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Sometimes you have to wonder what America is thinking. Don't they recognize real talent when they see it? Pearl Heart, that wonderful three-part harmony sister act, didn't deserve to be voted off Nashville Star tonight. Especially not when Laura & Sophie, two singing friends perennially stuck in high school talent contest mode, are still vying for a victory. On the last three episodes, Pearl Heart just got better. The bluegrass cover of the B-52's "Love Shack" was way cool. The gorgeous take on Restless Heart's "I'll Still Be Loving You" was so good it inspired me to dust off my copy of RH's Wheels CD. And then, of course, the spirited version of Garth Brooks' frenetic "Ain't Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)." It's just not fair, folks. America, you made the WRONG choice!

Photo: Pearl Heart (Courtesy of nbc.com).

It was double elimination night on Nashville Star. Tommy Stanley and Pearl Heart were sent home with the fewest viewer votes. Mr. Stanley never performed; he had to bid farewell at the top of the hour. But Pearl Heart did take the stage to do a rousing, vocally arresting version of Garth Brooks' "Ain't Going Down (Til the Sun Comes Up)." Of the finalists still in the running, more kudos to Arlington's Melissa Lawson for embodying Anne Murray's hit rendition of "Danny's Song" and to Lytle, Texas' Gabe Garcia for a fun, energetic interpretation of Keith Urban's "Somebody Like You."

Photo: Tommy Stanley (Courtesy of nbc.com).

Note: This is the second installment of our new "We were there" category, featuring blog-only mini-reviews of shows we check out in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

"If I'm sweatin' up here, it's cuz' I got the flu y'all, but I'ma stick it out, it's all good. I'm not canceling no shows!"

That's a work ethic for you, and to be honest, there was no diminished vocal or stage presence when Lyfe Jennings performed on Friday night. In front of a packed house that included my rabid fan, slobbering sister as well as myself, heeeey KyKy!!!, Lyfe opened with "My Life" and took the crowd through well-executed versions of "Ghetto Superman," "S.E.X.," "Never Never Land" and "Stick Up Kid," one of the numbers where the audience's word-for-word sing-along nearly drowned out his throaty croon.

There was no way that he could've fit all of his hits or fan favorites in, but in the hour that Lyfe was onstage, he dropped a medley of verses from a lot of them, including "26 Years, 17 Days," "Let's Do This Right," "Hypothetically," "Stingy" and "The River." He couldn't do an acoustic guitar solo like he wanted to (some battery power issue that couldn't be corrected), but the fans definitely forgave the snafu, especially when he sung his most beloved hit, "Must Be Nice." And before closing out with a spine-tingling version of the song "Goodbye," one of his 3 background singers, Netta, sung a few spicy couplets solo that had fans cheering in response.

(Photo: Lyfeonline.com)