'American Idol' Season 11, Episode 2 Recap - Pittsburgh's Good and Bad

The gang is in Pittsburgh for this continuation of premiere week, and it looks like they shut down an entire bridge so that Seacrest could do his little intro. I'm sure all the commuters were happy about that one. Plus, it would have been much more entertaining to watch him dodge traffic while trying to say "This... is American Idol!"

Other than that, there isn't much messing around before the auditions start. So let's just get straight to the good and the bad from the Pittsburgh auditions!

The Good:

Heejun Han has some serious confidence issues, wondering why he's even there when everyone else at the competition is so good. He seems a sure bet to be a complete flop, but then he starts singing and shocks the judges with some Michael Bolton. He's tremendously awkward and completely genuine in his shock, coming to tears as the judges all send him through. That was pretty cool, and a great way to kick things off. I hope this guy makes it all the way through.

Reed Grimm has been singing with his parents since he was little, and he comes in and sings the theme song to "Family Matters," complete with some jazzy scatting. Unconventional, but totally fun to watch.

Aaron, Chase, and a bunch of unnamed others also make it, but didn't get much in terms of screen time.

Patti the Pittsburgh Planker is still trying to make planking happen, and therefore belongs in the "Bad" column. Her sister Samantha, however, sings very nicely with a country-ish tone. Then her whole family planks, and my urge to kill rises.

Creighton comes in and decides to sing his own song, complete with some scatting. JLo can't figure out whom he reminds her of, and she lands on "if Jamiraquai and Justin Timberlake had a baby." That might be about right. I hope he wears those bunny ears again.

Eben Franckewitz is a young'un at 15, the first young kid we've seen thus far today despite a bunch of them yesterday. He sings "Ain't No Sunshine" nicely, though it's a little... proper? He might not do well in this particular competition, but not because his voice is bad, per se.

Travis Orlando is back again, and sings "Isn't She Lovely" for the judges who sent him packing last year. After his audition, Travis reveals that his mom walked out on his family, leaving him, his brother and his dad to move into a shelter. So, obviously, Travis is going through.

Erica Van Pelt is a wedding singer, which is a red flag, but she sings "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" with a rich alto tone. So there you go, folks. Don't judge a wedding singer by her cover.

Hallie Day, 24, tells us that she attempted suicide a while back, but is now happily married. It's a touching story. Then she sings "I Will Survive," which is a little on-the-nose, isn't it?

That's just a few of the 38 total who were sent through, so look out for more of them later.

The Bad:

Steven Tyler's red box not only annoyed his fellow judges on day two, but also forced contestants to stand there awkwardly and pretend to laugh. Bad.

Shane Bruce, a 19-year-old coal miner, actually gives a preview of his singing down in the mines, and sounds a little better there than he does singing "Hallelujah." He doesn't quite hit it, and he's told to come back next year. He's not bad, but needs some work.

All in all, the crazies seemed to be quiet in Pittsburgh, which was nice. There were some tears, but mostly just from gentle letdowns from people who were told they need more work. So, here's one more: JLo's midriff.