...no, I didn't visit the Disney World attraction. I didn't audition for the show, either. By a crazy miracle, I was blessed with tickets to the 2010 American Idol Live tour! Anyone who knows me knows that I am an avid fan of the TV show American Idol, so it should be no surprise that this was impossibly exciting to me! (And I still can't quite believe it happened!) I attended the concert on July 23rd at the Nissan Pavilion (which is now unfortunately renamed Jiffy Lube Live; I prefer to call it by its original name!), an outdoor venue...yes, it was HOT! I cannot begin to tell you how steaming it was out there; but for me, it was absolutely worth it! It was an extremely enjoyable concert for all ages. Performing were the top ten contestants from the latest season of American Idol, including winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox. They all performed in order of who was first eliminated on the show, ending the concert with the winner.
First to perform was the sweet and sensitive Didi Benami, who, unfortunately, experienced technical difficulties with her mic. She came out on stage and sang almost the entire song with no sound coming out of the mic, until her show was finally stopped and she and the band went backstage while the technical difficulties were being ironed out. Even in the midst of that, Didi was a very good sport and remained optimistic. Finally, everything was fixed, and she came back out singing "Lay It On Me" by the Rescues and happily shouted to the crowd, "Can you hear me now?"...and we could hear her loud and clear! She then closed with Kara DioGuardi's "Terrified," left the stage, and then Andrew Garcia came out with his guitar singing his unique version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" that got him so much attention during the Hollywood round of American Idol, and closed with Maroon 5's "Sunday Morning." Andrew has a great personality; he's not afraid of crowds and seems very comfortable on stage!
Next was Katie Stevens, a teen full of energy and powerhouse vocals, singing "Here We Go Again" by Demi Lovato and "Stronger Than Ever" by Christina Aguilera, which Katie sang with the rest of the female contestants and Christina Aguilera herself at the American Idol finale. I enjoyed Katie's show quite a bit; even in the ridiculous heat, her energy was so infectious that she got me dancing and singing instantly. Those songs were a perfect fit for her, and I think she has potential to make some strong, energetic pop music. She's a very tough, confident performer!
After Katie was Tim Urban, whose smile and perpetual optimism in the midst of tension on American Idol always made him impossible to dislike. He came out with his guitar and sang "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls, then closed with a more acoustic guitar-focused and definitely perfect-for-Tim version of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," which seemed to be a good crowd-pleaser; and being the Coldplay fan that I am, it was definitely pleasing to me! Tim seemed very much at ease, happy to be playing his music. I hope and can't wait to hear original material from him in the future!
Next up was the wild and unique Siobhan Magnus. Her entrance was mysterious and theatrical; the lights were dimmed and glowed red, music reminiscent of the soundtracks from the early Harry Potter movies played, and she stepped on to the stage sporting a big, poofy skirt, a corset-style top, wild boots and fishnet stockings, and began her fantastic, energetic version of "Paint It Black," which she sang on the show on Rolling Stones night. It was just as great as it was on TV! And, yes, she even ended with that trademark scream of her's! She sang "Spiderwebs" by No Doubt, energetically jumping and dancing, then closed with "Stockholm Syndrome" by Muse, which fit her personality and voice perfectly. The show was great; Siobhan is quite the entertainer! The funny thing about her is how she can put on a wild, screaming, theatrical performance and end her song with a sweet, tiny "thank you so much!" to the crowd; I believe former American Idol judge Simon Cowel said it best when he told her during the show's semi-finals, (cue British accent) "You are a funny little thing, aren't you?"
Next was the young and humble Aaron Kelly. It seemed that while he was competing on the show, his talent just hadn't quite reached its full potential. However, one of the great things about the American Idol tour is that it gives contestants a chance to let loose and grow without the pressure of competition, and I think Aaron is one of the contestants to whom this tour has been very beneficial! His voice was consistently strong the entire time. He opened with "Somebody Like You" by Keith Urban, then "Walking In Memphis" (a personal favorite of mine) and "Fast Cars and Freedom" by Rascal Flatts...all really great songs for him; really suited his country style. For his fourth and final song, he was joined by Didi, Andrew, Katie, Tim and Siobhan to sing "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, which was the song Aaron sang when he auditioned for American Idol. A more intimate performance, each person sat on a stool and did a lovely job singing; it seemed to go over well with the crowd. They gave it a grand finish, and ended that show. One of the best parts of Aaron's show is when you watch him perform, you can tell he really loves what he's doing. I have no doubt that he'll produce some great music in the future, and I can't wait to see what he does! I've got a feeling he has a bright future ahead of him. (By the way, check out his Flickr...he's a fantastic photographer!)
After a brief intermission, it was time for Michael Lynche - known to his fans as Big Mike. Most of Mike's set was fairly mellow, but very heartfelt and beautiful. He opened with "This Woman's Work," which he sang in the semi-finals of American Idol. He brought a more moody feel with "Ready For Love;" an absolutely wonderful performance. He brought things up more for the end of his set with Justin Timberlake's "My Love," an incredibly fun crowd-pleaser. Mike's set was very enjoyable; he delivered a solid vocal performance and has a great personality; absolutely fantastic with crowd interaction! Most of all, he is very good at what he does and takes it seriously, but knows when to have fun, too! Very talented guy.
Next was Casey James, a favorite among fans of classic 70's rock. The mood was perfectly rock and roll when he came out with his famous blue Fender Stratocaster guitar, playing The Black Keys' "I Got Mine." He then performed "Don't" (sung originally on Idol for Shania Twain week), and invited Michael Lynche back to the stage to duet together on "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman," which they sang together on the show; an absolutely fabulous performance from Casey and Mike, both on television and in person. Their harmonies were strong and sung with great passion; they both did a fantastic job! Casey closed his set with the Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now," (performed for Rolling Stones week on Idol) bringing the definitive Casey James sound once again. Casey is an extremely skilled guitarist with a fantastic voice, and I hope he makes some awesome music in the near future!
Nearing more and more to the end of the night, it was time for runner-up Crystal Bowersox, who competed in the finale for the title of American Idol 2010. Crystal came on stage, extremely free and at ease with her guitar and trademark sunflower in her hair. She opened with "What's Going On" and then went to "Come To My Window." One thing I enjoyed about Crystal was her fearless personality; she is skilled with crowd interaction and seemed happy to take moments to talk to the crowd a bit, and even leaned down from the stage to hand her guitar pick to a fan; but know that, like at most concert these days, there was a "fence" of sorts separating the crowd a good bit away from the stage; far enough that leaning out from the stage would not be the easiest thing (picture from Twitter user). She continued her set, telling us that her next song was one that meant a lot to her, and putting down her guitar, sang "Up To The Mountain," which she sang at the Idol finale (if she had won, it would have been her "coronation song"). She closed her set with Janis Joplin's "Piece Of My Heart," one of her slightly more upbeat selections from the night. Now, my one complaint (which is more of a "suggestion" than a complaint) is that I would have liked to have heard some more upbeat, rocked out songs from her set that night; though it was a good set and she played and sang great, I felt it leaned a bit too far towards the mellow side and got (I really hate to say it) slightly boring at moments; I think it would have done her set good if it had something like "Black Velvet" (performed at the finale), or if the band had given "Piece Of My Heart" a stronger arrangement; it was done with a more acoustic style, which sounded good, but considering how mellow the rest of the set was, I think it needed a bit more punch...but don't take what I said the wrong way. I just think that with more songs like what I was suggesting, people could see more of Crystal's capabilities. But like I said, it's merely my personal opinion. I know Crystal's style is usually more stripped down, and she should absolutely do what she loves! Crystal's vocals were lovely, as always, and she's a very talented artist!
Finally, it was the moment we'd all been waiting for...and DEFINITELY the moment I'd been waiting for! The lights were dimmed once again, bright red colors appeared on the screens, those little sounds that open U2's "Beautiful Day" began to echo around the amphitheater, and the screams of the fans (myself included) only increased when the name and face of the 2010 American Idol winner Lee DeWyze showed up on the screen... finally, all lights were out, the man of the hour shouted an enthusiastic "Hello!" and was greeted by the wild and gleeful cheering of his fans (and by the way, all the lights came back on but his spotlight...until about a third of the way through the opening song, Lee was just a silhouette! We all cheered happily when the light finally turned on). For this show, I forsook my far away seats to go stand by a barrier near by the stage so I could watch and take better pictures of Lee during his opening song, and I am extremely glad I did! As guessed, he opened with "Beautiful Day," his coronation song from the American Idol finale. Many may remember that on the show, he performed the song with the same arrangement as the original version by U2, but as it didn't suit him greatly, a new, more acoustic/pop-influenced arrangement was composed after the finale that fit Lee's vocals and style perfectly; an extremely wise idea with great results! He mellowed things down a bit with a fabulous performance Elton John's "Rocket Man"; once again, arranged to fit his voice and style. He went on to play Leonard Cohen's famous "Hallelujah," performed the week before the Idol finale. Though this has to be one of the most covered songs in the history of music, I must say, Lee's has to be one of the best versions of the song I've heard. The way his voice just tears out; it brings out how the song's meant to be heard, with raw emotion and passion. Next was another one of Lee's absolute best performances from American Idol, "Treat Her Like a Lady," which, as he introduced it at the concert, "is a dancing song!"...and he was quite right. It was impossible not to dance. He was very interactive with the crowd, sang strong and consistently, and seemed to enjoy everything quite a bit himself! Still keeping things upbeat and epic, he closed his set with Kings Of Leon's breakout hit "Use Somebody"; another fantastic song that suits Lee perfectly. He sang it beautifully, and performed with great enthusiasm. I would have loved to have heard and seen more of Lee, but the little show we got from him was, to use what seems to be one of his favorite words, "AMAZING." (explanation HERE) Those of you who watched this year's season of American Idol might remember him as seeming more laid back and sometimes "scared" during most of his performances, but let me tell you, his voice, performances and stage personality have grown like you would not believe. He genuinely loves his fans, and you can tell from watching him perform that he absolutely loves what he's doing; I haven't seen a lot of musicians that perform quite as passionately as he does. He doesn't hold anything back; he seems to genuinely enjoy singing and performing, but remains very humble all the while. I absolutely cannot wait to hear the music he makes on his upcoming album (due to release in October). If his show on the American Idol tour with only five songs is this good, I can't wait to see him in the future on his own!
To my dismay, the fabulous night was now ending. Similar to what it's like watching American Idol on TV, you're looking forward to experiencing the many hours ahead of you, and finally, when they've all passed, you feel like it's only just started and don't know how time passed so quickly. So, right when Lee's set ended, he and the rest of the guys from the top 10 quickly gathered together on stage and sang Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" with strong harmonies and pulsing beats. Immediately, the guys left the stage and all the girls came and sang Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You," but it wasn't long before they were joined by Lee DeWyze, then, soon after, the rest of the guys joined the girls and the entire top 10 sang the song together. The harmonies were incredibly smooth and the performance was full of energy and fun. Everyone said their goodbyes, Lee and Crystal thanked the crowd, said goodnight, everyone exited the stage, the band ceased to play "My Life Would Suck Without You," and a big marquee rolled across the screens saying "thank you," "good night," "American Idol Live tour 2010", and all that good stuff, and the infinitely fun evening drew to a close.
There are still some dates left on the tour, so if you have a chance, I highly recommend you catch one that comes near you! Check Live Nation for tickets! If you're looking for an incredibly pleasant, enjoyable and ridiculously fun Summer evening, go to the American Idol Live tour this year! I promise it's a great one!
Also, please do me a favor and check out the following...
Pictures from the concert
...and videos from the concert :-)
