The show starts recapping last week, showing how the contestants sang Willie Nelson songs, and Sheila Marshall and Marty Slayton were eliminated. Some short clips of the contestants visit to New York City were shown as part of the Hot Spot Challenge, as the contestants did the "Imus in the Morning" show.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is introduced and they take the stage singing "Sweet Home Alabama" as the contestants watch from the audience.
Nancy and the contestants take the stage and says one more contestant will be eliminated.
This week the Hot Spot Challenge is to perform on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show in New York. As the contestants enter the radio station, they're introduced to Don Imus and his crew. He says he likes country, but the rest of the crew does not. The contestants have to sing and be judged by Don Imus and his crew in a New York version of Nashville Star. Brad Cotter is first and sings a song about his guitar. The crew tear him up saying it sounds like a song to blow your brains out to. Next up is Brent who is teased about his looks with one of the crew says "I thought there was only one girl in the group?"
Back from the commercial the Nashville Star contestants get together to perform as a group singing "What's Your Name Little Girl." Now Lynyrd Skynyrd is in the front row watching.
Nancy comes back and says like last week, the contestants will perform as she reads their names randomly from a card. The first person to perform is Matt Lindahl.
The judges are introduced next. Nancy says the contestants will sing Southern Rock songs and then they will talk about their experiences in New York.
Matt sings "They Call Me The Breeze" complete with his washboard, which he throws to the ground and breaks into pieces at the end of his song.
Billy: Matt, you have changed a doubter into a believer.
Brett: Matt, just when I think you can't take it up a knotch, you wear a paisley shirt and smash the washboard.
Brad: And the washboard went so good with that shirt. Now, what are you going to do?
Tracy: (lights her lighter) That's all I got to say.
My thoughts: Matt was sassy tonight. I loved to see him with his washboard again, and when he smashed it at the end, that was just the icing on the cake. Very fun performance.
Nancy says next week the finalists will perform duets with Terri Clark and Trace Adkins.
Nancy goes back into the Green Room and brings the card with the next name on it. The next to perform is Jennifer Hicks.
Jennifer sings "The South's Gonna Do It Again." Her mic isn't working right so they stop her and let her start over. Very fair. I'm glad they did it.
Brad: Jennifer, I'm really.. I don't know if Southern Rock is exactly your thing, but I'm so glad you're still in this contest. 'Cause without you, it'd be a bunch of guys. It would be a sword fight. It'd be very boring.
Brett: You got my vote, Jennifer. I love what you do every week. You're a pro.
Tracy: Look, Jennifer, I'm glad to see you kicked it up a knotch, 'cause I really need to see that from you. I need to see more of that too.
Billy: Jennifer, I would just say, I wish that they would have you sing a third time. I enjoyed it every time.
Tracy: Billy's in love.
My thoughts: I wondered how she was going to do with Southern Rock, as she has such a soft vocal style. I didn't care too much for how she sang it, but she did well considering her mic didn't work at first. I do think she forgot some of the words.