It was a true full-circle (and family-circle) moment, 13 seasons in the making, when Tristen Langley, son of Season 1 finalist Nikki McKibbin, tried out for "American Idol" on Thursday night. "Second-generation 'American Idol'! This is something! This is history!" declared judge Jennifer Lopez as Nikki, as flame-haired as ever, proudly entered the Austin audition room with 15-year-old Tristen. It was definitely an "Idol" first.

View photos

Longtime "Idol"-watchers surely remember Nikki from the series' groundbreaking inaugural season…and probably feel pretty old to realize that she now has a son of "Idol"-qualifying age. Nikki was the fuchsia-dyed underdog, the rocker chick, the girl who nearly made it to the finale (placing just behind Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson) despite being the target of Simon Cowell's brutal criticism week after week. Nikki's career never quite took off, as she battled the music industry and her own demons; her most high-profile post-"Idol" moments were her appearances on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House," on which she underwent treatment for multiple addictions. But that didn't discourage Tristen from giving showbiz and "Idol" a go this year.

It wasn't the first time that Tristen had appeared on "Idol": In 2002, at age 4, he attended one of the Season 1 live shows and gave his mommy a rose onstage. But this time, it was Tristen's turn to blossom.

Truth be told, Tristen's performance of Sublime's "Santeria" was just OK. Harry Connick Jr., aka "Hatchet Harry," Season 13's toughest (and best) judge, was right when he said, "If your mom weren't here, it wouldn't work for me." But I don't think J.Lo and Keith Urban wanted to disappoint one of the O.G. "Idol" contestants, especially one who's had such a rough life like Nikki…so Tristen squeaked through with two yesses. Now, like his mother, he's an "Idol" underdog. Will he prove Hatchet Harry wrong, just like Nikki did with Simon 12 years ago? Watch this space…

There were 32 other singers who received golden tickets in Austin and San Francisco this Thursday, some of whom impressed the judges — and me — a little bit more than Tristen did. Here are some other standouts from the rest of the episode:

Jesse Roach, 27 – I loved this girl. A tough-as-leather guitar chick in a sleeveless Guns N' Roses tee and sleeve tattoos, she seemed like a cross between "The Voice's" Grace Askew and Amy Winehouse, and she performed a K.T. Oslin cover that was raspy, sexy, and just plain cool. She just seemed real. "I think you could make records; I think you could be an artist," said Jennifer. "You have a lot of soul. You have a voice older than you are," mused Keith. Could a rocker girl finally win "Idol"? It's never happened before, but this is looking to be a very guitar-centric season, so maybe Jesse has a shot.

Quiandra Boston-Pearsall, 17 – Two friends entered the audition room; only one left with a golden ticket. Quiandra's 15-year-old "little brother" Jamiah, who auditioned with an original, semi-rapped song, didn't seem quite ready for prime time, but he took the news of his rejection with a maturity that proved he might have the thick skin needed to make it in this biz later on. However, the confident Quiandra, who boldly told the judges, "I'm gonna show you how it's done," had the goods. I'm interested to see if she can apply her gospel stylings to songs outside her wheelhouse.

Megan Miller, 23 – Megan brought lot of lungpower to her cover of Carrie Underwood's "Last Name," but her performance seemed labored. Keith gave one of his best critiques ever when he told Megan, "If it sounds like a lot of work to get [the song] out, it takes the same work for the audience to listen to it." Harry worried that she'd blow her voice out, although she assured him that she performs several times a week with no issues. Ultimately, Harry appreciated her work ethic, and along with the other two judges, gave her grudging yes — but said, "I'll be shocked if she has a voice in a month." We will see if Megan even makes it through Hollywood Week, let alone a whole month — but regardless, I just didn't think she was all that memorable.