simon. Siobhan defended herself, saying she doesn't think it's necessary to be labeled as a particular type of singer. Ok, I'm down with that, but your performances have to be top notch every time, and this one wasn't.

Michael Lynche, 'In the Ghetto.' Michael has that same thing Crystal has -- they're just natural born performers, very comfortable on stage. I've never been a fan of this song, but after hearing Michael sing it, it's ok. I like the little Aaron Neville runs he puts in there. Randy thought the song was a little sleepy, but said the vocals were hot. The other judges loved it, and Simon called it one of his favorite Michael performances.

Katie Stevens, 'Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do.' Katie continues to surprise me every week. Her vocals are always spot on, she looks great, and her performance tonight was gutsy and edgy. And you can't go wrong with a one-four-five blues progression. Randy loved it, Ellen called it "horny" (because of all the horns!), Kara said Katie showed the judges, and Simon called it loud and annoying. Really, Simon? It's a classic blues song. Lighten up, old man.

Casey James, 'Lawdy, Miss Clawdy.' This performance reminded me of Bo Bice. It was fun, funky and had me chair-dancing while I was typing. Randy called it another solid performance, Ellen said it wasn't as exciting as she'd like (wtf?), Kara said it fell short, and Simon thought the song was forgettable, although the vocals were good. Oh pish posh, judges.

My favorites tonight were Crystal Bowersox, Katie Stevens, and Casey James. What say you, Idol fans?