Lee is in final 2! Midwest Match-Up next week on Idol!

It's a Midwest Match-Up for the American Idol finale next week: Mount Prospect native Lee DeWyze vs. Ohio native Crystal Bowersox. In addition to be super-excited for Lee, I'm also happy that both singers are from the Midwest; many of the winners and runners-up in the show's history have been from the South. Not only are both contestants from the Midwest, but they are both singer-songwriters. Since Lee and Crystal write their own music, I wonder if hope the producers will allow them to sing original songs during the performance show on Tuesday. One sign of progress is that Crystal's song "Holy Toledo" played during footage from her hometown visit on last night's show. Please, do not saddle Lee and Crystal with another horrible song like last year's "No Boundaries," which Kris Allen and Adam Lambert had to endure singing before the song was never heard from again.

On Tuesday's show each contestant sang two songs and you could really tell how much Lee's hometown visit impacted him. He didn't appear nervous on stage and gave the best performances of the night, singing "Simple Man" and "Hallelujah." I think Lee's hometown (and homestate) support will continue to drive him when he takes the stage next Tuesday for the performance finale.

Mount Prospect is holding an American Idol Finale Watch Party on Wednesday in front of Village Hall from 5-10 PM. Before American Idol starts at 7 footage from Lee's previous performances on the show in addition to video from his recent hometown visit will air. Download the American Idol Finale Watch Party poster.

More Lee coverage:
Between paint sales, Mt. Prospect store is Lee DeWyze central
When Lee DeWyze was 'Hoodie Guy' at Potato Creek Johnny's

Get reprints of the Daily Herald:
Special Lee DeWyze section from Friday, May 14
Front page from Saturday, May 15 detailing Lee's hometown visit