Tatiana’s Los Angeles American Idol Tour Re-Cap

Thanks for the recap, Tatiana! Love the twitpics! How fun you got to meet Jim Cantiello.

Thanks for the recap. I’m happy to see the blue state/red state thing is dying. As in Los Angeles is Adam country and Gokey will get no love. The opposite will also be true in the “red states” I’m sure. Ditto that “homophobes” Sarver and Gokey are now perceived to be nice guys.
Political overtones to a kareoke show never made much sense. Plus the body language experts who could tell who was friends with who seem to be wrong. This whole group seems very tight overall.

It’s nice to see open minded reviews across the board.

Okay, I’m a Jim Cantiello fangirl. I’d love some more details on your meeting him if you get the chance!

Good re-cap, Tatiania – many thanks! Thanks for mentioning that the concert program has good photographs – I’ll shell out the $$ for it in that case!

Great recap and pictures!! I can’t wait until I can go to their concert next month!

This was great – thank you. I’m glad you had good things to say about Megan, I feel for that girl.

Great recap and am glad that you got turned around and like Kris..Personally is one of the idols/artists does not do anything for me and I disliked his version of heartless.(..No my mind won’t change about how totally awsome some thinks he is.).Money is tight right now I decided not at this point to spend it on AI which is about as expensive as a theater show..I am glad you had fun and enjoyed it…I enjoy these recaps and reviewers from papers because they give a different viewpoints…

Thanks Tati for the very positive review. I think I’d be like you and find the good in everyone and not dwell on the negative, but that’s just me. But I have to admit I have read some snarky re-caps that I have enjoyed, just as long as they’re funny and not too mean spirited. They all deserve an A for effort.

Matt Giraud Entire set: HTH, Georgia, YFM Staples Center

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxTWXsvWtIk&eurl=http

Hey, here’s an interesting game: who do you think is gaining the most from the tour, in terms of fan and critical perceptions?

I’d say MATT (who is much better in person than I remember him being on TV) and KRIS (who is proving that he can hold his own up there, in his own way, following Adam).

Any other thoughts?

Hey, here’s an interesting game: who do you think is gaining the most from the tour, in terms of fan and critical perceptions?

I’d say MATT (who is much better in person than I remember him being on TV) and KRIS (who is proving that he can hold his own up there, in his own way, following Adam).

Any other thoughts? :smile2_ee: :question_ee:

That’s too bad you didn’t get to meet them, but I’m glad you had a good time anyway!

Thanks for the recap, Tatiana! I loved the captions on your photos ‘“ hilarious.

@colette, I went last night and I agree with you. Matt is proving himself not just way better than the show, but worthy of a professional career (which even though the others in the bottom 6 were also better, I’m still not convinced they have true career potential).

Danny is proving himself to the doubters in the cyberverse.

Kris is proving he was not a fluke, for sure and he deserves his title. He’s also proving he can own a large venue, even after following such a mind-blowing act.

Allison is proving she has the confidence, personality (which I always thought she had) and swagger to be HUGE right now (not a few years from now).

And Adam, well, he is proving and reproving that he is an absolute phenomenon and this World Idol hyperbole is not an overstatement. There is something special happening here.

I’d say Matt as well, Colette (and not just because I love him so) But he seems to be getting alot of praise from critics and fans alike. ALOT of people are coming around to him, and see how he could have been had he been less nervous I guess on Idol. I think the tour is also working for Allison and Scott. Scott especially seems to be changing a lot of people’s minds and some alot of people are saying that they were surprised he was so good. Allison always rocked in my book, but seems a lot younger and more free performing on this tour.

I love Danny to pieces, I really do, but this tour just confuses me more about where he is going musically. is it Soul, Country, Latin, Christian/inspirational?? I mean What?? He is doing to much, in my opinion, and would go over much better if he just picked a style and stayed with it. If he can convince me of that then I may just pick up his CD. But right now, his whole set on this tour confuses me…

Hey, here’s an interesting game: who do you think is gaining the most from the tour, in terms of fan and critical perceptions?

I say Lil – she’s more at home away from the judges. To elaborate more – Matt I was aware of on the show, Lil I wasn’t and this tour is making more people aware of her in a positive way.

Thank you Tatiana!

By the way, you should know that for me, your name is indelibly linked to AI Tatiana. And that all through your recap I was hearing her voice saying the words. LOL! Your fangirly moment at the Adam set, was tatiana going batshit and squealing in my head. LOL.

I am sorry, but that woman has just taken over the name in my mind, it did make for entertaining reading though.

Thanks again for the recap, enjoyed it.

Danny and Michael are nice guys. JP Fans alluded that some believe otherwise. You can still like somone and be friends with them and not agree with everything they stand for. If they believe that being gay is against their religion then you have to respect that the same way we respect Adam’s right to live his life as he pleases. I am personally very anti all organized religions, but we live in a country where people are entitled to believe what they believe. Adam will get the same reception in the south as he got here in L.A. I have no doubt. There may be a handfull of Yahoos protesting like there were in NoCal, but if you go back and check Sarvers twitter– you’ll see he was angered and very protective of Adam. Stating “you mess with one of us you mess with all of us. ” Danny and Adam also have a good relationship as well. Adam has been using Danny’s twitter even to let his fans know that his has been hijacked.

Its unfortunate that the premise of AI is that of a competition, it leads to so much idiotic anomisity.

Regarding the review. Hard to Handle is not a Black Crowes song but an Otis Redding song they covered. While I agree that Adam has a terrific voice, he is not the most “musical” He perfers the theatrical David Bowie type stuff. I felt Danny and Matt were the standouts from a purely musical perspective. But music is as much subjective as it is objective and we are all free to be touched by whomever we like. Being in my 40′s, I must say Kris does not apeal to me at all. I think the 12 year old girls voted him in. How else to you explain that he won, while the crowds have been at least 10 to 1 in favor of Adam………I still don’t understand that one.

zane ” Being in my 40′s, I must say Kris does not apeal to me at all. I think the 12 year old girls voted him in. How else to you explain that he won, while the crowds have been at least 10 to 1 in favor of Adam’ ¦’ ¦’ ¦I still don’t understand that one.”

Being in my early 20′s I can splain, peeps who are professional musicians get and appreciate a winner like Kris, he completes us, haha. I didn’t grow up with Zeppelin and Bowie and from what I saw of Bowie he was an elegant performer, Adam is not. Believe it or not, some people like a more subtle and introspective artists some others like loud and showy, there is no objectivity in artistic tastes. Some people don’t like Bethoven and objectively he was a musical genius.

Loved the recap, Tatiana I ditto most everything.

Zane – What is your definition of “musical”? Just curious … first I thought you might mean using instruments (Matt) but then you include Danny. So maybe you can explain. To me, Adam is the most musical because of the beautiful, clear, ethereal tone of his voice – even more amazing when you hear him in person – and his incredible range. If you mean the craft of singing, then I would still say Adam because he knows exactly how to get the most effect out of his voice, his enunciation is perfection, he knows when to reign his voice in and when to just blast it (and when he blasts it, it’s musical – definitely not screaming), and he chooses songs that showcase his voice. His vocals are exquisite, his performance skills are superb. I was at Staples in floor section 2, row 2 center and there were no vocal distortions or glitches in audio in any of his songs from that vantage point. For WLL and SR the fans were rocking out but for the slower Bowie Medley, Starlight, and Mad World, the floor was hushed as though everyone wanted to HEAR him clearly. His set was awesome!

Anya – I think Adam is the epitome of elegance. He’s very graceful, there’s nothing jarring or forced in what he does. It’s interesting that Richard Rushfield (LA Times) twittered that he feels Adam’s Bowie Medley is better than Bowie himself because that was actually the conclusion reached by the 25 year olds who were at the concert with me.

Of course, you’re so right about music being personal and we all have different tastes. I love Kris’ speaking voice (very low register which surprises me), he’s a very talented guitar player, but I wish he would include another number in addition to Hey Jude (which he uses as a sing along) where he’s not playing an instrument. I actually liked him better on Idol when he just sang – I think he connects better that way. His set seemed a little frantic to me, jumping from one instrument to the next, almost like the instruments are a safety barrier for him. Just saying – and it is my personal taste, I know. I just tend to focus more on vocals rather than the instruments … apologies to instrumentalists, sorry.

Anya, if you are a professional musician you really should learn how to spell Beethoven. (sorry- cheap shot, I couldn’t resist) (I’m the last one who should be picking on spelling) — You are right, objectivly Beethoven was a musical genius. By that same standard, Kris is a very elementary musician. I too am a professional musician and a music teacher. What I mean by musical (to answer Janie) is what apears to be a superior knowledge of music theory. All of your arguements in favor of Adam are your opinion. Not objective facts. I’m talking about the use of harmony, texture, rhythm, form, musical analysis, composition, melodies, and musical choices. I suspect Danny has had training in music theory as does Matt and Scott. Danny impresses me with very interesting and musically sophisticated choices. You can like Adam, or Kris, that’s great– but from a technical perspective Adam relies on a big naturaly gifted voice and theatrics. Kris apears to be self taught. His guitar solo at the end of the show was downright rudimentary. That’s okay, I don’t mean to put them down. You can like the Jonas Brothers and Myley Cyrus if thats your thing. If they give you joy that’s terrific. That is why there is different music for different people. I perfer Luther Vandross, Barbara Streisand and Danny Gokey, while others prefer David Bowie and Adam Lambert. Unfortunately, the AI format has put them in a competitive situation. I am merelying saying I perfer Danny and Matt given my background in music theory. I wish them all well. I wish you well also.

Anya, I still don’t understand how Kris got more votes than Adam though. You explained to me why you like Kris better than Adam but that does not explain the HUGE desparity in the crowds favoring Adam. How do you account for that desparity?

Hi, Zane, both Danny and Adam did not go to college; as far as I know Danny has zero vocal training. His family instilled the love of music in him but all of his experience is as a church worship leader so he has said in interviews that he was at a disadvantage in the competition because he doesn’t know other types of mucis and could not easily make song selections. Adam has had years of vocal training in classes, workshops, and actual performances. There is no way that Danny is more musical than Adam … even my sister who is an over-the-top Danny lover agrees. In her opinion, they both have God-given talent and Danny would not even pretend to be more musical than Adam. In fact, he’s probably learning from Adam as the tour continues.

Thank you for your explanation of what you mean by musicality .. but I think Adam is superior in all of these areas and his Idol performances are lessons in all of these things. I also don’t see any difference between what you said and what I said … but I’m just a layman so maybe there’s something I’m missing. Maybe we need to agree to disagree as I think we are in a way both coming at this from a fan standpoint. But I think if you asked any number of vocal instructors which person has the superior vocals and musicality, the vast majority would say Adam does.

Some links in case you’re interesed. In the first article, director/choreograher Ray Limon says Adam is the first and only vocal workshop participant that he didn’t give “notes” to … and Adam was in high school at the time. The second one is a critique of Adam’s voice and performance skills by opera experts.

http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-05-18/things-to-do/adam-lamberts-theater-days-are-fondly-remembered

http://www.adamlambertfansite.org/page/Opera experts rate ‘Idol’s’  Adam Lambert

and if you haven’t already done so, you need to listen to the youtube Brigadoon performance Adam did with Houston Under the Stars in 2004 (age 22) – this was recorded live in an actual performance, not in a studio with multiple takes … just listen, please, and then talk about musicality!

Thanks, Zane – I enjoyed the discourse

Janie,

I was not trying to convince you that Danny is better than Adam. I could never do that. You love Adam, that’s great. I like him too. In terms of musicality, I’m talking about the actual choice of notes. If you were to turn their voices into a saxaphone and transcribe their notes on to a piece of sheet music and study them appliying music theory, experts (like myself) would find Danny’s chioces quite sophisticated. That’s what I’m talking about in terms of being musical. A voice coach would not see things from this perspective nor would an opera singer for that matter. A musician would and a composer would. Voice teahcers look at tone, timber, resonance, airflow, etc. They know very little if anything about music theory. So we are really talking about two different sets of criteria. I am happy for you that Adam entertains you so much. It’s great to find an artist that touches you, I would never try and talk you out of that. My wife screamed like a 14 year old girl when we saw Adam perform. I hope you enjoy him for years to come. Give my best to your sister!

Thanks, Zane, I kept coming back here to see if you’d find my last post! I am definitely out of my element trying to be technical about something I don’t know too much about so thanks for bearing with me. If Danny does what you say he does, then it’s completely instinctual – so more power to him, I guess! Were you at Staples? I’m afraid that I was somewhat of a screamer there for Adam like your wife was! I was so glad to have two tweens next to me so we screamed along together!!
Since no one else will probably come back to this thread, I’ll stick my neck out and say I agree with you about the voting. I’m whispering this now because I can’t stand the hate this statement could generate, but I totally agree with you about the season’s outcome. After seeing the tour live, my opinion is even stronger … in addition to my sister, I went with two mid-twenty year olds who have strong backgrounds in voice, performance, and know the music scene, but they don’t watch the show. They are in awe of you-know-who and can’t believe how ordinary that other guy is.
All the best to you, too! (I’m hoping you and your wife watched the Brigadoon youtube?)

Hi Again,

I freelance in the A&R dept’s for several different labels, and I find it extremely helpfull to work these blogs and engage people in conversation to learn about opinions etc. You are particualrly pleasent. I’ve enjoyed meeting you. As a musician and teacher of several years, AI is not really my cup of tea but I follow it beceause it is my business to follow it. That said, I certainly form opinions and find myself completely hooked before I know it. After the second day in Hollywood week it was apparent to me that Adam and Danny were clearly the two “best.” Obviously, taste plays a big role, and you have to remember this is a popularity contest and who is voting. Would a Frank Sinatra have gotten more votes than Kris Allen? I don’t think so and Frank Sinatra is one of the greatest popular singers of all time. We did go to Staples and enjoyed the show. (aside from Danny and Adam, I thought Allison should have been in the top 3) This will have to be my last post as I have work piling up. Thanks for your insight. I wish you well. As a teacher, I have to leave you with one last bit about “musicality.” If you can find somewhere the AI episode from Hollywood group weak. Check out Danny’s group. Danny directed the group -they sang four part harmony with quite interesting melodies and they integrated several different parts and even some counterpoint. Counterpoint is basicly the relationship between two or more differnt parts that are independent in contour and rhythm while being interdependent harmonically. Harmony is the relationship between different notes that make up a chord. Realize that Danny gave them each their parts and put the piece together you’ll see what I mean about him being “musical.” Good luck to you, again. It’s been a pleasure. I’ll send my wife the link to Adam, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.