North Carolina residents hoping for the next Scotty McCreery, Fantasia Barrino or Clay Aiken on this season of "American Idol" are likely disappointed with the show's Top 20 males and Top 20 females.

Two Tar Heel residents were sent packing before the final cut to the Top 40, which was shown Thursday night.

Particularly surprising was the elimination of Kez Ban, right, a 27-year-old street musician and fire performer from Durham. Kez Ban had received a lot of airtime earlier this season because she was like no one else — a quirky troubadour wearing boots wrapped in crime-scene tape. But her unique voice blew the judges away.