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Tonight we got to see what the final ten men could do after a so-so show for the ladies.  Happily, we were treated tonight to a significantly better show.

So since it is late, I will get right into the performances.

Tonight's Performances:

1. Taylor Hicks sang "Easy" by the Commodores.  I thought that Taylor sang the song as well as Lionel ever did.  I enjoyed Taylor's song tonight.  The judges however, weren't as impressed.

Even though I was impressed, I am still waiting for Taylor's "WOW!" performance.  Grade: B

(Taylor looks like a different person under that stocking cap, doesn't he?  Do they really call them "toboggans" in Alabama?  I'd call what he was wearing a "toque".)

2. Elliot Yamin sang a Stevie Wonder song.  Elliot isn't any sort of matinee idol, is he?  I'd imagine that if he had more time, he'd look into getting braces before going on television.

That said: Elliot might be the best singer in the whole competition.  I have been blown-away every time he's been on the show.  Tonight's song was no different.  Grade: A

3. Ace Young sang a Daniel Bedingfield song.  I am thinking that Ace might have been a bit under the weather tonight.  If he was, I am impressed that he didn't offer it up as an excuse.

Ace sang a song that I don't know, yet it still didn't seem right.  Tonight's effort wasn't nearly as strong as last week's "Father Figure".  Grade: C+

4. Gedeon McKinney sang "Change is gonna come".  I don't really know what to think about this one.  The judges seemed to like it.  Grade: B

5. America's newest sex-symbol, Kevin Covais sang the California Raisins' hit: "I heard it through the grapevine".

This one wasn't a real stretch for Kevin, but it came off okay.  Grade: C+

6. Sway Penala sang "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder.  Sway has a bit of a Stevie Wonder quality to his voice, but somehow this still didn't seem right.  The judges hated it. I didn't think it was terrible, but I didn't love it either. Grade: C-

7. Will Makar sang Kenny Rogers' "Lady".  A cute, 17 year-old boy singing a heartfelt Kenny song could have been dreadfully bad, but it seemed to have gone over alright.  Grade: C

8. Bucky Covington sang "Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks.  Bucky wins the title of "Biggest surprise of the night."  I really enjoyed this performance.

I could tell that Bucky's voice reached its limit a time or two during the song, but he pulled everything together alright.  Grade: B+

9. David Radford sang a Sinatra song.  Was John Stevens on the show last year, or was that two years ago?  I can't remember.  How about a moratorium on teenage crooners?  Grade: D

10. Chris Daughtry sang "Hemorrhage" by Fuel.  I liked this song, and the judges ate it up with a spoon.  With another performance or two like this, Chris might end up being the favorite in the competition. 

I'd really like to hear Chris try Bush's "Glycerine" some time during the competition.  It is perfect for his voice!  Grade: A

Tonight's Best: Elliot, Chris, and Bucky

In trouble: Sway and David

Final analysis: Taylor Hicks was very impressive in the audition and Hollywood rounds.  I am sure that America fell in love with him as he played the harmonica en route to the "chair of destiny".  His two weekly performances since then have been reasonably good, but not fantastic.

I am wondering whether Taylor has that big performance in him to solidify his status as a contender, or if we've seen all that we're going to see from him.

I hope that Taylor will come up with something fantastic sooner rather than later, because I really like that guy, and I think that it would be better if he stuck around.