'American Idol' choice not crystal clear

Mt. Prospect rocker Lee DeWyze had the better journey. Crystal Bowersox had the better final performance night.

Ultimately it's in the voters' hands, but on what judge Simon Cowell called the biggest night of their lives, season-long front-runner Crystal Bowersox seemed to want it more.

DeWyze had a slight edge in momentum going into Tuesday night's performance, but the things he's struggled with most, nerves and pitch, seemed to bedevil him again.

DeWyze and Bowersox each sang three songs, one was their favorite performance from the past season, one was producer Simon Fuller's choice and the final song was the song the contestant would release on the radio if they are crowned America's top Idol tonight.

In a departure from seasons past, and perhaps recalling the disaster that was Kara DioGuardi's "No Boundaries" last year, the radio release was an actual cover, instead of an original song.

Round one was a virtual dead heat with each contestant taking their time to catch fire.

DeWyze landed the first punch with reprise Simon and Garfunkel's "The Boxer," the tune that's come to come to represent his "Idol" journey so well.

"A great way to start it off, dude ... I think this night is going to come down to a duel to the finish," judge Randy Jackson predicted.

Bowersox responded with Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee," a solid if not inspiring performance.

"I loved it when you first did it and I loved it tonight," Kara DioGuardi said.

Up next producer Simon Fuller chose R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts"for DeWzye. The vocal was a natural fit for him, but judge Simon Cowell urged him to up his game.

"You've got to really understand what this night can do, in terms of changing your life,"Cowell said. "I want to see a 10 out of 10 on the next song because I know you're capable of it."

Bowersox came on strong in the second round with "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles. She started the tune off slow, but midway through her vocals caught fire.

Cowell said he was almost allergic to the song, in a nod to the many contestants over the years who have butchered in their "Idol" tryouts, but Bowersox "absolutely nailed it."

If Bowersox nailed "Black Velvet," then she executed a vocal master class with her final song of the night, Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain."

In season that has been short on moments, Bowersox finally delivered.

The song hit her vocals right in the sweet spot, her tone was gorgeous and she let the song build and build until the entire room was standing including judge Ellen DeGeneres.

"I thought that was, by far, the best performance and the song of the night," Cowell said. "That was outstanding."

DeWyze tried his best to keep up, but he was burdened with a song choice that illustrated the pitch problems that have plagued him all season on U2's "Beautiful Day"

Indeed, the judges seemed to talk more about DeWyze the person than DeWyze the performer.

"I think you got swallowed up a bit in that song," DioGuardi said. "You've grown the most on this show. You have one of the most commercial voices of the season. You deserve to be here tonight."

Whether he deserves the title or not is America's choice.

Idol's two-hour finale begins at 7 p.m. tonight on Fox.

Expect a fond farewell to the departing Cowell with lots of former Idols on hand. This year's Top 12 will also perform. The winner will be crowned a little after 9 p.m.

<p class="factboxheadblack">Community Watch Party in Mt. Prospect</p>

<p class="News">Mt. Prospect Village Green: 5-10 p.m. near Village Hall at 50 S. Emerson St.</p>

<p class="News">• Mingle with 5,000-8,000 of Lee's closest friends at community party that will show "American Idol" live 7-9 p.m. on a Jumbotron. Also up: Clips of DeWyze's "Idol" performances and his May 14 hometown visit.</p>

<p class="News">• Free. Limited seating, so bring lawn chairs. Food and beverage vendors on site; no alcohol can be brought in.</p>

<p class="News">• Parking and street closures: Park in deck next to Village Hall and in commuter parking lots along Northwest Hwy. Portions of Busse Avenue and Emerson Street will close today at 1 p.m.</p>

<p class="News">• Public transit: Encouraged for out-of-towners, Village Green is 1 block north of Mt. Prospect Metra stop. Metra has added an additional inbound train tonight, leaving Mt. Prospect for Chicago at 10:45 p.m.</p>

<p class="News">For information, <a href="http://mountprospect.org" target="new">mountprospect.org</a>.</p>

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