Caleb Johnson drops mic, has 'awesome' moment on 'Idol'

Caleb Johnson's biggest competitor on Wednesday's "American Idol" performance show was — Caleb Johnson.

After bringing the house down with his first song, The Black Crowes' "Sting Me," his merely "extremely strong" showing on Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" had the judges struggling to find praise while also acknowledging that lightning doesn't usually strike twice in one show.

It was "Country & Rock 'n' Roll" night on Fox's live singing competition, meaning that each of the six remaining finalists sang two songs, one country and one rock 'n' roll.

Johnson turned the levels up to 11, as Spinal Tap might have said, for "Sting Me," his rock selection.

Even better — although home viewers could barely see it — he dropped his microphone and slid on his knees toward the back of the stage to grab it off the floor without missing a word of the lyrics. Judges Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban were nearly delirious with excitement at his recovery.

Both gave Johnson a standing ovation.

It was "the mark of a true professional," J. Lo. said of Johnson's mic recovery in her remarks after the prolonged audience cheering that followed Johnson's number. (Lopez had to keep repeating "OK" while waiting for quiet so she could speak.) "It was a real moment. You created a moment. It was awesome."

Judge Harry Connick Jr., who has said that he will not stand up to applaud for any performance, since he is judging them, said Johnson made a "perfect song choice" that was "coupled with an incredible performance" that the other singers would find "virtually impossible to beat."

Urban praised Johnson's mic recovery with a metaphor: "Despite that big crack in the performance, you spackled over it."

Even mentor and former judge Randy Jackson chimed in from the edge of the stage. "That's rock 'n' roll right there," he said, almost yelling. "He was so reckless and wild. That's what it's all about."

For his second song, less than half an hour after his first, Johnson picked Underwood's 2010 platinum country single and promptly turned it into a rock anthem as well, with R&B backing vocals and prominent electric guitar.

It was spot on, but not "a moment," the judges concluded. "You did a great job with that song," Lopez said, but "it's hard to compare because the first was so epic."

Connick said that the Underwood "felt a little bit more forced," but added, "it was still an extremely strong performance."

Acknowledging that the arrangement diverged considerably from the original, Urban said simply, "I thought it was great. I can't wait to hear what country song you'll do later."

Voting for Johnson and the other finalists, to determine who will remain after Thursday's elimination show, continues until 1 p.m. Thursday. The results show airs at 9 p.m. Thursday on Fox. To learn more about voting, visit www.americanidol.com.