Atlanta was where Clay Aiken and Fantasia Barrino auditioned during their respective years.  In Atlanta this year, there were very good auditions from two women with very different styles.  Asia'h Epperson sang "How Do I Live" in memory of her dad, who just passed away just 2 dyas ago!  It was suffused with emotion.  Very good.  On the other end, there was nurse-biker (isn't that quite a contradiction in imagery?)  Amanda Overmyer (photo left c/o rickey.org).  She shone with her hard rocking songs.  A bit overgrowled, but good and strong, without losing the melody.

Among the men, there was only one that really sticks to mind, and that is the one of Josiah Leming.  He is 18 years old who just lives driving around in his car.  He sang an original song, and was asked to sing Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" by the judges because he sounds like the vocalist of that bad.  It was good, but trembling audition, but enough to get him through.

The recap episode tonight was actually very good I think.  I thought it was very funny the way the highlights were presented.  They actually showed some more good auditions.  Pretty Amy Davis (photo right, c/o rickey.org) sang "Blue Bayou" very well.  Chikeze Eze sang Luther on "All The Woman That I Need" (never thought that song had a male version!).  And there was another return auditionee scrawny Danny Noriega who sang a unexpectedly strong (though overconfident) "Proud Mary".

The preview of the Hollywood nights to be shown next week are very well edited.  It generates a lot of excitement and expectations of great performances to come.  Let's see next week if the preview delivers on its promise.  Now the real competition begins!