Preview: Dancing With the Stars “Plugged/Unplugged” Night

 

"Plugged/Unplugged" nightLast week we had to bid a fond adieu to Lea Thompson and her ageless legs. She was so much fun to watch and I will really miss watching her and Artem’s on-camera friendship.

Tonight on Dancing With The Stars, the five remaining couples will dance two routines during “Plugged/Unplugged” night. The semi-finalists: Tommy Chong, Bethany Mota, Janel Parrish, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Sadie Robertson will perform to two different versions of the same song.

In the first round of the competition, the couples will perform a Jazz, Quickstep, Samba, Paso Doble or Argentine Tango to an original or “plugged” version of their song. In round two of the competition, the couples will perform an Argentine Tango, Rumba, or Contemporary routine to an acoustic or “unplugged” version of that same song.

Special musical guests will accompany the unplugged performances including singer Christina Grimmie, who will perform “Love Runs Out,” Time For Three, who will perform “Blame,” and YouTube sensation Noah Guthrie, who will perform his cover of “Problem.” At the end of the night, one couple will be eliminated and four couples will move on to the finals.

Couples will be dancing to the following songs on “Plugged/Unplugged” Night:

  • Tommy Chong & Peta Murgatroyd – Tainted Love by Soft Cell and “unplugged” version by Hannah Peel
  • Bethany Mota & Derek Hough – I Want You Back by Jackson 5 and “unplugged” version by The Civil Wars
  • Janel Parrish & Valentin Chmerkovskiy – Blame by Calvin Harris, featuring a guest “unplugged” performance by Time For Three
  • Alfonso Ribeiro & Witney Carson – Love Runs Out by One Republic, featuring a guest “unplugged” performance by Christina Grimmie
  • Sadie Robertson & Mark Ballas – Problem by Ariana Grande, featuring guest “unplugged” performance by Noah Guthrie
"Plugged/Unplugged" night
I guess this is dancing … lap dancing.

I give up. I can neither stop nor comprehend the immovable force that is the Tommy Chong-Choo-Choo train. I’m just not sure who or why he stays in the competition, but obviously someone likes him enough to keep him in the competition. Or, is this one of those “Vote for the worst” things, like when Sanjaya was on American Idol? Because that I’d understand… I just looked and Votefortheworst.com ceased to exist last year, so I’m back to a state of general befuddlement.

Regardless, I’m totally watching DWTS tonight, especially if The Civil Wars perform. I <3 them. And Noah Guthrie’s voice is amazing; he turns Problem a song that doesn’t sound like a dolphin being tortured (because that’s what Ariana Grande’s voice sounds like when she hits those high notes.) I love a good stripped down performance; without the pageantry and production, you get music that feels intimate, raw and deeply emotional. I hope that the dances that we see tonight feel the same way.