Idol | A look back at Kris Allen in the Top 11 of American Idol Season 8 (2009)

It's Opry week and St. Patrick's Day on Season 8 of American Idol 2009! This was a great week for Kris, bringing us for the first time his amazing cover of To Make You Feel My Love by Bob Dylan, although to get it into country week, it was technically covered by Garth Brooks. Kris' cover is more like Adele's version. Anyway! It works! Like Ryan says, after the break...

Performance Night

But before we get to Kris... the show begins with mentor Randy Travis inviting Carrie Underwood to join the Grand Old Opry, and the season 8 Idols going to visit him there. Randy is impressed with the group. Michael Sarver and Allison Iraheta perform their country covers. Both of them have slightly off weeks. Allison gets a lot of good advice; it's clear the judges are hoping to help her.

At the 18 minute mark, we get Kris going third! Randy Travis is very impressed by him during his mentoring session. As he should be! It's a fantastic performance. I remember this being the moment I decided that maybe Kris was going to be one of my favorites (it always takes me a few performance episodes to settle on my favorite for the season). He's visibly nervous as he faces the judges. Paula calls it pure and honest, and tells him to keep the low notes on pitch, but it was smart to go guitar-less and put the focus on him. Simon calls it terrific, a great choice of song, and "probably it was the first time" where Simon thought he "actually got a shot at doing really well in this competition." Randy enjoyed the "tender moments from his tender dawg Kris." Kara didn't think it was country, but was very beautiful and very "Kris Allen."

The single version of this is lovely. Highly recommended. (And linked below.)

You can watch the rest of the episode here. This week features Adam Lambert's infamous treatment of Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash, a flu-ridden Megan Joy doing well on Walking After Midnight by Patsy Cline, Anoop going from zero to hero with his cover of Always on My Mind, and a fantastic performance of Carrie Underwood's So Small by Matt Giraud. (The latter one was actually my favorite of the week.)

Mp3s!

• To Make You Feel My Love (Kris - performance)
• To Make You Feel My Love (Kris - studio)
• So Small (Matt G.)

Before we get to the results, let's take a look at a behind the scenes video where we get some advice from the top 11:

Results night

The results are in and "tonight, one will face the fire" as Ryan holds "the results that may shock you." (Or not, if you watched the performance episode.) Kris, Megan, Danny, Anoop and Matt are highlighted in a good way during the recap of the performances.

Time for the hokey group number! This week, they cover T-R-O-U-B-L-E by Travis Tritt. This season's group numbers are interesting mainly for the way they choreographed around Scott's visual impairment. There's also definitely some lip syncing going on here, and both Adam and Kris get to dance around with Lil Rounds. Good times!



Following the commercial, we get the top 11 Ford commercial. This one is a good one, featuring the gang singing Here It Goes Again by OK Go while pounding Kris with water balloons.



Cool behind the scenes video of making that ad below. Lil's earrings!!!! Kris found throwing the water balloons "stress relieving."



After a sad montage of Idol saying goodbye to Jasmine and Jorge in Top 13 week, Ryan interviews the Idols while they sit on the couches awaiting their fate. Alexis talks about how emotional saying goodbye is while sitting between Kris and Adam, who both nod earnestly in agreement. Michael gets emotional about his family. Megan says she feels better, but she looks sick and the rest are shown wearing masks during rehearsal.

Ryan reminds them that if they are safe, they make tour. It's a big deal to get past this week! Danny, Lil (great reaction), and Anoop are safe. Allison and Michael are asked to stand together, but one of them is in the bottom 3. Asked to guess, Paula guesses Allison, and isn't happy about it. She's sadly right. Michael is told to stand back up and then join Allison, because he's also bottom 3. We'll find out who joins them after the break...

And after Brad Paisley performs his single at the time, Remember Me.



Back to the results! Ryan tortures Scott a bit before telling him he is safe, joined by Matt and Megan. Kris gets his turn at the 26:20 mark of the episode. He's not tortured and quickly finds out he's on the tour! His reaction is awesome. It comes down to Alexis or Adam for the bottom three. It's so funny how much Simon hated Ring of Fire. Adam is good natured about it all. Asked to guess, Randy clarifies that Adam did the Jeff Buckley version of Ring of Fire, and that Allison is the one going (yes, he confuses Alexis and Allison, yikes).

Ryan sends Allison back to safety (whew!) and she goes straight to Kris on the couch for a hug, followed by Adam. It's time for another musical guest - Carrie Underwood returning to the Idol stage, joined by this week's mentor. They sing their hit I Told You So. (It's fantastic!)



The results are delivered after this, and Alexis is the one America cut from the tour. Simon warns her that it's going to come down to her judge's save performance. It's the same tired version of Jolene, though, and it does her no good. The judges are unanimous.

On a happier note, Kris has regularly performed To Make You Feel My Love in his shows. Here's a video of the time I saw him perform it live (taken by a girl who was standing behind me judging from the angle). It's breathtaking.



Next week: Top ten night! (It's a good one for Kris.)

Past Kris Allen on Idol recaps:
Audition in Louisville
Hollywood Week, rounds one and two
Making the top 36
Group 2, aka the Best Idol Group ever and the one where we get to see him sing Everything
Top 13 week (Michael Jackson songs)