It's simple. DeWyze is a lock for 'Idol' finals

It's a whole new Lee DeWyze.

Fresh off his visit back home last Friday, the Mt. Prospect rocker owned the "American Idol" stage, looking as comfortable as he has all season.

Each contestant sang two songs Tuesday night; the first song was their pick, the second was the judges' choice.

Once again in the pimp spot, DeWyze admitted he fed off the buzz from seeing the huge crowd that turned out to see him play at Arlington Park.

"It was great to get back home," DeWyze said. "The support was more than I could have asked for."

To show his appreciation, as promised, DeWyze even gave a little wave to all his fans in the suburbs.

He then went out and absolutely slayed with Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man," delivering the performance of the night.

"I think it was a brilliant song choice," judge Randy Jackson said. "Somebody here is feeling like they can win this."

DeWyze said he picked the song because it made him happy to sing it.

"Every lyric in it really speaks true to me," he said. "I always want to pick something I can relate to."

Though DeWyze's second song might not have been his pick, he still soared with it.

Judge Simon Cowell hand-picked Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for DeWyze and although DeWyze admitted he wasn't sure about the choice at first, he nailed it.

Backed by a gospel choir, DeWyze didn't deliver a perfect vocal, but he still held the judges in thrall.

"Lee, you are what this show is all about ... You are the heart of this show. ... You just owned the entire night," judge Kara DioGuardi said.

If DeWyze is a lock for the finale, it's hard to imagine anyone but Crystal Bowersox will join him.

The Elliston, Ohio, native struggled with her choice of Melissa Etheridge's "Come To My Window." It hewed too close to the original and Bowersox didn't have nearly enough grit in her voice to take the song where it needed to go. The "Idol" band also overwhelmed her at times.

She rebounded strongly with judge Ellen DeGeneres' pick of "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney.

"You may be thanking Ellen for putting you in the final," Cowell told her.

Casey James spent the night looking as though he'd already packed his suitcase. His choice of the little-known Eric Hutchinson song "OK, It's Alright With Me" did him no favors and made him an easy punching bag.

"That song was just kind of all right for me, too. You can't do a safe, easy song like that," Jackson said.

The Cool, Texas, native's take on John Mayer's "Daughters" (which DioGuardi and Jackson chose for him) wasn't much better.

James will likely go home tonight when "Idol" names its top two. It airs at 8 p.m. on Fox.

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