I have really enjoyed both of your reviews, and of course your excellent photos. What I noticed with Adam both at GMA and in Hartford, where I saw the Idol show, is that Adam looks for and feeds off the crowd’s energy when he performs. Both times, when he saw that the audience was giving good feedback, it really brought out the pure joy he was feeling while performing on stage, which joy tranferred to the audience and then cycled back and forth! (Hartford was the turquoise boa!)

What I saw with Kris both times, maybe because of his different personality or less experience performing or the different type of music he performs (or pure exhaustion!), instead internalized and “became” his music. It was as if he were by himself, performing for the mere love of performing, and not for the audience. Although it was a totally different experience, I think it was mesmerizing in its own way. I think in a smaller venue that will work better. And Adam’s type of performing is really made for the larger venues.

Kris, though, really connects with his fans one on one, it seems, as does Adam (I did not meet either of them).

Although I started as an Adam fan, and never was a big Idol fan before, I enjoyed the entire concert (as did my casual AI-viewer hubby) and look forward to seeing what all of them will be doing in their careers (but especially Adam and Kris and look forward to both albums). Thanks again Meredith!

Thanks Meredith .Your recap is so full of clear perceptions that it makes your experience palpable for me.Thank you!

And your photos ‘“ exceptional . I love best the photo of Allison with the green haze.
Adam as always ,even in photos ,captured my attention and refused to let go.
And Danny- bulkymazing. He must be on a super high protein diet.

- and FINALLY, your observation of Adam ‘vs.’  Kris’s performance – I’ve been mentioning it a lot AND I TOTALLY agree with you that Adam gives out his energy (and that’s why he is so exhausted so often). He also talks a lot about energy flow and stuff like that. Maybe this is one of the reasons he attracts OTT fans, who virtually ‘feed’  off his good vibes? maybe I’m going a little too far here, but who knows’ ¦.
THANKS A LOT

I think this is very true – there’s a reason he has so many passionate fans, and I’ve even read great comments here about his ability to connect with the audience, to reach people who are very far from the stage, and to effect even people who aren’t necessarily fans of his. It’s like, when Adam is there, people notice He is simply a consumate performer – completely in the zone when he’s on stage. And it really is something you can’t necessarily learn, you just have it.

I agree with you sort of re: Kris. He is not a interactive artform, but, he is art. He slides inside himself living within his music, his phrasing, almost, as if he is not aware of the audience during much of his performance’ ¦..only to re engage for Hey Jude and we feel blessed that he finally includes us all!!!!!!!!!!! I really like this guy’ ¦just in a different way!!

My first review of Kris from DC evoked more of these sentiments. I really do appreciate Kris’s ability to completely live and breath a song as he performs it. In that respect, he and Adam are very similar performers – they just send out the energy and relate to the audience differently.

austinmidwife, I loved your description of Adam’s ability to connect to his audience!

To me, it’s also in the eyes – they are a HUGE part of performing and connecting with an audience – making eye contact, even if not directly with you personally, somehow it’s there, and Adam really pierces with those eyes. It’s also just the energy he exhibits with every moment, not to mention a connection with the message of the song that he exhibits with every bit of his body.

Case in point (for me anyways): He fully embodies the raw sexiness of WLL, the surreal, dream-state of Starlight, the haunting loneliness of Mad World, the gritty, unabashed fun of Slow Ride, and the rave/party-like atmosphere of the Bowie songs. He understands, and expresses, the essence of each of those very different songs and moods.

Wow–this says a lot of what makes Adam so special and unusual. His eyes are always so honest and full of whatever he’s trying to say with the song, like (please excuse the forthcoming corniness) windows to his soul, to quote a little Elizabeth I. And yes–he completely and totally embodies, in his body and his voice and his eyes, the emotion of whatever song he’s singing, whether it’s joy or lust or sorrow or anything else, and that kind of intensity and emotional connection to the music is so rare and special. And the fact that he can become so many different things onstage while always still being himself somehow is really unusual as well, and part of what makes him so powerful and interesting as an artist.

As good as Adam was in D.C., and he was incredible, from the videos I’ve seen, I think he raised the bar (or was it the mic stand?) in Pittsburgh. I wish I had been there.

I loved both shows – hard to pick a favorite! I think WLL was better in Pittsburgh (crazier and dirtier – and I’m a sucker for the “Woman” and “Back door man” which he threw out for us (love it in the original Zep song). I thought Starlight was lovely in DC – and I think he kept it a little higher there, which I love.

THANK U SO MUCH!!!! I loved this. Honestly I love reading all of ur posts. ur one of my fave posters actually. it was nice to hear the comparison to d.c. Becuz that was the show I was at! jellus u had such good seats. Amazing pictures. Thank u!!!!!!!!!!

Aww, thank you so much, luvadamlambert (love your user name ) I really enjoy your posts too! They’re always full of so much energy, which is very infectious I enjoy all the posters on MJ’s site, though, even those who don’t share my unabashed love of all things Adam

Meredith, Thanks for great review. I love your pictures, you must have really have great seat and great camera. May I know what camera you use?

Panasonic Lumix FZ28 – excellent model. Lightweight, and it has a mode called Flash, which specializes in concert-like settings (needing to take high exposure, quick shots involving movement – you can literally see it taking a moment after you press the button to focus on the object, and make sure it captures it when it’s actually in focus – pretty cool.)

And awesome close ups of Adam’s!Jacket! I love that jacket, and hope that he continues to wear it after the tour, probably minus the tails.

I too was seriously obsessed with that JACKET upclose – it is a work of art

BTW- we were right between the cement wall and where the exit was- the one where those damn trucks kept leaving and everyone would chant MOVE THOSE TRUCKS!!!

OMGz – we were SO right near each other! I was one of the people shouting about moving the trucks – I think I said something like: “Those trucks are standing between us and Adam! NOO!” Then those trucks almost hit the people in the front of the barricade – scary moment!

Do you ( or anyone) know why Lil gets 4 songs and Anoop, Matt, and Allison get three?

She technically only gets three – the first one is a medley of two MJ Blige songs – similar to Bowie Medley only counting as one.

austinmidwife and lizardino - great points about Adam’s connection to the audience. ITA. And you said it much better than me

WOW, Meredith (same as Mary102?? I’m confused),

LOL! One and the same. I usually do some variation on my first name for my user names (oh no, my secret’s out!)

Boy you are a dedicated Adam fan! I wonder if he has any idea how much $$$ his fans are spending just to hear him sing for 20 min or so – yowza!!

LOL! You have no idea! I don’t know how much I’ve now spent on Adam- related AI merchandise – 19 must love me now (and the city of Pittsburgh, where I spent two nights in a hotel, etc.) Let’s see, between the concert tix, all the itunes downloads, the freaking $25 program! Geez, I have to cut me off.

What is it that Adam does that captures the audience? I mean, I know he is a great singer and uses his body to tell a story, but how does he make that audience connection? How does he pull you in? What makes him so very special on stage?

I have yet to see a concert live, but I can feel the connection, somehow! What is it?

To me, it’s also in the eyes – they are a HUGE part of performing and connecting with an audience – making eye contact, even if not directly with you personally, somehow it’s there, and Adam really pierces with those eyes. It’s also just the energy he exhibits with every moment, not to mention a connection with the message of the song that he exhibits with every bit of his body.

Case in point (for me anyways): He fully embodies the raw sexiness of WLL, the surreal, dream-state of Starlight, the haunting loneliness of Mad World, the gritty, unabashed fun of Slow Ride, and the rave/party-like atmosphere of the Bowie songs. He understands, and expresses, the essence of each of those very different songs and moods.

And thank you for the praises on the pics! I LOVE taking pictures, my camera is mid-line (not hugely expensive, but it has an 18X zoom, which helps ) Unfortunately, the after show pics weren’t as good (I think I was shaking too much!), but I was so pleased about the show shots.

Sounds like you had a great time and great seats. I, of course, don’t consider Kris’s musicianship a crutch, but rathe just a part of who he is an an entertainer and extremely talented performer. Most reviews have raved about his audience interaction. Maybe he had an off night from your perspective. I can live long and happily without Adam’s hip thrusts, but would really miss Kris’s voice.

I almost think it had more to do with where we were seated. From our perspective on the side, we had the most difficulty connecting with the pianists, because they either had their back to us (Matt), or this big thing between us and them (Kris and Scott). With Matt, he moved around more to the side of the stage during his set when not playing piano. For Kris, it was noticeable that he neglected our side when not playing piano or guitar. He focuses a lot more toward the center of the stage – facing outward. I think that’s the impression I had. Otherwise, when I sat more center floor in DC, I felt a much stronger connection to him, and really felt the energy remain in his set. Just my impression.

Ok, I’m not going to be as kind as I want to be to Kris. I gave him glowing reviews in DC, and I wish I could do the same here, but, from where I was seated, his lack of audience interaction, and his use of the piano and guitar as an almost crutch throughout his set really had a negative impact on me.

Negative comments about Kris playing instruments baffle me. I would not say he uses his instruments as a crutch. He’s a certain type of performer. The type who sings and plays instruments. I guess people are used to going to a different sort of concert than I am. The ones I go to, people play instruments. Almost always.

I enjoy seeing singers accompany themselves, I thought his movement and intensity on Bright Light while sitting at a piano was incredible, and I really loved his his electric guitar solo.

He had a lot of charisma for me, as well as a lot of other people (judging by the crowd reaction — they’re with him through all his songs, and scream during all the dramatic pauses, etc.), but not everyone is going to respond to that type of magnetism or that type of performer, I guess.

austinmidwife Those are good points.