oh, boy...

Well, we're done with the male portion of the first semifinal round, an episode I thought was significantly slower than what we've seen in years past.

The culprit? The addition of a musical theme, undoubtedly. Almost universally, contestants appeared afraid to experiment with the songs they chose, offering throwback versions that for the most part were forgettable and devoid of uniqueness.

There were some highlights, though, namely Jason Castro's surprising likeability. He was the only contestant to take the stage with an instrument, and a guitar -- paired with a charismatic stage presence -- only expanded his fan base.

But Jason's song was the performance, not the rule. Jason Yeager and Luke Menard, unfortunately, opted for slow tunes -- perhaps the worst choice for two guys who have already received virtually no air time.

At any rate, as far as elimination goes, I saw Jason Yeager's out. The judges, I think, were too harsh in their criticism of Luke, making him susceptible to tons of pity votes.

Three best performances of the night? David Archuleta, Jason Castro, Michael Johns.

What do you think? Did the '60s theme help or hurt the singers? Who did you like best? Worst?