'IDOL' WATCH: The Top 12

"Idol" has finally reached the top 12 contestants of season nine, where they make the jump from a small, intimate stage to the full audience at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This is where the eventual "Idol" winner will be crowned and it presents a new set of challenges to the singers, who now have a fill a much larger space with their talent. Luckily, many of the contestants were able to step up immediately, as the performances tonight were, in general, very strong. It was an excellent showing and proved why each of the contestants has earned their way into the top 12.

Tonight was Rolling Stones themed, with each contestant selecting from the vast catalog of songs by, arguably, the world's best rock ‘n' roll band of all time.

Singing first was audience favorite Michael Lynche, who is likely the best performer of group, performing the classic, Miss You. Lynche really owned the song, but was a bit over the top for my taste. He seemed to be forcing it a bit, with Simon calling the dancing "a bit desperate." However, the audience loved Lynche as always and Randy, Kara, and Ellen all praised his performance ability. Lynche should have no issues this week.

Singing Play with Fire, Didi Benami seemed to really find her own and began to develop as an artist. Benami had quite an interesting take on the song and was both passionate and honest about what she was singing. Each of the judges loved her song choice, with Randy going so far as to say, "You were on fire for me." Benami's incredible tone was able to take center stage tonight and prove that, with the right song, she is clearly one of the best performers in the group.

Casey James brought out his guitar and gave a solid performance of It's All Over Now. James' interaction with the audience seemed a bit dull and it was clear he was inexperienced at how to take control of a stage, but the song was well sung and James was in his element with the blues-rock feel. Simon said he wished James was more than just "a Guy Standing in the middle of the stage," but each of the judges agreed the performance was, overall, quite good. James doesn't look like he has "it" yet, but this performance should push him through to next week.

Lacey Brown's performance of Ruby Tuesday didn't work for me. She completely lost any rock element the song had and missed the essence of the star power that makes the Rolling Stones who they are. Ellen was absolutely correct in saying that her interpretation of the song was completely wrong, choosing to sit down for the big moments and move during the smaller ones. Brown didn't show us anything new and offered my least favorite performance of the night. She's a good singer, but I don't think she's versatile enough to really make a splash this year.

Andrew Garcia was up next, singing Give Me Shelter, a rock anthem if there ever was one. Garcia was attempting to clear up the mixed messages he has received from the judges week after week, straying a bit from the arrangements that have marked him in the past. The song was solid; it was clearly not the best performance of the night, but it wasn't the worst either. Garcia may, however, have some trouble making up the ground he has lost in recent weeks and will really have to impress the audience if he wants to win.

Another performer who has had trouble adapting to the judges criticism is Katie Stevens, who, tonight, sang a spot on interpretation of Wild Horses. The song completely worked for her and, though it never really reached the sweet spot of her voice, sounded quite good. Kara said she is "[moving] in the right direction" and the judges agreed it was a big step up from last week. Stevens' performance should be enough to keep her in the competition for another week.

Tim Urban made an odd choice this week, singing a reggae cover of the classic, Under My Thumb. Since the song, as I understand it, is about a man's control over a woman, it seems a generally odd choice to sing in front of a widespread audience. The arrangement only made it odder. Kara and Simon were impressed with his ability to take a risk and run with it, but both Randy and Ellen were a bit confused by the choice. This may be the end of the road for the dark horse, Urban.

The standout performance of the night came from Siobhan Magnus, singing Paint It Red. The interpretation was supremely interesting, with Siobhan changing her look to match the style of the dark song. The belt sounded great, though maybe a bit screechy towards the end, and each of the judges were blown away by the performance. This is the first time someone other than Crystal has had the breakout performance and it was nice to see Siobhan really come into herself as an artist.

This should have been the platform for rocker Lee Dewyze to really take off, yet his performance of Beast of Burden seemed a bit reserved and subdued for the big-voiced performer. DeWyze said he chose a song that he could really get into, but it lacked something that the rocker should have had: star quality. The song was fairly safe and didn't really show anything new. It was by no means a bad performance, just the wrong choice on a week that DeWyze could have owned.

Paige Miles made an excellent choice singing the Stones' hit, Honky Tonk Women. Though it was completely unnoticeable in her performance, we learned that Miles has been suffering from laryngitis all week and that tonight was her first full run of the song. Miles sounded great and it was nice to see her heading back to the big voice that has really stood out in weeks past. Simon called the performance a bit generic, but Ellen said she really had "star quality" throughout. All things considered, it was a great showing for Miles, who has been lacking in recent weeks.

The performer who many expected to have a difficult time with the Rolling Stones theme, Aaron Kelly, really knocked it out of the park tonight. Kelly showed his versatility, singing the song Angie, and melding it into a version that fit his personality and vocals. Kelly clearly understands his limitations and was able to take the song and build it around those limitations. The performance was great to watch, as it showed Kelly's growth throughout the series. After judging him rather harshly last week, Kara came back saying, "You showed me." Kelly is not what you would expect from an "Idol" winner, but season nine seems to be all about change and Kelly is a welcome one.

Rounding out the night was Crystal Bowersox in her first less-than-stellar performance so far this year. Bowersox sang You Can't Always Get What You Want and told the judges after the performance, "I was overthinking it." The song wasn't bad; it just seemed to lack some of the power and entertainment value Bowersox has shown in the past. Simon warned her not to get complacent since she has excelled so far, but Bowersox seems to understand the competition and should have no problems taking control again next week.

It was a solid first week in new surroundings and the contestants are clearly stepping up their game. It seems Tim Urban's luck may have run its course, as he was probably the weakest singer this week and his arrangement missed the mark for many. Urban and the rest of the contestants will find out tonight's voting results tomorrow during a live broadcast beginning at 8:00pm EST.

"American Idol" is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted June 11, 2002 on the Fox network and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television. It is currently the #1 TV show in the Nielsen Ratings and is one of only three that have been #1 for five consecutive seasons. The cast of "Idol" includes judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and Ellen Degeneres, and host Ryan Seacrest.

The program aims to discover the best singer in the country through a series of nation-wide auditions, and subsequent viewer voting. Through telephone voting, America has chosen past winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, and Kris Allen.

Several "Idol" contestants have been seen on the Broadway stage, including Barrino (The Color Purple), Hicks (Grease), Clay Aiken (Spamalot), Diana DeGarmo(Hairspray), Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Tamyra Gray (Rent, Bombay Dreams), and Constantine Maroulis (The Wedding Singer, Rock of Ages).

"American Idol" airs on Tuesday and Wednesday nights on Fox at 8PM EST.

Photo Credit: AmericanIdol.com