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July 21 Rochester NY Idols Show

Rochester concert goers:  You can email your re-caps and pictures to me at mjsbigblog@gmail.com.  Thanks a bunch.

Robyn’s Recap

The place was packed and the show started late, probably due to the huge traffic jam on I-490 getting downtown! Mandisa sounded great on “I’m Every Woman” and immediately got the crowd going. (Her tight jeans, however, did not flatter her.)

Ace came out and did their duet and the crowd went wild. I think he got about the same level of applause as Elliott did later in the show.  Ace was surprisingly good on his set. He had real stage presence and connected with the audience. He was jumping all over the stage like a rock star. The girls of course went wild on Father Figure when Ace slipped his jacket off. I was glad I brought my binoculars so I could see a close-up of his rippling biceps. <g> He did a shout out to Uncle Plum, who is a pretty well-known rock band up here in Western NY and I guess Ace is friends with their lead singer, Elvio Fernandes.

Lisa — eh, not so good for me. I know people have been saying that she was better than expected but I thought she was just okay. She seemed a bit “rehearsed” and didn’t come across as really connected to the crowd. Paris, on the other hand, had everybody dancing and sounded great. I know some people have made comments about her Beyonce moves but I personally thought she pulled it off. Her voice sounded full and rich and beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed her set.

Bucky — also not so good for me. He worked the crowd well and hopped around the stage some, but vocally he was pretty mediocre. As usual, I couldn’t hear half of his words. His best number was Superstition. The “You’re the One that I Want” Grease duet with Kellie was really cheesy.  I could have lived without that one nicely. Good excuse for a bathroom break.

Kellie was okay, not great (my opinion only). She blathered on about a couple of kids knocking on her hotel room door and giving her flowers. I thought she was at her best on Walkin’ After Midnight. She had the red corset on under a black leather jacket that had a silver studded cross on the back.

After intermission, up came Chris and the crowd went wild as predicted. Cameras flashing everywhere. He did his usual intense rocker stuff, strutted around, threw guitar picks into the crowd, and pointed at everyone.(Wonder how you are supposed to catch a teensy little guitar pick in a dark room filled with 11,000 people.)  He did a good job on his set, his fans will be thrilled. Me … well, there’s only one Robert Plant. Next to Taylor, Chris got the strongest ovation of the evening.

Then came the duet with Elliott, and Elliott’s set. Elliott sounded really fine and held his own on the rock stuff with Chris. He was working the stage too and seemed more confident and at ease than I remembered him being on the show.

Suddenly the crowd started screaming at full throttle and I knew Taylor was starting Jailhouse Rock, even though I couldn’t see him. The place went wild! Even up in the semi-nosebleed seats where we were, everybody jumped to their feet when Taylor came down the aisle — and stayed there for his entire set. It was the only time the whole evening where I saw the people in the middle and upper decks all up on their feet. The more wild his signature dancing got, the more the crowd cheered him on.

I’m a big Taylor fan, and he was great as I assumed he would be. But I have to say honestly that he seemed tired and his voice sounded a bit ragged to me. I’m guessing that after doing GMA this a.m. he was semi-fried. Maybe that’s just me though. Dingo might have a different perception. Nonetheless, he was obviously the star of the evening.

For the thudders, he wore a medium gray jacket, maroon shirt, jeans, and tan sneakers. He did six songs, not the eight he was doing at the beginning of the tour, and Taking it to the Streets was done on the encore. (He changed into the white shirt for the encore.) He looked thinner than I’ve seen him, maybe he’s dropped a few pounds on tour.

There was no mention of Katharine at all, and there was no video montage. There were a few inkjet-printer signs taped to the poles that said “Due to illness Katharine McPhee will not be performing tonight.” In the aisles, halls, and the infamous ladies’ room, I didn’t hear much talk about her one way or the other. People were talking about Taylor and Chris (in that order). So — no surprises, and pretty much what everybody else has been reporting for the last three weeks. We had a great time! We didn’t spring for the $30-$35 tee shirts or the $15 knock-offs they were selling outside on the streets, though. My 10-year-old, however, did spend $5 on a 8×10 of Ace. LOL.

Dingoatemybaby’s recap