After a couple less-than-stellar weeks, Idol came roaring back Wednesday night with an above-average Motown theme night. No one sucked and several of the contestants took recent criticism to heart and upped their games. Bravo to them and to the judges (especially J. Lo) who seemed to be giving much better constructive criticism tonight. Who did you like? Who’s in danger of the dreaded “bottom three”?

Casey Abrams – I Heard It Through The Grapevine

While I wish Casey would have gone with something other than “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (which will always remind me of the old California Raisin commercial of my youth), he definitely put his own unique spin on it. I love when Casey goes bluesy, but I was admittedly looking for something for “Georgia On My Mind: than this. Still, he’s always fun to watch.  

Thia Megia – Heatwave

Thia may have gotten her calendar mixed up tonight and rather than competing on American Idol, she must have thought she was going to a four-year-old’s birthday party. At least that was how she was dressed. This performance was a little too Broadway for me and I’m pretty sure she forgot the words more than once. I understand that her parents probably weren’t even born when this song came out, but come on…. 

Jacob Lusk – You’re All I Need To Get By

Gold stars for Jacob who was able to regain his footing after a couple of rough weeks – this time with a knockout performance truly deserving of the standing ovation it got. Jacob’s blazer was ill-fitting, but the song fit like an old glove. It’s a voice that is so pretty when it’s not busy showing off. Jacob did show off, but he also showed restraint, and in that, great showmanship.  He had fun and we had fun.

Lauren Alaina – You Keep Me Hanging On

I don’t think that billowy zebra print dress was the best choice for Lauren (is her mom dressing her?) but this song wasn’t a bad choice. Lauren managed to give it a country-ish vibe that didn’t wow, but didn’t suck either.  

Stefano Langone – Hello

Stefano, Stefano, Stefano. What were you thinking? David Cook declared his intentions to win American Idol during his seaon with this song and you’re not only going to challenge that memory, but sing the song straight? Mistake. Big mistake. Huge. 

Haley Reinhart – You Really Got A Hold On Me

First off, the stairs are always a bad idea for someone lacking in coordination as Haley tends to. I have no doubt that the straight hair and the hot pants got its fair share of attention from viewers, but was it enough to detract from another scattered performance? Haley has a huge voice, but she’s still struggling to get the upper hand with it. When she does, she’ll be amazing. I’m just not sure that will happen before she’s kicked off.  

Scotty McCreery – For Once In My Life

For being the one contestant so firmly planted in his country wheelhouse, Scotty did his Motown tribute justice. He was a little more awkward than usual with an excessive amount of hand gestures and head whips and a tilted microphone that might have been an effort to go “urban,” but he still sounded good, especially on his low, low notes.  

Pia Toscano – All Is Fair In Love

Pia made a smart move tonight picking a lesser-known Stevie Wonder tune. By doing that, she can avoid comparison to the original for one week. I still wish she would perform with her hands tied behind her back because all that pageanty flapping around drives me crazy. And I agree with the judges that she’s ballading us out. Time to show a different side or rish boring your audience to tears.

Paul McDonald – Tracks of My Tears

Speaking of tears…Unlike Stefano, who challenged the memory of a former Idol contestant’s knock-out performance, Paul put his own spin on an Idol favorite. He sounded very Rod Stewartish as he picked up his guitar for the first time since Hollywood week. It was good to see him with an old friend in tow (and it also kept his drunken uncle antics to a minimum). 

Naima Adadepo – Dancin’ In The Street

I love that Naima pays attention to more than just her singing when she takes the stage. She’s fun to watch because she gives a performance each and every time and this was no exception. The dancing was brilliant and allowed the audience to connect with her and have fun at the same time.

James Durbin – Livin’ For The City

I liked the whole funk/rock version of this song. I think it was a good fit for James. He’s certainly confortable working the stage and that puts him ahead of some of the balladeers who seem stuck to the center.

Best performance of the night: Jacob Lusk

Most likely to go home: Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart, Stefano Langone