Welcome to the 11th season of "American Idol." I'll be your tour guide for this journey, which will last approximately until May.

The season kicked off Wednesday night with auditions in Savannah, Ga. Actually, I think it's more accurate to say Savannah/Charleston, S.C., since I believe the stadium footage was filmed in Charleston and the judges' portion was filmed in Savannah. (The AJC's Rodney Ho notes the same fact on his blog.)

Anyway...we got a good batch of contenders. The pool of advancing singers seemed slightly heavy on teenagers. The night's most memorable singers? I give the Best Back Story Award to Amy Brumfield, the 24-year-old contestant who lives in a tent and advanced to Hollywood.

But Phillip Phillips of Leesburg, Ga. -- same hometown as country singer Luke Bryan -- will likely be the night's most talked-about singer. He delivered some gritty, soulful country vocals and easily advanced to Hollywood. Plus, Phillip Phillips is his real name.

Here's a full recap of Wednesday's premiere.

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Seacrest tells us that tonight's show features auditions in Savannah, Ga. Confused? Remember, Savannah wasn't originally billed as an audition city.

Now, the contestants...

David Leathers, Jr., aka: Mr. Steal Your Girl: He competed against Scotty McCreery in a local competition a few years ago. He's 17 and from North Carolina. He looks 12, though...as J. Lo accurately notes.

He sings "Remember the Rain," and he actually sounds OK...but I'm not as excited as the judges. I don't see too much that screams "wow." I have a strange premonition that he's going to crumble under the pressure of Hollywood. The judges ask to hear some Michael Jackson -- "Never Can Say Goodbye" -- and they're sold. Three-way "yes" for Hollywood.

Gabby Carrubba, 16: She hails from Connecticut and is a champion tap dancer. I already predict tonight's show will be heavy on teenagers. She gives Nigel Lythgoe a hug. She sings "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5. It's not bad...I think she needs a little more experience.

But what do I know? The judges go crazy. "This may be your magic moment," Steven Tyler says. Three-way "yes" for Hollywood.

We get a string of successful contestants: Brianna Falk, Neco Starr, Molly Hunt and Elise Testone.

Jessica Whiteley, 19, completely botches her performance. Well, I guess we were due for a bad audition. I won't waste more time on this one...not even sure if I spelled her name correctly.

Shaun Kraisman shows up in a suit. People say he looks like Seacrest -- he sure sounds like him, too. I'm impressed, but I'm worried the Seacrest factor will make him a novelty act. I'm right. He busts out some "Oh Girl" and it's not good enough for Hollywood. Three-way no.

Shannon Magrane, 15, is 6 feet tall and wears size 11 shoes. She plays volleyball. Her dad is a former St. Louis Cardinals player. She brings her family into the audition room. It gets awkward when Steven Tyler applies the phrase "hot, humid and happening" to Shannon in front of her dad.

Anyway, Shannon sings the Etta James tune that you might know as the "good feeling" verse of a current Flo Rida song. She's really good. The whole setup reminds me a lot of Lauren Alaina last year, sans country music. Three-way "yes" for Hollywood.

Amy Brumfield, 24, lives in a tent in the woods in Tennessee. Yes, really. She might be tonight's token "you've come a long way" story. She sings Alicia Keys' "Superwoman" and hits some decent notes but not enough to make me a total fan. But the judges are sold...and she gets a three-way "yes" for Hollywood. Unfortunately, I don't see her advancing beyond that.

Joshua Chavis, 23 is another token bad auditioner. He shouts to warm up for his performance and says he wants to sing the National Anthem at a NASCAR race. He botches his performance and throws a hissy fit. Move along.

Stephanie Renae, 15, is a huge fan of "Idol" and Carrie Underwood. But she's very nervous. She pulls out an above-average rendition of "Inside Your Heaven," though could obviously use a little more experience. Steven and J. Lo say yes, Randy says no. She's going to Hollywood.

Schyler Dixon is a 16-year-old singer who auditioned last year. She's ready to perform "Breakeven" by The Script. But wait. Her brother, 19-year-old Colton Dixon, also auditioned last year and made it thisclose to the coveted top 24 stage.

He's not planning on auditioning this time around -- or so the producers claim -- but the judges convince him to come into the room and sing. He busts out some David Cook. Long story short: Colton and Schyler advance to Hollywood.

Lauren Mink, 25, works with adults with disabilities. She wants to be a role model. She sings "Country Strong." I'll criticize the song choice, but not her voice. Very good. She sounds a lot like Jennifer Nettles. She gets a three-way "yes" for Hollywood.

Mowuena Kodjo is overly confident, which is never a good thing on "Idol." He ruins a Rascal Flatts song and gets a unanimous "no" for Hollywood. Randy dares him to prove them wrong, which makes for a humous diversion featuring Mowuena and Seacrest roaming the streets.

Ashlee Altise is a 28-year-old sales associate. She likes "joy hopping." It's a dance she created. She wears tight camouflage pants and promises to bring funk, energy and confidence to the audition. I expect her to be awful, but her rendition of "Come Together" isn't really that bad. She gets a unanimous "yes" for Hollywood.

W.T. Thompson, 25, worked for a federal prison, but quit his job for a chance to audition for "Idol." He's from a small town and his wife is pregnant. Steven says no, J. Lo says yes, Randy says yes. Hmm...I'm not sure his Hollywood journey will end well.

Erica Nowak calls Steven Tyler her future ex-husband. She wants to kiss his feet, "or anything else for that matter." Steven gives her a hug before she sings. She performs Joss Stone's "Super Duper Love" and predictably gets rejected.

Brittany Kerr, 24, is a really hot NBA dancer. She sings "Spoiled" by Joss Stone. Um, it's just OK. Randy says yes, J. Lo says no, Steven says yes. She's going to Hollywood. Because she's hot.

Phillip Phillips, 20, works at his dad's pawn shop in Leesburg, Ga. He brings his guitar to his "Idol" audition, but doesn't play it for his rendition of "Superstition." It has a gritty, soulful country tone. The judges love it and encourage him to pick up his guitar.

He delivers a gritty country cover of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." I love it. Phillip Phillips -- real name -- obviously advances, but I wonder how far he'll go in the competition.

Is he too much like Kris Allen and Lee DeWyze, or does he have a quality we haven't seen in the past? I only ask that question because I liked the "Thriller" cover much better than "Superstition." I hope he's not a guy who will end up hiding behind his guitar. Just a thought.

And...we're done! Tomorrow, we head to Pittsburgh.