Rock Star: Supernova -- Performance Show Week 2

On this week's Rock Star: Supernova, some contestants broke out after their first week jitters. Others reconfirmed that they're just plain bad. Non-North Americans Magni and Toby had big turnarounds, while stateside schlubs Chris and Phil continued to struggle.

Because CBS had to fit 14 performances in an hour-long show, there was no filler at the top of this week's episode. Brooke Burke sent us right to the music.

Magni - "My Generation" by The Who
Wonderful job! He's showing some of the charisma that's made him a hit in Iceland. His singing was dead-on, and he showed how one can have great stage presence without flailing about. If he keeps this up, he's going to be a force throughout the competition.

Jenny Galt - "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
Ooh, she gave the song a really creepy arrangement. Better than last week, but she needs to control the vocal vibrato. She looks like a rock 'n' roll Heidi Klum.

Jill Gioia - "Violet" by Hole
She stole Courtney Love's schtick by wearing a wedding dress and holding a bouquet -- not a good move when your judges actually know Courtney. Jill claimed it was her own interpretation, but Dave Navarro pointed out that Courtney sported a wedding dress and roses on her album's cover.

As uncomfortable as Jill's Courtney Love impression was, it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as Tommy Lee asking Jill if she was wearing anything under the dress. Mercifully, the network cut out Dave Navarro's further speculation as to what he thought he'd seen under the dress. For a full recap from someone who attended the live taping, go to the "Backstage Spoilers" section of Television Without Pity's Rock Star forum.

Zayra Alvarez - "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks
Zayra is not good. She dresses like Milla Jovovich in Ultraviolet, and she doesn't know what to do on stage, not to mention with her voice. It's hard to watch her competitors laughing during her performances.

But Zayra is my hero because of what she said after her performance. When Gilby accused her of not knowing what the band was looking for, she said, "That's because you haven't told us what you want." When the band asked if she even owned any of their albums, she retorted that those albums were released when she "was still in diapers."

Chris Pierson - "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand
He's like a decent karaoke singer in your local bar. Dave Navarro said, "It's like I'm watching a winner of a charity contest." Dave also told Chris that his performance lacked authenticity.

Chris's lack of experience showed tonight. Magni was able to adjust the mic stand while singing, without missing a beat or looking away from the audience. When Chris tried to do the same, he knocked the stand over. Not the move of an experienced frontman.

Dilana - "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash
Dressed like a vampire, Dilana rearranged the song so that it sounded like Johnny Cash mixed with a slowed down version of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." She owns every performance she gives, and that's something that can't be taught. Along with her honesty in the reality episodes, it's easy to see why she's a fan favorite.

Josh Logan- "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed
He's wearing a flannel shirt and bleached jeans. What decade does he think this is? I hate this song, and he's not helping it. He does so many vocal runs, trills, and ad libs, he belongs on Idol, not Rock Star. Dave told him not to overdo the affectations, but I can't see that happening.

Phil Ritchie- "If You Could Only See" by Tonic
He's wiggling so much that it's almost enough to distract from his crappy singing. While Tommy seems to have a serious crush on Phil, Jason Newstead said, "I have to close my eyes to enjoy your voice."

Storm Large - "Surrender" by Cheap Trick
The crazy eyes are back. But she's so into her performance that it's fun to watch her. And her voice and conviction did justice to the song. Dave told her to control her Broadway tendencies: "Have character, don't be a character."

Patrice Pike - "Heart Shaped Box" by Nirvana
Kind of corny. She looks like the woman in the allergy medicine commercial who can't perform without her pills. Uninspiring, but solid. She belongs in small clubs, where she'll have a long career as a local favorite somewhere.

Lukas Rossi- "Don't Panic" by Coldplay
He'd be wise not to choose any more slow songs because there is nothing pretty about his voice. Jason warned Lukas that, by constricting his voice, he could be doing long term damage to it.

Ryan Star - "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by The Rolling Stones
He strained to hit a lot of the notes--not because they were out of his range, but because he was trying so hard to seem like he was rocking out. Not as good as last week.

Dana Andrews- "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf
She wore a bustier, surely to her parents' dismay. She's bubbly and country, which means she'd do very well on Nashville Star. So much so, it's mind boggling why she would want to be on this show instead. She's not rock enough to be here, even if she does wear leopard print.

Toby Rand - "Somebody Told Me" by The Killers
It's Charlie from Driveshaft! He got off the island! Where was this guy last week? He's got a strong, clean voice and tons of energy. I'd buy his version of this song from MSN.

At the end of the show, the early bottom three were Jill, Chris, and Zayra. At this point, the people who don't perform like they mean it are in the most danger.

Best Performances:
Magni
Dilana
Toby

Worst Performances:
Zayra
Chris
Phil

Despite her giving one of the worst performances in Rock Star history, my vote went to Zayra. Having the courage to stand up to the band earned her another chance.