'American Idol' Auditions No. 2: New Orleans Recap

Different city, same, mostly underwhelming, auditions as 'American Idol' made its way to "N'awlins," a city with a culture rich in swamps, alligators and drunk people wearing beads, as 'Idol" would have us believe.

That's not to say that season 10's third hour didn't show any promise. It looks like there's a lot to look forward to this season, not just from the thirty-seven contestants that made it to Hollywood but also with our trifecta of new judges, who gelled nicely in tonight's second outting.
There was no begging or desperate theatrics from the New Orleans crowd, but that didn't stop J.Lo from welling up again. This time the tears came for Paris Tassin, a young mother of a special needs child who clearly moved Lopez with her rendition of Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood's 'Temporary Home.' Tassin, who was the last audition of the night, was one of, if not the best of the first week.

Randy Jackson's always been a bit of ham when the occasion calls for it, and it's clear that with Steven Tyler as an accomplice, there'll be plenty of comedy as the auditions continue. When 23-year-old shipbuilder and J.Lo admirer Jovany Barreto decided to end his audition by taking off his shirt, Steven and Randy joined him. While neither had the abs to match Barretto's six-pack, it was nice to see the two judges let loose ... really loose.

Tonight we weren't quite as hit over the head with sob stories, but it wouldn't be a proper 'Idol' auditions episode if the heartstrings weren't tugged on just a little bit. Aside from Paris Tassin, we were introduced to flame-haired Brett Lowenstern, who likened himself to "a red apple in a pile of green apples." Lowenstern, a victim of intense bullying in high school, wowed the judges with his raspy take on 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'