May 14, 2008 9:16 PM

The Davids vs. Goliath

You could see this one coming from a mile away. Hell, you could see it from the moon.
Baby-faced David Archuleta of Utah and indie rock aficionado David Cook of Missouri will square off next week to become the 2007 American Idol.
It's been a long season, with dozens of credible singers kicked to the curb, including third place finisher Syesha Mercado. She ended up on the losing end of 56 million votes.
That said, it was a mostly upbeat show. In addition to a performance by Fantasia Barrino (with hair the color of space shuttle exhaust), each of the finalists went to his or her hometown with a camera crew in tow.
Naturally, Fox had orchestrated a turnout better suited for the pope.
Archuleta's visit to Murray, Utah, recalled visions of Shaun cassidy in the '70s being mobbed by young and old women alike. The best part was when he returned to his high school (after being mobbed by the cheerleaders who probably never gave him a second thought when he actually attended classes). Imagine being 17 and returning to your high school a superstar?
Syesha Mercado alighted in Sarasota, FL., to citywide acclaim. It seemed like half the town showed up, including a woman who thrust her baby into Syesha's arms and demanded a photo. Can you say, "Security"?
In Missouri, David Cook visited his music teacher at his elementary school (touching) and threw out the first pitch at a Royals game. And guess what? Thousands turned out to hear him sing.
Tuesday's results weren't completely unexpected. Syesha had doged a bullet three times, being in the bottom three vote-getters, yet always managing to squeak by.
Fate finally caught up with her at Tuesday night's show, when two of her three songs failed to showcase her dynamic range.
Don't cry for her, though; she'll be on the American Idol tour this summer, and she'll be snapped up by a record company long before thr tour ends.
So what can we expect Tuesday? A collision of styles that will definitely give viewers a choice.
David Archuleta's strength is his clear, beautiful voice and his boyish appeal. He's got the post-Hannah Montana crowd (and not a few grandmothers) sewn up.
David Cook, by contrast, is more of a pure musician, both in terms of his rock sensibility, and also his willingness to shake things up. Several times this season he succeeded by altering the arrangement to well-known songs. It was risky, but it usually worked.
On Tuesday the Davids square off singing a number of songs, including one submitted by a viewer. On Wednesday, they face the Goliath of viewer votes.

Posted by Mike Pearson at 9:16 PM | Comments (2)