Michael’s American Idol Tour 2009 Tampa Re-cap

By On 07/31/2009 · 73 Comments · In AI S9 Auditions, American Idol

After an hour-long pre-concert loop of the same 4 Carrie Underwood/ Chris Daughtry videos, The show opens with Michael Sarver, who does an admirable job attempting to excite a tame Tampa crowd; they dutifully clapped and cheered at the start and end of each song, but were surprisingly lifeless during the actual performances. ‘We’re here for a party tonight! And c’mon, who sits down at a party?!’  asks Sarver. I’ll tell you who, Michael: the Tampa crowd, that’s who! Especially section 215 where I was sitting.

[Other recaps have since raved about the Tampa crowd, so from what I can gather, the floor section was way into it, but the stands- not so much. I was in the second deck, so I'm sure that was part of the problem.]

Anyway Sarver sings well, but suffers from the fact that neither of his songs appeared on AI S8. Besides, wasn’t he billed on AI as being country? And he’s touring with songs by Gavin DeGraw and Ne-Yo?! I thought he should have brought back ‘Ain’t Goin Down (Til the Sun Comes Up).’ 

Overall grade: B-…reliable vocals, likeable, plenty of energy, just not my favorite set list

Helped by plenty of goofy screen graphics, Megan Joy takes the stage. She takes on ‘Put Your Records On’  in literally the exact same way she performed every song on the show: the same faltering, wavy notes (sometimes a good thing), the same pitchy moments (rarely a good thing), and the same weird side-to-side dance moves (used to be a bad thing, although it’s sorta becoming her signature). She then tears through Amy Winehouse’s ‘Tears Dry on Their Own’  after a sassy intro about love that didn’t work out, which she obviously knows a bit about.

Grade: C+…entertaining and likeable, but I feel like she’s made little effort to work on the vocal quirks that prompted her early exit from AI S8. Also the afro/hairdo was crazy.

Next, a floor panel opens, and up comes a grand piano being played by Scott McIntrye. Scott was definitely the biggest surprise of the night. Although maligned for much of AI S8, he sounds fantastic live! By the time he launched into the familiar intro of ‘A Thousand Miles,’  the crowd was hooked. He also livens things up between songs by joking about Seacrest’s now-infamous high-five fail, and then giving a mocking impression of Simon’s accent.

Grade: A-…maybe not the vocal chops of the later guys, but definitely solid.

Lil Rounds is next.

Here’s what drives me nuts about Lil. How does she not realize that she’s an attractive woman on her own, and doesn’t need to put on 6 lbs of makeup to perform in front of people?! C’mon Lil, look at Adam! Okay, bad example. But look at any of the other top 10. They don’t need a ton of makeup and neither do you. Alright, I’m done ranting.

So Lil tears through her predictable set of ‘Be Without You,’  ‘No One,’  and ‘Single Ladies.’  As always, she sings quite well, although I have a feeling if the judges were here, they’d have the same gripes they had on the show- personality, originality, connection with the audience, etc. It’s still not quite there, and I hope she figures it out before she ventures out on her own.

Grade: B-…

Anoop draws the first girly shrieks of the night as he enters through the floor singing ‘You Were Always on My Mind,’  with success, as it keeps him right in his nice-tone-but-no-real-power comfort zone. He then busts out some pretty naughty dance moves on ‘My Prerogative,’  which may have upset a few of the stiffer folks, although he did them a favor by prepping them for Adam. Anoop thanks everyone for coming, and ambitiously says, ‘I hope I’ll be seeing all of you again next year- on a tour of my own!’ 

We’ll see.

Grade: B+…loved the first song, second was decent, third one was a bit out of his league

Next, we hear the unmistakable opening of ‘Hard to Handle,’  with some beatboxing thrown in for fun, and with that Matt Giraud erupts onto the stage. He tears through the Black Crowes classic, replacing the classic guitar solo with a boogie-style pounding of the grand piano that thrills the crowd. Next, he sits at the piano and catches his breath by talking for a few moments about his path to this point, before donning the fedora and singing ‘Georgia on My Mind,’  even better than the Hollywood version that put him on the AI map, since we get to hear the whole song this time. Before he leaves, he sings his heart out on ‘You Found Me,’  an understated performance on AI S8, although I do think that ‘Part Time Lovers,’  or ‘Who’s Lovin You’  would have been a tad more exciting as an exit song. Either way, the crowd LOVED Matt.

It’s refreshing to see a young singer who pours so much of himself into his performances, and he really seems to connect with fans. With decent material, I can totally see him having a successful music career.

Grade: A+…maybe the most underrated contestant in AI history, and absolutely fantastic to watch in person. He could have taken an hour and I’d be happy.

Before intermission, we get the fantastic and much-awaited Matt/Scott ‘Tell Her About It’  piano duel that still makes me mad when I remember that they cut it from the AI finale.

After a 25 minute break, Allison takes the stage and spends the first song (fortunately it was just Pink’s ‘So What’ ) competing with the band, which was suddenly inordinately loud. The mix was corrected by the second song, her beautiful version of ‘Cry Baby.’  Her boundless energy and still-surprising vocals made this one of the best songs of the night for me. She finishes very strong with ‘Barracuda,’  a very technically difficult song that barely seems to challenge her.

Grade: A-…first song was a struggle, but fantastic from then on

Danny comes in to the ‘PYT’  intro, and rocks it out with his powerhouse vocals on full display. ‘Maria Maria’  was good, even with the clumsy dancing. ‘What Hurt the Most’  was one of his best during the season, and he doesn’t disappoint with that as his third offering. He gives a brief inspirational talk before taking on ‘My Wish.’ 

While he gives terrific performances on each, I can’t help feeling that it’s really redundant to have 2 slow Rascal Flatts songs in a 4-song set! I think most would like to hear him leave the stage with more oomph, and if it couldn’t be a more rocky number, I’ve always wondered how he’d do on Christina Aguilera’s ‘Hurt.’  (Before you call me crazy, give that song a listen and tell me Danny wouldn’t tear it to shreds. Just sayin…)

Grade: A-…unbelievable voice, set list needs some tweaking

Of course, the excitement reaches a fever pitch, as the youngsters (and oldies alike) realize that nothing now stands between them and Adam’s entrance. He roars out with ‘Whole Lotta Love’ - pretty spectacular as you might imagine. (And for the record, he says, ‘Ba-by!’  at the part where Robert Plant said ‘Wo-man!’  Guess there’s no point in pretending now.)

He takes the stool for ‘Mad World’  and delivers a stunning version, although it could probably never approach the chill factor of the first time he performed it on AI S8.

Next, he sheds his overcoat to reveal a sleeveless top and skintight (understatement) jeans to do the David Bowie medley. And yeah, the dance moves he pulls onstage definitely would not have made it on the TV season of AI. Let’s just say Adam’s pelvis is every bit as honest as Shakira’s hips. And while most folks would likely prefer to see the latter, nothing could deter several ladies (who obviously don’t read Rolling Stone) from throwing fuzzy handcuffs, a whip, and some underwear at Adam. Yeah, ladies- that’ll change him.

Ever the showman that he is, Adam retrieves one of the items (looked like a bra from the 2nd deck where I was, but I’ve since heard that it was the whip) and swinging it around suggestively. At one point during Adam’s gyrations, the man next to me – who attended with his 13-year-old daughter – turned to me and gave the horrified look of a high schooler who bribed Ryan Tedder to create his science project, only to arrive at class and discover three identical projects.

(Sorry Ryan; too soon? You’re right- we don’t know all the facts yet. I apologize. It’s just that blogging can be such a…you know…battlefield.)

Adam closes his set by inviting Allison onstage for ‘Slow Ride,’  They sound excellent together, and follow it with a heartwarmingly enthusiastic hug. Adam leaves with much fanfare.

Grade: A…but hide the kids.

Speaking of fanfare, the fans go ballistic as Kris Allen is introduced singing ‘Heartless.’  After one chorus with him and the guitar, the band comes roaring in, as they also do after one chorus of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’  Here’s the thing- I love the band; I thought they did their job beautifully on almost every song. But part of the reason the two aforementioned songs did so well on AI S8 was because of the slick, scaled-back versions Kris did. So all I’m saying is I would have kept them that way.

After the first song, Kris picks up one of the naughty items that was hurled at Adam, and wonders out loud, ‘What’s this?’  before exclaiming, ‘Oh jeez!’  and dropping it to the floor, as he probably remembered that any further joke he made would be blown out of proportion and ultimately become a national story.

I thought The Killers’ song was melodically boring and didn’t really help Kris’s set at all, but ‘Bright Lights’  was a BRILLIANT choice. It fit him perfectly, and was easily my favorite performance from Kris.

Vocally, Kris sounded terrific, and even seems to have improved greatly since the show.

A-…just get the band to calm down a bit.

Everyone comes out for the finale- blah blah- we’ve all seen this routine on the results show. I did think incorporating ‘Na na na na, hey hey, goodbye’  into ‘Don’t Stop Believing’  was clever. Then they thank the crowd, and it’s over at about 10:00.

Wish I could say I waited outside with everyone else afterward, but it’s a 2+ hour drive back to Gainesville, followed by work in the morning. I certainly wish the 2nd deck had a little more energy, but overall it was a terrific show!

 
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  • unique28v

    Great recap!! I like the way you added the grades. It was a nice touch, and different from previous concert posts I’ve read.

  • washpd

    At one point during Adam’s gyrations, the man next to me – who attended with his 13-year-old daughter – turned to me and gave the horrified look of a high schooler who bribed Ryan Tedder to create his science project, only to arrive at class and discover three identical projects.

    (Sorry Ryan; too soon? You’re right- we don’t know all the facts yet. I apologize. It’s just that blogging can be such a’ ¦you know’ ¦battlefield.)

    Your recap wins just for this quote! LOL

    After the first song, Kris picks up one of the naughty items that was hurled at Adam, and wonders out loud, ‘What’s this?’  before exclaiming, ‘Oh jeez!’  and dropping it to the floor, as he probably remembered that any further joke he made would be blown out of proportion and ultimately become a national story.

    Hee. Methinks it’s a good thing Kris doesn’t get much thrown on stage at him.

  • weareallinnocent

    Great recap, Michael. You had me ROFLMAO throughout! Thank You!!

  • http://mjsbigblog.com/voronas-ontario-american-idol-tour-recap.htm/feed/ vorona

    turned to me and gave the horrified look of a high schooler who bribed Ryan Tedder to create his science project, only to arrive at class and discover three identical projects.

    Hee! Awesome!

    Great recap — funny and detailed.

    I would have enjoyed seeing Michael sing “Ain’t Going Down,” too. Especially if he’d used my sister’s friend (“Just” Dave Bernal) for harmonica again like he did on the show. But then I’d probably have spent the whole time watching Dave instead of Michael, just like before.

    Thanks for the recap!

  • Kirsten

    Excellent recap. I liked the grades and your sense of humour.

    the man next to me – who attended with his 13-year-old daughter – turned to me and gave the horrified look of a high schooler who bribed Ryan Tedder to create his science project, only to arrive at class and discover three identical projects.

    LOL!

  • glamatheart

    Thanks for a very entertaining recap, Michael. I was at the Tampa show and just one thing confuses me. Both you and the Miami Herald reviewer mention Adam closing out his set with Slow Ride. Unless I was in some weird alternate space (could be, Adam does that to me…) i could have sworn the Bowie Medley closed out his set when he exited through the lift on Let’s Dance. Am I crazy?? Anyway I think all of your assessments are pretty accurate. I agree that Allison’s So What was problematic but Cry Baby and Barracuda were incredible. Loved Matt as well and he was my second favorite only to Adam. Liked Danny and thought Kris was really great especially on Bright Lights.

    BTW I like getting a guy’s perspective on these things but I, for one, wouldn’t pay a dime to see Shakira shake those hips but Adam…sigh, I may go broke following him on his solo tour. So I don’t know about most people preferring the former…just sayin’ ;-)

  • webster

    Excellent!

    Content: great detail, with a separate evaluation for musicality, stage presence and song choice.

    Style: good use of humor and pop culture references, and reads like an independent voice, not colored by other reviews

    A

  • anthrogeek

    Michael, great recap, but I’m confused by your statement that Adam closed his set with Slow Ride. This video indicates that he still had his jacket on for it, which he would not have had if he had done it after the Bowie Medley:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JGQfwwpl4s

    That was a good video, BTW, with good close-ups! It was the first one I found when searching for Slow Ride/Tampa, but the real question is whether anyone’s seen video yet of this infamous moment where Kris picks up the whip!!??

  • lucy

    What an entertaining read! Thanks!

  • adrienne33

    “Yeah, ladies- that’ll change him.”

    Michael…just FYI: we don’t want to change him. We know he’s gay and he is sexy just as he is.

  • PattyH

    Except for a few out of sequence things like forgetting Starlight and that Slow Ride was not Adam’s closer I really enjoyed your recap. Maybe you got “whammed” by the wonderfulness that is Adam! I kid, I kid! Nice to see a guy’s review and I totally agree, the best quote ever!

    turned to me and gave the horrified look of a high schooler who bribed Ryan Tedder to create his science project, only to arrive at class and discover three identical projects.

    :lol_wp:

  • sma11ie

    I just have to chime in with everyone else that your Ryan Tedder dig was pretty much brilliant.

    Great review. If I keep reading these rave reviews about Matt I may just have to check out the show… but alas, the AI tour is just way overpriced. I’m used to paying much much less to see local musicians just like Matt at intimate venues… I’m sure I’d also enjoy Kris, Adam, Allison and Anoop, but still, that’s only half the group so I don’t think I can justify the cost.

  • karend

    nothing could deter several ladies (who obviously don’t read Rolling Stone) from throwing fuzzy handcuffs, a whip, and some underwear at Adam. Yeah, ladies- that’ll change him

    This is a total misconception (or maybe a straight guy protecting his ego?) … we all know that Adam is gay, that he won’t be in our beds anytime soon, but we still think he is the sexiest, glitteriest, alien to come along in a long time … maybe we are just wishing our straight boyfriends/husbands/whatever would take a few clues from Adam and get their sexy on …

  • KLI

    nothing could deter several ladies (who obviously don’t read Rolling Stone) from throwing fuzzy handcuffs, a whip, and some underwear at Adam. Yeah, ladies- that’ll change him.

    I quickly skimmed this article and as soon as I saw this line I knew the recap was written by a man.

    Err . . . I’m sure they do know he is gay and have read the Rolling Stone magazine (and much more).

    The woman who threw the whip and handcuffs was posting on one of the other forums (IDF, I think) about it and is a big fan.

    We women know. It’s just that “sexy is sexy.”

    Great recap, by the way! Very funny. I’m going to the Indy concert and plan to write a recap, but it will be a challenge to come up with something funny and original by then.

    I’ll try!

  • Michelle

    Bwahahaha at the Tedder zinger :D

    Thanks so much for your recap — that’s two great ones today so far!

    I agree that Matt was amazing live. I don’t know if I would really say he was underrated on the show cause he didn’t perform to this level on the show (let the nerves get to him maybe.) But like you I hope someone sees his potential now that he’s out of that very strange and unique “judged on nat’l tv” situation.

  • http://mjsbigblog.com/voronas-ontario-american-idol-tour-recap.htm/feed/ vorona

    we all know that Adam is gay, that he won’t be in our beds anytime soon, but we still think he is the sexiest, glitteriest, alien to come along in a long time ‘ ¦ maybe we are just wishing our straight boyfriends/husbands/whatever would take a few clues from Adam and get their sexy on ‘ ¦

    I’ll start by saying that I know Michael was just being funny and didn’t mean anything by it.

    But the way I see it is that there are any NUMBER of reasons why Adam won’t be in my bed — relative age, beauty, not being a part of his world, my being married, etc. Gay almost makes it better. Less like a personal rejection and safer to daydream about (in a way that shouldn’t threaten my husband). ;)

    The media talks about tweenies and their non-threatening males. This is a version for all ages.

  • Vada

    Michael, I love your review.

    Thank you for confirming that my hearing was correct. The Times Forum did indeed go ballistic during Kris’ intro.

    It is too bad that the Tampa Tribune reviewer did not actually attend the show, so that he would have witnessed that. Instead, he apparently copy/pasted an early review, when Kris was still doing ‘No Boundaries’. How embarrassing for the greater Tampa area.

    Since I am such a partisan Kris fan, my stating the crowd reaction doesn’t have as much impact as it does coming from someone like you, who didn’t rank his set as the best.

  • Reflections On Life

    the ryan tedder “3 identical projects” dig … true genius … you should really try your hand at comedy writing professionally! i was literally ROFLMAOing! and such an up-to-the-minute pop-culture reference! get this dude an agent!

  • isitoveryet

    Thanks for the recap. Lots of LOL. I especially loved the Kris description of the found props.

    Let’s just say Adam’s pelvis is every bit as honest as Shakira’s hips. And while most folks would likely prefer to see the latter, nothing could deter several ladies (who obviously don’t read Rolling Stone) from throwing fuzzy handcuffs, a whip, and some underwear at Adam. Yeah, ladies- that’ll change him.

    As a woman…. definitely “sexy is sexy”. I think there are more than a handful of straight men that could take a lesson or two from Adam or at least try to understand what the allure is. If they did, I bet there would be more happy women out there. I’ve yet to hear more than one or two women say that they want to ‘turn’ him. Guys just don’t get it.

  • SpenserJ

    (Sorry Ryan; too soon? You’re right- we don’t know all the facts yet. I apologize. It’s just that blogging can be such a’ ¦you know’ ¦battlefield.)

    Too soon or not, true or not, that was pretty hilarious! I give the review an A plus.

    ETA:

    I’ve yet to hear more than one or two women say that they want to ‘turn’ him. Guys just don’t get it.

    In defense of the men-folk…. while not too many women come right out and say that, some of the more OTT posts do seem to indicate that they would be interested in doing just that.

    Also, I question why anyone would throw women’s undergarments at a gay man. Obviously, he’s not interested in that sort of thing. :wink_wp:

  • SarahP

    Too soon or not, true or not, that was pretty hilarious! I give the review an A plus.

    me too…or how about A plus plus

  • SarahP

    am i the only one who’s super-duper happy Matt trumped everyone else in this recap and got an A-plus?

  • CrazyCircle

    Just curious if Adam really finished with the duet? I might have to look for the videos from that night to see when Adam started going down (under the stage)…

    Great recap!

    I’ll be seeing Adam in one week on GMA-watch for my recap, albeit completely & unashamedly biased that I predict it will be, a couple days later.

  • jill16

    “Guess there’s no point in pretending now” statement is inaccurate. I don’t think Adam has ever pretended. I enjoyed your recap though, thank you for taking the time to write it.

  • Janie

    I agree that Matt was amazing live. I don’t know if I would really say he was underrated on the show cause he didn’t perform to this level on the show (let the nerves get to him maybe.) But like you I hope someone sees his potential now that he’s out of that very strange and unique ‘judged on nat’l tv’  situation.

    True.

    Great review, love your wit as everyone has remarked … very funny about Tedder. I won’t even bag on you for not giving Adam an A plus (hahaha).

    Also, I question why anyone would throw women’s undergarments at a gay man. Obviously, he’s not interested in that sort of thing.

    But I guess you’re a guy, too, right SpencerJ?? So you’ll probably never get it!
    :innocent1_tb:

  • Truthiness

    Speaking of fanfare, the fans go ballistic as Kris Allen is introduced singing ‘Heartless.’  After one chorus with him and the guitar, the band comes roaring in, as they also do after one chorus of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’  Here’s the thing- I love the band; I thought they did their job beautifully on almost every song. But part of the reason the two aforementioned songs did so well on AI S8 was because of the slick, scaled-back versions Kris did. So all I’m saying is I would have kept them that way.

    Amen, brutha! I disliked Kris’s studio version of Heartless and now dislike his tour version of the song, because it’s more like that. I know that transitioning from Adam’s set to his stripped down version of it probably wouldn’t work on tour, but still…durn because I agree, that version rocked me.

    I agree about ANS as well, that his on the show earlier (not later) version of the song is my fave version because it is so stripped down. But while I don’t prefer the tour version to the first on show performance of the song, for me (for you) I think ANS as a song is strong enough to overcome the less than stellar band arrangement of the tour. But this is just based on the YouTubes I’ve seen.

    From what I’ve seen, I thought that Bright Lights was Kris’s best song, as well. Good to hear that doing it live it sounds great as well. He also seems to really enjoy doing it and rocking out, well in his own Kris way he rocks out to it, so I always enjoy watching that.

    And hey, Matt impressed another person, cool! Glad you enjoyed it. I love to see him getting the love. I agree with another poster here, I don’t think Matt was underrated on the show, because on the show he allowed nerves or something to get in the way of his talent. So great that on tour, that isn’t happening and he’s making new fans.

    And making fun of someone? There is never a time that’s too soon.

  • SpenserJ

    But I guess you’re a guy, too, right SpencerJ?? So you’ll probably never get it!

    Um nope. Definitely not a guy, last I checked.

  • ShariG

    Really interesting recap. I enjoyed your impressions particularly of Kris, Matt, and Scott. On the compilation CD that AI put out of Season 8, I was so impressed with Matt, Scott, Michael, Danny and Anoop’s songs. I knew I would love Kris and to a lesser extent Allison and Adam, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the songs by the other guys in the top 10, too. It is nice to read in reviews how well Matt, in particular, is doing on tour. I wish he could have shaken off his nerves on the show because I really do love his style of singing. I could not agree with you more about Kris. One of the things I love most about him is the way he connects with a song with just his vocals and acoutic guitar or keyboard without all of the hoopla of the band, as talented as they are. I hope when he goes out on tour to promote his debut album that it will be the kind of show that makes you feel a close up, intimate connection with just the audience and the artist, no smoke and mirrors or overpowering band. Kris is one of those singers who could pull that off.

  • auntieaimee

    Also, I question why anyone would throw women’s undergarments at a gay man. Obviously, he’s not interested in that sort of thing.

    So they can tweet, “I-threw-my-bra-at-Adam-and-OMG-he-touched-it!!!”

    ;)

  • SpenserJ

    So they can tweet, ‘I-threw-my-bra-at-Adam-and-OMG-he-touched-it!!!’ 

    LOL. Don’t forget about then posting the account all over the interwebs so you can bask in the attention of all of the other fans.

  • wand3rful

    nothing could deter several ladies (who obviously don’t read Rolling Stone) from throwing fuzzy handcuffs, a whip, and some underwear at Adam. Yeah, ladies- that’ll change him

    hehe…nope that will not deter the whack jobs out there…the ones who spend hours creating fanfics and bedazzled shirts. every yr, those people make me giggle.

    (yes, yes, I know, most people do it out of jest, but then there are the loonies….hence adam staying away from some of the bus signings. poor guy, welcome to celebrity)

  • weareallinnocent

    I quickly skimmed this article and as soon as I saw this line I knew the recap was written by a man.

    LOL Poor Michael, his recap had enough lolz to give him a pass. After all, hetero men tend to readily admit that they don’t understand women at all and likely never will. (Gay men OTOH… ;-) )

    While we’re on the topic though, when did whips and handcuffs become a gender specific item anyway? Hee…

    Thanks again M for the laughs.

    Also lol’ing at SpenserJ’s sex change…

  • wand3rful

    and again, another great review for matt….record companies, are yall listening to the audience?

  • snuffles

    After the first song, Kris picks up one of the naughty items that was hurled at Adam, and wonders out loud, ‘What’s this?’  before exclaiming, ‘Oh jeez!’  and dropping it to the floor, as he probably remembered that any further joke he made would be blown out of proportion and ultimately become a national story.

    LOL! One has to wonder if similar things happened when he and Adam were roommates…. I kid! I KID!!!

  • auntieaimee

    LOL, Snuffles!

  • snuffles

    Also, I question why anyone would throw women’s undergarments at a gay man. Obviously, he’s not interested in that sort of thing.

    Maybe not but Adam clearly gets a HUGE kick out of it. He finds it flattering and hilarious. It’s just another way his fans are showing their appreciation. I mean, this is a guy who has sung at venues where people threw their SHOES on the stage to show their love. I’m sure he views the bras in the same way.

  • SpenserJ

    Also lol’ing at SpenserJ’s sex change’ ¦

    Trust me, after popping out a couple of kids and taking care of a husband for 10 years, if I could go back to my 20′s, I might actually consider it. Being a man just seems so much easier.

  • Lulu2

    I saw the concert in Ontario. I agree that Matt’s performance was stellar. Adam, Allison and Matt were the standouts of the evening, no question. I would give them all A pluses, but which performer your prefer just depends on your taste. Everyone knows Adam is gay. Adam is also incredibly sexy, gay or not. His sexual orientation–heck, his gender–doesn’t matter. I think it’s harder for straight men to allow themselves to appreciate his universal appeal (or else to admit it). Don’t worry, you’re not gay, just human!

  • Squirrely

    Let’s just say Adam’s pelvis is every bit as honest as Shakira’s hips.

    LOL! Great re-cap – thanks.

  • maracaibo

    Another glowing review for Matt.
    Aww. I am so proud of him! I’ve watched his tour performances online and he’s been stellar. I always believed in him and I am so glad he’s turning heads in every stop.

    Now the only thing missing is that Matt gets a record deal. I think he is on his way, IMO he has so much potential to have a great career as a recording artist.
    I am praying it happens soon! He deserves it so much.

  • smartcookie

    After all, hetero men tend to readily admit that they don’t understand women at all and likely never will. (Gay men OTOH’ ¦ ;-) )

    Sorry, but I discovered a long time ago (as a hetero female with tons of gay male friends because of theater connections) that gay men are still MEN and still can be every bit as impossible, annoying, thick-headed and oblivious as any straight man. When I assumed my gay male friends would understand why misogynistic playwrights upset me, some were evolved enough to get it (just like some straight men), but far more were all, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the line ‘Women should be beaten regularly, like gongs,’ and “I don’t see the problem with the female characters in David Mamet plays.”

    Not to mention there are actually gay men who don’t excel at fashion or interior decorating and don’t (gasp!) like to shop. Some don’t even like show tunes!

    Assuming that gay men (or Adam Lambert, as the American Idol representative of All That Is Gay?) will understand women just because they are (or he is) gay is a path fraught with peril in my opinion. But it’s kind of funny we’ve come this far. The stereotype used to be that gay men hated women. Now it’s that they (as a whole?) understand women so well they can understand exactly how straight women fantasize about sex, well enough to create a TV show like “Sex and the City.” (Oh, wait. That last really happened. But it also illustrates to me the dilemma here — the HBO version of “Sex and the City” always seemed like a gay man’s version of what single chic women are like more than what single chic women are really like. Or maybe I just hope so, for the good of the world.)

    I have to be honest — I don’t get why anybody (male or female, gay or straight) throws things at singers performing on stage. Bottles, whips, handcuffs? Couldn’t someone get hurt if they got beaned with some of those things? Plus there seems to be some sort of competition going on. If he reacted to the huge red underwear at concert X and the handcuffs at concert Y, then he is really going to freak out when I launch my 50-foot flaming glitter balls onto the stage at concert Z!

    I blame the producers behind AI. They knew America was a really competitive kind of place. They wanted everybody in pitched camps, battling with knives over Clay and Ruben, Carrie against Bo, David mano-a-mano with David, Kris vs. Adam. They like it even better when the competition translates to the marketplace. And, yes, on the tour. That guy might’ve won, but my guy gets louder cheers and more crap thrown at him on stage! Oh, yeah? Wait till we get our grenade launcher going and you’ll see who has more stuff on stage! Grenade launcher? Try Kick Awesome flamethrowers! Are you kidding? We’ve got ICBMs in Lambert Land!

  • vorona

    50-foot flaming glitter balls

    LOL! Don’t give those people ideas. ;)

  • SpenserJ

    Oh, yeah? Wait till we get our grenade launcher going and you’ll see who has more stuff on stage! Grenade launcher? Try Kick Awesome flamethrowers! Are you kidding? We’ve got ICBMs in Lambert Land!

    LMAO. That sums it up well!

  • weareallinnocent

    Um, smartcookie, to be clear. The most significant part of my statement about “Gay men, OTOH…” was this: ;-)

    It was a JOKE! Because, like you, I too have many a gay (and hetero) male (and female) friend and know that none can (or should) be easily stereotyped.

    Ah, the pitfalls of the typed post on a message board strike hard again. :-)

  • isitoveryet

    SpenserJ

    ETA:

    “I’ve yet to hear more than one or two women say that they want to ‘turn’ him. Guys just don’t get it.”

    In defense of the men-folk’ ¦. while not too many women come right out and say that, some of the more OTT posts do seem to indicate that they would be interested in doing just that.

    I guess I don’t hang out in crazyland enough to witness this. That which I’ve heard has always been in jest.

  • ross

    (Sorry Ryan; too soon? You’re right- we don’t know all the facts yet. I apologize.

    Ryan to Michael: “It’s too late to apologize…It’s too late…”

  • CindyM

    I loved this recap!! Very witty and humerous lines, especially the Shakira and TEdder jests. Thank you!!

  • relyec

    Yeah MATT another good review!!! I always ranked him my #3 from the show with ADAM 1, Kris 2, and ALLISON 4. Now all I want is for Matt to get signed too so I can hear from all my faves after the tour!

  • Janie

    Um nope. Definitely not a guy, last I checked.

    Sorry, SpencerJ!! Major egg on face! And now I have to admit I, too, would NEVER throw anything at anyone … so maybe I don’t get it either :) Just trying to stand up for the sisters out there!

  • SpenserJ

    Sorry, SpencerJ!! Major egg on face!

    No worries :) I know the name is deceiving.

  • dickenstwo

    Re: the women throwing underwear, etc. to Adam the gay guy….

    Adam is sexy! And Adam tries hard to be sexy! And Adam tries hard to be sexy to women as well as men! Its all part of the entertainer in him.

    I think the women are responding to a good- (ok…. fantastic!) looking male singer singing sexy songs to them (as audience members) while dancing a sexy dance. Would Adam only want the men in the audience to be excited by his performance? I think not .

    Adam has tried to emphasize on more than one occasion that he just wants to entertain and that he does not want his sexual orientation to be an issue of any relevance in that respect. I think he has achieved his goal (at least at AI concerts.)

    (BTW — I think underwear throwing is a bit tacky myself so I am not defending the pratice, just defending a woman’s right to react in a crazy way to Adam.)

  • McD

    I blame the producers behind AI. They knew America was a really competitive kind of place. They wanted everybody in pitched camps, battling with knives over Clay and Ruben, Carrie against Bo, David mano-a-mano with David, Kris vs. Adam. They like it even better when the competition translates to the marketplace. And, yes, on the tour. That guy might’ve won, but my guy gets louder cheers and more crap thrown at him on stage! Oh, yeah? Wait till we get our grenade launcher going and you’ll see who has more stuff on stage! Grenade launcher? Try Kick Awesome flamethrowers! Are you kidding? We’ve got ICBMs in Lambert Land!

    This comment and this recap were the funniest things I’ve read all day!

  • AnninSD

    Michael wrote: “nothing could deter several ladies (who obviously don’t read Rolling Stone) from throwing fuzzy handcuffs, a whip, and some underwear at Adam. Yeah, ladies- that’ll change him.”

    I HAVE To respond. Adam is just SEXY. We don’t want to change him at all. As a married woman I can appreciate a sexual performance from a man or a woman (gay or straight).
    I read Rolling Stone and I’ve seen all the ‘photos’. It doesn’t matter, sexy is sexy.

    Would former generations say Rock Hudson was not sexy?
    Just because Lindsey Lohan ‘came out’ doesn’t mean she’s not sexy.
    Feeling sexy and being able to dance sexy and relate to an audience is a gift and Adam has that gift in spades!

  • JKL

    “Also, I question why anyone would throw women’s undergarments at a gay man. Obviously, he’s not interested in that sort of thing.”

    Kris got thrown boxers and Adam got thrown lady’s underwear. Lmao, switch it up people ;)

    Anyway, Adam’s said one of his favorite things about his set is seeing people lose their inhibitions; dancing; throwing underwear onstage, those that drink, having a drink and more, everyone having fun. There are a dozen interviews with him saying he finds the bras and shit hilarious and flattering. That it livens up the atmosphere even more. “It’s such a rockstar thing to do. I LOVE it.” Like the streaker thing, you know you’ve made it when you have a half naked girl rushing you, haha.

    I mean I wouldn’t do it but it doesn’t bother me when others do it. It’s hilarious sometimes.

    ‘Guess there’s no point in pretending now’  he’s changed it up from women to baby”

    He’s been switching between the two with every stop since the start of tour. I love that. Keep it awesome Adam.

    Thanks for sharing your review, love your sense of humour.
    PS. Good on Matt. Really talented dude.

  • webster

    I don’t get why anybody (male or female, gay or straight) throws things at singers performing on stage.

    It’s to attract attention, same as holding up signs. Some people want to be part of the show or don’t trust the performers to entertain without them. Seems awfully cheesy and 40 years ago to me, but it’s just the Idol tour, so maybe cheese is to be expected.

  • Kath77

    “the man next to me – who attended with his 13-year-old daughter – turned to me and gave the horrified look of a high schooler who bribed Ryan Tedder to create his science project, only to arrive at class and discover three identical projects.”

    Okay, that made me LOL heartily. Kudos!

  • MBLovesPaula

    Hey guys! This is Michael- and I am responsible for the above review. I’ve been way into AI since S4 (and I watched it before then, just not as closely), but I didn’t discover MJ’s Big Blog until this season. I’ve grown to love it, as it’s a great source of AI info, but also a great way to discuss stuff with people who know even more about the show than I do. So I want to thank MJ for publishing my recap, and to thank every single person who left a comment – complimentary or critical. As far as the issues…

    1. The line about the women trying to turn Adam straight was 100% intended as a joke. I totally get everyone’s point that commented along those lines. Sorry if that came off as insulting.

    2. “Guess there’s no point in pretending now” was more of a half-joke: I said that because when he sang WLL on AI, he sang “Wo-man!” I agree he didn’t try to pretend he was someone different but you have to admit, he was pretty coy about it, albeit understandably.

    3. I was definitely wrong about Adam closing his set with Slow Ride. Here’s the thing- I brought a pen and paper to the concert to scrawl down the set list and/or any funny things people said. Then I got home and promptly misplaced the paper, so I had to go from memory, and just got my timeline mixed up. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

    Again, thank you all so much for the kind words, and thanks to MJ for printing this and just owning at life in general! -Michael

  • tripp_ncwy

    Has any video surfaced of Kris picking up the whip? That would be a sight to see. Me thinks mr. Kris has a naughty side that is only on display with family and very close friends.

  • BBedee

    Michael,

    I wrote the last Tampa review. My name is Beth. Ironically, I was also sitting in Section 215. I was in the 2nd row on the aisle, but could see the entire floor pretty well. I agree that our section was pretty lame about standing or hooping/hollering. So, I based the comment of the excited crowd on what I could see on the floor and the overall sound that filled the arena. Listening to the videos from Tampa also gave me an even better clue as to how it was down close.

    I think people don’t stand when they are that high up and the seating is sloped is because there is no need to for sight reasons. I really wanted to jump out of my seat for Adam, but since I was in the front and no one else was standing, I felt kind of foolish. I kind of missed that concert feeling of jumping and dancing, but it was certainly more comfortable to sit. Make mental note for solo Adam tour: buy tickets on Stub Hub and start saving now.

    I didn’t really think about it til you wrote it, but you’re right…the band amped it way up for Allison’s So What. Maybe that’s why I felt such a contrast between the 1st and 2nd acts.

    I enjoyed your review. It was a good read (but I’d give Adam an A :biggrin_wp:).

  • MBLovesPaula

    Section 215? No way! More specifically I was in Row J (10th maybe?), Seat 8. And yeah, you’re right- in the stadium-style seating you don’t have to stand to see. But I stood up to cheer when Matt was finishing his set and people sorta looked at me like “sit down, fool.”

    By the way I just went back over the comments and saw the one where karend called me a “straight guy protecting his ego,” for my comment about Adam. Lol, sadly Karen, that’s pretty accurate. As a straight guy who’s spent half his life trying to impress women, it does seem slightly ironic when women go so very nutso over a guy who’s not into women. At the same time, I respect the heck out of what Adam brings to the table and can totally understand ladies’ obsession with him. I promise I’m not a bitter person if that’s the way it sounded :)

  • ryo

    LOL I know the chick who threw the whip and she’s well aware that he’s gay – that wasn’t the point. She knew it would be funny, and that Adam would roll with it. She was going to do it with Kris too but by the time his set had come around security was onto her!

  • jack5791

    Thanks for the review! The part about Ryan Tedder was clever, haha

  • Grammie Kari

    She was going to do it with Kris too but by the time his set had come around security was onto her!

    I realize a whip could be very dangerous, so security probably would come after the person throwing it.. They don’t go after the gals that throw underwear, do they?

    Great job, Michael! Glad you came back to give more info.

  • NatX

    Hi Mike, welcome to the Male Reviewers’ Club. Thanks for making your jokes and getting folks riled up a little. Loved the Tedder joke, and thought you did a great job of both appreciating and recapping Matt’s performance. I actually liked “You Found Me” whereas most people here seem to think it’s a bit of a suckfest, so I was glad to see you at least acknowledged that he sang his heart out. All things considered, I’d rather him have done “So Small”, “Part-Time Lovers”, or even “Stayin’ Alive” if he had to reprise an AI performance song, but I still really enjoyed the The Fray (I hate names that start with “The”) song.

    As for Sarver, I actually liked that he was doing stuff he didn’t do on the show. For one, he wasn’t around just a long time so his body of work was small (ironic, I know). Secondly, most of what he did do wasn’t much to write home about. The Garth Brooks deal would’ve been good for him, it was a decent performance on the show. But he’s ate up with the Country Denial so there’s no way he was going to do any of that on tour. Plus, Gokey used up the allotment of country songs. I think he sounds fine doing those songs. I just wish he had a third.

    Good review, though. I think one thing that sort of got lost in the Tedder joke is that the father actually had a horrified look during Adam’s shenanigans. I’m sure he was shocked and somewhat appalled that he himself had to witness it, but also that his 13 year-old daughter was taking that in (not physically, obviously). Your average Idol Tour-attending mother there with her 13 year-old daughter would’ve stood up, danced til boob slapped rib, made some guttural noises and got so buttery between the thighs that Paula Deen woulda been in there cooking.

  • Janie

    Your average Idol Tour-attending mother there with her 13 year-old daughter would’ve stood up, danced til boob slapped rib, made some guttural noises and got so buttery between the thighs that Paula Deen woulda been in there cooking.

    Not NICE, NatX :( And after all the compliments you got on your review!

  • NatX

    Not a Paula Deen fan, eh?

    Really though, compliments or criticisms on a totally unrelated writeup shouldn’t preclude my being able to comment as I see fit later on ‘“  right?

    It may have been not nice, but it wasn’t really un-nice … and it wasn’t really not true, either. The wimmins are going to toss stuff on stage, make a big show of freaking out for Adam, rant and rave about how they love his sexual energy and how ‘“  gay or not ‘“ sexy is sexy and OHHHH the things he does on stage, and so on, yet I’m out of line for a slightly hyperbolic statement about them getting excited? Come on … that really can’t be that big a deal, can it?

    I didn’t mean to offend. Was just commenting on how the viewpoint can be so different from one gender to the other (and yes I’m fully aware that it can vary within a gender, but we’re speaking in generalities here. Most men don’t fawn over Adam. Most women do. Most women (that we hear from here in Idolworld, anyway) aren’t aghast at what he does. More of the guys are.)

    If you made a similar comment about guys grunting and getting tight in the britches when Megan came on stage, I would not find that un-nice. I would find it humorous and not too far a departure from the truth.

    But yeah, anyway, it wasn’t directed at anybody in particular ‘“ you included ‘“  so I’m sorry that you took offense.

  • glamfan

    ha, your comment about maybe the ladies throwing things not reading rolling stone… you obviously don’t understand that EVERYONE knows by now and they still adore adam, and he likes it when they throw things. as adam has said, “sexy is sexy.”

  • MBLovesPaula

    I am very excited to be in the Male Reviewers Club, although it’s a pretty high standard to live up to, as I see your Memphis recap is approaching 200 comments! On the plus side, it’s looking like I won’t have to worry about being the most controversial member of the club. :)

    The thing that I immediately admired about NatX is his descriptive way with words (a la, describing some of the large Memphis male fans as having “a Farley/Belushi/Busey cocaine sweat glow to them,” to the point where he was concerned for their health)

    Also enjoyed you pegging Sarver as being “ate up with the Country Denial.” Given the current state of country songwriting (and I loved a lot of 90′s country), I can’t really blame him.
    -Michael

  • weareallinnocent

    You two boys are hilarious. Along with the other few brave guys who post here, I totally admire your courage to come wading into this sea of women! Although ordinarily that would sound very inviting, I’m sure. :-)

  • TwigLA

    Excellant reporting there, Michael! Very good flow to it and unique observations and anecdotes.

    I like your rating system. My only problem is that Allison and Kris get negatives for the band/sound mixer performance (overly loud and competing with the singer). I blame the tour director who seems to think louder = gooder. (English majors back off, I used ‘gooder’ on purpose.)

    You also offered an interesting perspective on the ‘applause-o-meter’. I think being in the seats you were, especially with people who weren’t in the ‘who can be the loudest’ competition, gave you a more natural gauge of audience response.

    I was quite surprised you don’t mention the zombie robots, aka backup singers. But then I realize you probably couldn’t see them unless they showed on the jumbotron. They’re creepy and distracting to me in the videos.

    Interesting and enjoyable to me were your comments on fashion, makeup, and hair. I don’t expect a straight guy to write about that. But having many brothers and mostly male friends, I know they DO take notice.

  • flicker

    Your average Idol Tour-attending mother there with her 13 year-old daughter would’ve stood up, danced til boob slapped rib, made some guttural noises and got so buttery between the thighs that Paula Deen woulda been in there cooking.

    Hilarious, and I love it!

  • Janie

    OH NATX! Maybe I should have added more exclamation points or an LOL or JK to my comment! But I blissfully went off to bed – NOT dreaming of Adam, by the way – and wake up to find you were a little ticked by my remark:( It’s OK, really … you’re just more graphic (I guess in a guy way) than most women would be (well, not some who are extremely graphic when caught up in the moment either twitting or blogging during a concert!) so you were an easy target. No worries! Seriously, though, you need to think about writing as a career – great way with words, interesting, perceptive. In fact, so perceptive that you could tell right away that the most offensive part of your remark was Paula Deen – I prefer the Barefoot Contessa over Paula any day! Anyway, looking forward to seeing more posts from you on other threads!

  • Susan M.

    Michael, I really enjoyed your recap and particularly the recent exchange with NatX, who is also hilarious. I thought the Paula Deen joke was very clever, if not a tad off-color, but that’s okay, I can handle off color.

    The Ryan Tedder joke was also very funny.

    Interesting to get the male perspective and I’ve long contended that straight males shouldn’t try to figure the Adam-women thing out and instead, just run with it. If your wife/girlfriend/date has it bad for Adam, let him do all the heavy lifting and you can swoop in and close escrow. Who needs foreplay after watching Adam do WLL?