I'm jumping straight to episode 2 because I saw it more recently. I'll go back and hit episode 1 later, promise!
The opening number was another medley (episode 1 opened with a medley too). It was OK, but not that exciting, so let's get right to the performances!
First up we had Vocal Rush, the high school students from Oakland, doing C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat." The girl who sings the "everybody dance now"s has a great voice, and the performance is fun and high-energy. The judges generally seem to really like this group. I definitely think they are the best high school group the competition has seen (there have been three so far, and the first two were eliminated in episodes 2 and 1, respectively). I didn't buy this track, because really, there's just not that much to that song.
Next is the country boys from Minnesota, Home Free, doing Rascall Flatts' version of "Life is a Highway." It's a really good performance, and I bought the track. However ... while the boys have a really excellent bass singer with a super-sexy low voice, so far in both of their performances they have featured him stepping forward and taking a solo. That's fine ... but ... change it up a bit, please, guys. Don't be a one-way monkey.
Digression time: in a lot of ways, Home Free and Pentatonix are similar. Both are five-person groups with incredible bass and percussion (meat and potatoes, TM Shawn Stockman). Last night Charlie said it would be cool to see them collaborate on a song. I agreed, and immediately thought of the perfect song: "Boondocks" by Little Big Town. Just thinking of them doing the breakdown at the end is making me drool. HF? PTX? Make this happen please.
Batting third we have Voice Play. So far, I'm not a fan, but I will admit that they redeemed themselves somewhat with tonight's performance of "Play That Funky Music White Boy." They have a ways to go to win me over, but who knows: at this point in season 3, I hated Pentatonix. Anything can happen. The judges praised their improvement, and I have to agree. I still don't think Honey (the one female singer in the group) blends well with the guys. You can tell that she is a recent addition to the group.
Street Corner Renaissance is next. Man, I love these guys. They are my surprise favorite of the season. Five lovely late-middle-age black guys doing doo-wop. The comparisons to Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town (season 2) are inevitable, but I like this group better. Tonight, they give us a doo-woppy rendition of the Contours' "Do You Love Me?" Charlie turned to me halfway through and said, "I hate to say it, but I think this is going to send them home." Spoiler: he was wrong. Whew! He thought so because this performance is very, very expected for a group like this (as opposed to their episode 1 "What Makes You Beautiful," which is just freaking awesome). I don't think I'll buy this track.
Another digression: I accused One Direction of using Autotune on "What Makes You Beautiful," and listening to it now, I think I was probably wrong. It's not a bad little record, actually. I still prefer Street Corner Renaissance's version, though.
Next up is the all-female group Element, with Pink's "Raise Your Glass." Meh. It's an improvement on their first outing, but it's still nothing special. For such a raucous song, the performance is kind of blah. I mean, there's a lot of shouting and fist-pumping, but it's still underwhelming. Jewel criticized them for having two singers share the lead instead of one, and maybe that's part of why this whole thing seems a little subdued. I did not buy this track. At this point, I'll be surprised if I buy any of Element's tracks.
Now we have the AcoUstiKats (seriously, most annoying name ever, to type) doing Outkast's "Hey Ya," which is one of my all-time favorite songs. Andre 3000 isn't a big guy, but those are still some huge shoes to fill. The guys have some adorable choreography, and their performance is fun and energetic, but it still comes up short. The problem: the lead, sung by Ron. Ron is an attractive and charming young man who happens to have been classically trained. Unfortunately, it shows -- the kid cannot belt, and sometimes, a song needs to be belted, or shouted. "Hey Ya" is one of those songs. His delivery is just too freaking legato for this one. I didn't buy this one. A swing and a miss, for me.
Calle Sol is next with "Livin' La Vida Loca." No es bueno. I like these folks, and the ladies can certainly dance. But this performance is oddly subdued (the guy they have sing the lead should not be singing the lead on this song), and, really, Calle Sol needs to decide if it wants to be a dance group or an a cappella group. So far, trying to be both is not working out for them. I didn't buy the track.
Now we have Ten, doing Nelly's "Hot in Herre." Despite my better judgment, I like that song, and Ten does it justice. It's sexy and energetic and fun, and most importantly, it's cohesive. They're in no danger of going home on this performance. I bought the track, though it's not as awesome as Urban Method's take on the same song in season 3 (they did it as a mash-up with "Fever," and it was fantastic).
Finally, it's Filharmonic. Before they sing, though, we get some backstory on one of the boys: he's dedicating his performance to his sister, who died of an allergic reaction not long ago. That sucks, and I'm very sorry for him. But I don't want to spend the whole season hearing about it, Sing-Off, mmkay? Anyway, they sing "This is How We Do It," which I had always assumed was a boy-band song but is in fact by Montell Jordan. It's awesome -- very energetic and with nice harmonies. Bought it.
Most of the groups are safe: Filharmonic, Home Free, Street Corner Renaissance, Voice Play. The remaining four are divided into two pairs: Vocal Rush and Calle Sol, and The AcoUstiKats and Element. Of those, Vocal Rush and Element are safe (but nervous), and Calle Sol and the 'Kats (as I will call them from now on, because, jeez) are in the final Sing-Off, doing, "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson.
For a third time, Calle Sol shows that it is a dance group that sings, rather than a singing group that dances. The 'Kats do a better job with the song, and have some cute moves, too. Long story short: Calle Sol gets la bota, and the 'Kats will return on Thursday night (and, I hope, put someone other than Ron out front).
Woot! Three episodes in one week. They're spoiling us!
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