Kinder, gentler Simon judges the ‘Idol’ men

Travis Tucker, 21, Manassas, Va.: "All Night Long" by Lionel Ritchie was not the most daring choice in the world and Tucker's vocals weren't great. However, the song did allow him to show off his dance moves. It turns out to have been a shrewd decision, as it led Simon to call him "a born performer." He also apologized for criticizing Tucker last week, saying that the performance looked a lot better on tape.
Mark it down: Monday February 28, 2005 — the first Simon Cowell apology in recorded history.
Grade: B-
Stay or Go? Tucker would be in a lot bigger trouble if the judges had slammed him, but their focus on showmanship helps him a lot. If he makes it to next week, however, he'll have to really step up the vocals to make the final 12.

Niko Smith, 22, Town & Country, Mo.: Smith picked "Let's Get It On" — the Marvin Gaye version, not the one Jack Black sung in "High Fidelity." Simon called it 1000 percent improved from the previous week, but it started off very slowly before Smith brought it on home with a flourish. If it did nothing else, it made Paula Abdul all hot and bothered, which was more than a little disturbing.
Grade: B
Stay or go? Smith is another guy who will have to step it up again to reach the finals, but he did enough to make it another week.

Anthony Fedorov, 19, Trevose, Pa.: At some point in the competition, he may have to stop singing ballads. In the meantime, he did a fine job with Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is." It didn't start off great, but he kicked it up a couple of notches and blew the judges away, with kinder gentler Simon calling it a fantastic job.
Grade: A-
Stay or go? The judges all loved him, and will probably write some computer program that votes for him incessantly if they need to. Everyone clearly wants him to advance, and it would be a surprise if he did not.

Bo Bice, 29, Helena, Ala.: As Bice told the audience in the prerecorded bit they played before his performance, he'd been fired from his job because of the time he'd spent on "American Idol." So far, it's time well spent. He went with "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers, which may be the hardest rock ever played on the "Idol" stage. Fittingly, Simon ended the night by saying it was "so fantastic it just blows you away." If the camera had lingered on him longer, he might even have thrown a bouquet of roses on stage.
Grade: A-
Stay or go? If it's based on singing talent, Bice is one of the favorites to win this. However, he is much more of a traditional rocker than previous contestants have been, and that may not be what the viewers are ultimately looking for. But it would be a tremendous upset if he got the boot here.

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