American Idol : Top 10 Performed

Tonight, the Top 10 guys take to the stage on American Idol.Judge Randy Jackson hopes the guys' nerves are gone now that they're through the first week, and Paula Abdul says they are finding their comfort level. Simon says everyone needs to "be better."And this week's theme is the 1970s. Wow, what a departure from last week!

Michael Johns interviews about his love for tennis and how it helps keep him centered. He sings Fleetwood Mac's "You Can Go Your Own Way." He's a little bouncy and overly dependent on the vibrato for my tastes, but let's turn to the judges. Randy says it wasn't his best, but he got into it and let go. Paula says he's "consistent, consistent" and has the whole crowd behind him. Simon: "Michael, it was OK; it was by far your weakest performance in the whole competition so far." He says he didn't have "a moment." Michael says it's been a dream of his to sing a Fleetwood Mac song, so, regardless of what Simon has to say, it was the right choice for him.

Jason Castro is very low-key and doesn't seem to enjoy the whole interview process, calling himself out for making weird faces because he doesn't know what to say. On stage, he's got his guitar again, and he sings "I Just Want to Be Your Everything." The guitar de-discos it a little, which works in his favor in terms of Simon's favorite "relevance" argument.

Luke Menard says he's part of an a capella group called Chapter 6 and that he loves the challenge because you have to be "flawless." He says it was the best preparation for AI. On stage, he sings Queen's "Killer Queen." He is ... not flawless. Nor is he "fastidious and precise," as the lyrics go. Randy says he picked a very difficult song and that this seemed more like his vibe, and that despite some pitch problems, it was good.

Robbie Carrico talks to Ryan about how he has to prove his authenticity to Simon. In the interview, he says a surprising fact about him is that he drag-races cars (at tracks, not on the street). He hits the stage to sing "Hot Blooded." Randy says he's not totally sure that Robbie has enough "uuuuuhhhh" (my best approximation) to be true rock.Paula says no one knows who you are but you. But she says he played it a little safe this week and that he lost his "character" somewhat in it.

Danny Noriega interviews that something unexpected about him is that he was in a punk-rock band in the ninth grade. On stage, he sings "Superstar," and it's decent but not super-engaging. Randy says he's a fan because Danny's such a fun guy, but that there were some problems with the song vocally. "I felt like you were thinking while you were singing every line. ... Let it go." Paula says he has amazing vocal skill, but he needs to take a deep breath "and forget about us ... just perform."

David Hernandez says he was in gymnastics when he was a kid and that he was pretty good at it back then. He comes out to sing "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." I really like his voice and I think he handles the song pretty well (with a little bobble on the final note). Paula gives him a standing o. Randy: "Now this is the David Hernandez that we fell in love with. ... That's how to put it down, show your personality, all those vocal skills.

Jason Yeager says he plays multiple instruments, and he's largely self-taught. He sings the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Runnin'." This is a good match for his voice, I think, and a step up from last week's "Moon River." His delivery is still a little cheeseball, but it's still an improvement.Randy says the 1970s are one of the best times in music and that this song didn't do him justice because it's not a singer's song. He says it was a little karaoke and kind of pitchy.

Chikezie says his "crazy name" is Nigerian and that the true pronunciation got dropped a long time ago, but he's used to it now. He sings "I Believe to My Soul," and it's all right, but I'm not that into it. Randy disagrees, saying, "Chikezie is BACK! ... This is the guy we fell in love with." Paula says it was brilliant and really fun.

David Cook says that he is a word nerd, which I can totally relate to. He comes out on stage bearing an electric guitar to perform "All Right Now." He manages to play to the crowd and work the guitar and stage without being too self-indulgent. Randy: "Listen, to me, you're the real rocker of the boys this year. ... I really liked this." Paula says he's the real deal, and, "You've got it!"

David Archuleta is last up. He says that when he was 11, he got to meet all the season one finalists and sing for them. He's going to sing "Imagine." He just has a lovely, pure voice, and I think I could listen to him all day. Randy: "Dog, that's one of the best vocals I've ever heard on this show. ... You were born to do exactly what you're doing there." Paula, bawling: "David, you are ridiculous, I want to just squish you, squeeze your head off and dangle you from my rearview mirror.