"American Idol" touched down in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday night (February 2), and as you might expect, the audition room was full of big hats, cowboy boots and some country charm that really worked its magic on the judges.

And, down to one hour from two the first few weeks, producers mostly skipped the goofball throwaways and focused on the real talent, with a parade of solid singers that brought an F-bomb-dropping smile to judge Steven Tyler's face. But first, the show opened with a mock apology for Tyler's "outrageous behavior," with an assurance from the Aerosmith singer that "it will never happen again." And, of course, it did, so clearly producers know they've hit a gold mine with the new panelist, and we can expect them to milk Steven's outrageousness for all it's worth.

First up was Corey Levoy, 21, who was encouraged to audition by his long-lost sister, whom he didn't meet until he was 14 and who is now his best friend. He sang Bonnie Raitt's tricky "I Can't Make You Love Me" well enough to earn a golden ticket.

McKinney, Texas-by-way-of-Liverpool, England, singer Hollie Cavanaugh was true to her globe-hopping roots with a rough-and-ready stumble through Etta James' oft-sung "At Last" that just didn't work for Randy Jackson and brought on the waterworks. After the commercial break, she came back with Miley Cyrus' "The Climb," which Randy liked so much he totally reversed his vote and gave her a ticket.

Karnes City, Texas, cowboy John Wayne Schulz (yeah, he's an actual cowboy), whose family has Lone Star State roots that reach back to 1857, sang Brooks & Dunn's "Believe It" for his momma, and his emotional rumble, rugged looks and good-ol'-boy charm worked their magic on the judges. The touching story about his audition fulfilling a promise he made to his mom three years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer helped seal the deal.

"That last 'believe' almost brought a tear to my eye," said judge Jennifer Lopez, putting on a bit of a Jenny From the Corral twang.

The judges are usually the ones who get fawned over, but in Austin, it was Ryan Seacrest's turn, as 17-year-old student Courtney Penry expressed her adoration for the multi-hyphenate host, vowing to marry Seacrest and crying after meeting her Prince Charming.

When she growled her way through Sugarland's "Stay," though, it was the panel who was enamored with the spunky high-schooler with the rich, supple voice. Lopez said Penry had some weak points to her vocals but was overall a "total package." Tyler agreed, saying she needed to "kindle this up some" (whatever that means), and though Jackson thought she wasn't ready, his compatriots said she was worth taking a chance on. She even got a hug from Seacrest on the way out, so, all in all, probably not a bad day for her.

There were other strong contestants, such as 24-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico, brunette Shauntel Campos, who had the kind of voice and pinup looks that define modern country; Fayetteville, Arkansas, baseball stadium cook Alex Carr's big, brassy R&B voice; and Michael Bolton-like gritty grunter Caleb Johnson, 19, of Asheville, North Carolina, who went all in on Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage."

We had exes trying out last week, so this week, the twist was a pair of moon-eyed lovers who met in choir practice. Too cute for words, the two said they were setting out to be the first [article id="1657177"]"American Idol" "power couple."[/article] Holding hands on their way in, they charmed the judges. Blond-bombshell receptionist Jacqueline Dunford, 21, went first, taking a good, but not great, pass at Duffy's new soul staple "Mercy." Her man, Nick Fink, a 19-year-old suit salesman, also went the soulful route, crooning Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning" in a geeky Harry Connick Jr. style, glancing over at his lady love the whole time.

Lopez said both sang songs they hear a lot, but that each had a different take. Tyler, as you can imagine, was charmed (by the voice and, likely, the skintight flowered dress), calling Dunford "gorgeous" and Fink a "beautiful-looking man." Jackson dubbed them a breath of fresh air, and it was on, with both getting a ticket to Hollywood as Lopez dubbed them her favorite "Idol" couple ever.

Maybe it's a sign that "Idol" is ready for its first country star since season four's Carrie Underwood, but the ladies really brought the grits-and-gravy charm Wednesday night. Oliver Springs, Tennessee, musician Janelle Arthur put some Nashville charisma on Duffy's "Syrup and Honey," with a rich, clear voice that sounded even fuller on a more uptempo take on Shania Twain's "No One Needs to Know." Randy cut her off -- not because she blew it, but because she was so obviously a star in the making.

You knew the good times couldn't last, though, as a woman in a 7-foot armadillo costume got Jackson upset, unleashing the usual montage of horrible, delusional crooners in dumb costumes with terrible voices.

The night ended with Seth Rogen lookalike and melodica blower Casey Abrams, 19, who brought his über-nerd charm to Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor." Though he looked like one of those jokey auditioners, Abrams had some seriously funky, scat-filled chops that clearly surprised the judges, who gave him a unanimous, enthusiastic yes.

After putting 50 contestants through in Austin, "Idol" returns Thursday night with a trip Los Angeles.

Who was your favorite from the Austin auditions? Let us know in the comments!

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