Canadian Eight Go Acoustic

The eight finalists went acoustic this week on Canadian Idol under the mentorship of Gavin Rossdale. The broad theme allowed them to choose any song they wanted, giving the contestants a chance to really show who they are as artists. Unfortunately, no one truly took that opportunity for all it was worth, and the night was filled with some pretty lackluster songs and uninspiring performances.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the CI6 Top 8: Unplugged.

Sebastian Pigott "Lucile"
Liza: I think part of Sebastian's troubles from a voting standpoint are his song choices. He keeps picking old songs that the viewers can't relate to. This really wasn't I would have had in mind for an acoustic night, but at least it afforded him a chance to play the harmonica again. I did enjoy that. I did not, however, enjoy all those "woo!-s". That was a little cheesy.
Score: 7.25
Destiny: I agree. His song choices have been seriously lacking. I did not like this choice at all. And I was disappointed that he didn't take Gavin's advice to strip things down and make things more personal between him and the audience instead of putting on a big performance. He wasn't awful, but it is so disappointing that he hasn't fulfilled his potential since he made the Top 10.
Score: 7.1

Earl Stevenson "Two"
Liza: It's so nice to see Earl perform without those spastic "dance" moves because it gives us a chance to concentrate on that really cool, unique voice of his. I like this different side of Earl.
Score: 8.5
Destiny: I liked this side of Earl, too. It was a nice change and allowed us to focus on his really interesting voice. Earl is just so endearing no matter what he does. This performance only further confirmed that he has international star power.
Score: 8.8

Mark Day "Stay"
Liza: Mark sang it well, and if Canada's looking for its own version of Clay Aiken, I guess Mark's your guy. I, however, am not buying what Mark's selling, though. Every time he sings, I feel like he's putting on an act, and it all just seems very disingenuous.
Score: 7.0
Destiny: I agree that this, again, felt like Mark was putting on an act. I never get anything "real" from him. He may tend toward Clay-ish styles of songs, but his voice doesn't come anywhere near Aiken's big, dynamic voice. He didn't really hit any bad notes on this song, but there was absolutely nothing special to his voice or delivery. Blah.
Score: 6.5

Mitch MacDonald "Oh Atlanta"
Liza: It was certainly an improvement from a performance standpoint after last week's stop and stare thing, but this song? I'm with Zack on this one. I'm not sure why Mitch is trying to do blues right now. I did not really enjoy this song. Geor-i-gia?
Score: 7.0
Destiny: This was an odd song choice, especially considering that he could have chosen almost ANY song in the world. All I could think of during this performance was that I wanted to hear Alison Krauss' version. Mitch didn't come anywhere close. And he didn't add his own special twist to it at all. It was just a lifeless version of the original.
Score: 6.8

Amberly Thiessen "The Way I Am"
Liza: Finally, Amberly picks the right song for her voice. I was really tiring of her continually picking harder songs and turning them into coffeehouse songs. This is pretty much a perfect song for her, and she performed this great. And wow, does she look fantastic in green!
Score: 9.0
Destiny: She did sound good on this song, but it just didn't do anything for me. She, like most of this group has turned out to do, just sings without hitting too many bad notes but also without hitting much emotion or passion. This wasn't a memorable performance. And what's up with Zack saying Amberly is the number one or two best talent they've ever found on this show? Huh??? She's not even the best talent they found this season.
Score: 7.5

Mookie Morris "Ophelia"
Liza: One thing that's really cool about Mookie is that he can infuse a new sound into these old classics. Not to get all Randy Jackson on everyone, but I can't believe he's only 18!
Score: 8.75
Destiny: I have to agree with you, dawg. Mookie is molten lava hot! OK, enough with our odes to Randy Jackson. Seriously, Mookie is a gem of a talent. I did not love this song choice, but the performance was good, and Mookie's talent and star quality is just undeniable. He can lose the hat, though.
Score: 8.8

Drew Wright "Sunday Morning"
Liza: This is more what I had in mind when I imagined a night of acoustic performances. Way more of this and way less of what Mookie did with his big horn section. I enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed it more if Drew didn't get ahead of the beat and didn't tell me to "Come on!" twice.
Score: 7.75
Destiny: This was a good song choice for Drew, and I was glad to see him return to what I think is his real self. He was comfortable onstage and his voice sounded fantastic. The "edgy" clothes, eyeliner and stage antics of the past two weeks (and this week's rehearsal) just did not seem to fit him. Unfortunately, Jake's insult of Drew's clothes will probably have him returning to his attempt at an image overhaul.
Score: 8.8

Theo Tams "Weak In The Knees"
Liza: Theo may also be Canada's (improved) version of Clay Aiken, but, unlike Mark, he conveys his passion and heart in his performances. The part where he went up into the falsetto was stunning.
Score: 9.25
Destiny: I would never have compared Theo to Clay, as I think Theo is much more of an artsy performer. But the comparison does lend itself to what I think is missing with Theo. Unlike Aiken, who has a very distinct and emotion-filled voice, Tams has very little unique qualities to his voice. I can never quite remember what he sounds like, and I would never be able to identify him if I heard his song on the radio. He seems to do everything right by hitting all the notes and looking like he is putting passion into great songs, but I just didn't hear or feel anything special on this one or most of what he does. It's kind of bizarre. Because he obviously has a lot of talent. I love the idea of Theo, but he leaves me wanting to feel more. It's like he is a demo singer, giving you the idea of the song and arrangement but leaving much to be filled in with star quality and artistry.
Score: 8.5

Who Should Be Eliminated
Liza: Mark (I am serious, I really am going to say this every week till he goes home)
Destiny: Mark

Who Will Be Eliminated
Liza: Sebastian
Destiny: Sebastian or Drew

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Last week we asked you,
"Who Was The Best This Week On Canadian Idol?"
35% Mookie, 20% Earl, 11% Theo,
11% Mitch, 10% Drew, 5% Mark,
3% Katherine, 3% Sebastian, 2% Amberly

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