July 8 Worcester Massachusetts Show

Update:  Abilymom’s Recap

Abilymom’s Recap 7/8/06

All decked out in my “got soul?” t-shirt, Abilydad and I arrived at the DCU about an hour ahead of time.  This was my first AI tour so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, even though I’d read all the recaps and play-by-plays. There were MANY pre-teen and teenaged girls, many women of all ages for that matter.  Interspersed here and there were slightly lost and dazed-looking men.  Abilydad, though, was up to the challenge, considering he had no choice but to become a Taylor fan what with the constant Taylor music and discussion.  He’s good and supportive like that!

Anyhoo, we had decent seats. I could see well but our zoom lens didn’t make for very good pictures.  And if I see another Poptart, real or a man dressed in a foam one, I will become violent.

First up on the tinfoil and cardboard stage, MANDISA!  She sounded gooooood, weak in the low register as she was on the show, but amazingly powerful in the higher ranges.  Her “I’m Every Woman” and “If I Was Your Woman” dedicated to Ruben were excellent.  She didn’t seem as big in person as she did on TV.  Ace came out on stage to sing some song with “Angel” in the title.  They sounded very good together.

ACE was up next.  He had on a tight t-shirt (what a surprise) and a jacket.  The jacket slowly came off during his fantastic rendition of “Father Figure”.  Remember when he sang that during the show and was considered one of the front-runners to win?  What happened to him?  Because I have to say he was the pleasant surprise of the evening.  His voice sounded strong and pure, a little boy-bandish so not quite my thing, but Abilydad and I thoroughly enjoyed him.  I really am curious why he didn’t sound that great to me on the show, nerves or just song choice, I don’t know.  But “Father Figure” and “Harder to Breathe” were both excellent.  Oh, and the stage guys messed up and put Bucky’s name on the big screen instead of Ace’s.  Abilydad and I giggled about that.


Next up LISA TUCKER.  Her “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” was meh.  She sounded OK but was lost on the stage.  When she sat at the piano and sang “Your Song” and “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” she was much, much better and in her element.  (An aside, I’d love to here Taylor sing “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”.)  PARIS joined her onstage for TLC’s “Waterfalls”.  Their choreography was cute and the song was good.

PARIS’ turn onstage.  First was “Midnight Train to Georgia”.  As Ace was our pleasant surprise of the evening, Paris was our disappointment.  She shouted “HEY!!” way to often and I enjoyed Lisa’s voice much more than hers.  Her Beyonce song was just OK to me.

BUCKY came out onstage singing “Superstitious”.  Cute, loveable, mostly unintelligible Bucky.  He was sweet and decent.  But I have to admit that I chose my run to the ladies’ room during his performance.  I missed “Drift Away” but could hear it and it was good.  Saw the end of “You’re the One That I Want” with Kellie.  Abilydad and I thought it was cute.

Next up, KELLIE!  I could listen to this girl talk all day.  Her wonderful personality is riveting, too bad her singing voice isn’t.  All of her personality drains out of her when she starts to sing.  Her face and eyes become vacant, and she marches back and forth around the stage aimlessly.  She told a really nice and touching story about how lucky she is to have all her fans.  She’d found out at 7:00 AM that her granddaddy had a “severe heart attack” and had a stent put in but he should be OK.  She said she almost wasn’t going to share this story.  As she left the hotel this morning, three little girls were waiting for her.  Their mom said “Say who your favorite Idol is!” and they all said “Kellie Pickler”.  She said that cheered her up immensely.  Kellie must have hooked them up with front row seats because they were right in front and she pointed them out.  They were shown up on the big screens!


INTERMISSION

DAUGHTRY is up next (props to hwc).  The crowd went crazy.  It was loud, loud, loud between the crowd and the music.  He opened with “Whole Lotta Love” by Zeppelin.  It was excellent.  Next was “Renegade” which is such a great rock song.  He rocked it out!  Then “Wanted, Dead or Alive”.  I really don’t like this song or his vibrato in it, but the crowd did!  Then his duet with Elliott.  I didn’t catch the name of the song,  [“Savin’ Me”] but I’m sure you all already know what it is.  Anyway, it was fantastic.  Abilydad really, really liked it a lot.

ELLIOTT’S turn.  He started with some Luther song and I confess, I took this time for another run to the ladies room.  It was good, but I couldn’t chance missing any Taylor!  I loved Moody’s, he sounded great and the crowd was totally supportive and into it.  The crowd was just a little quieter for him, but also the songs weren’t as loud as for DAUGHTRY.  Elvis’ Trouble was up next.  I love his rendition of this and enjoyed all of his performances more than I thought I would.  He still needs to work on stage presence, but how can you not love him?

BOY’S SONG, Patience.  DAUGHTRY explains that Kat is sick with laryngitis.  The crowd is quiet.  They start singing.  It’s excellent, but has a very sad feel to it.  When they show Katherine’s montage, it feels like she died or something.  I think the combination of knowing she’s sick, the melancholy song, and the montage causes this.   If they did “She’s a Beauty” by the Tubes or something, it wouldn’t have that feel to it, IMHO.  Ace makes this song pop more than the others when he sings the high part at the end.  He’s powerful and good!

GIRL’S SONG… is making me wait longer for Taylor.  Get off the damn stage!!  Anyway, they sang some woman song and it was meh.  And Mandisa, I love you girl, but the jeans have got to go!!!!


FINALLY!!  What I’ve waited for for weeks!!!  I hear the first notes to Jailhouse Rock and I squeeee like a teenybopper.  I had hoped that TAYLOR was going to enter from my side, but he entered directly across the arena from us L.  He sounds great and the crowd is nuts.  EVERYONE is up on their feet for the first time of the night!  It’s electric in the arena.  He’s wearing a black shirt with a black jacket that has a dark pattern in it.
He starts singing “Hollywood Nights”.  I really, really don’t like Bob Seger or this song, but if anyone can make me like it, it’s Taylor.  And I do.  He looks supremely confident out on stage.  He owns the song and the stage.  His voice is strong and clear.

Next, the Wilson Picket song (don’t know the title).  The meaning of the song is perfect for him.  It’s just a theory, but I think that’s why he sang it more than the actual music.  I enjoyed it, as did the crowd.

I may be getting my song order slightly mixed up at this point, but I think the next song was “Livin’ for the City”.  I always enjoy him singing this.  He’s great, all over the stage, and I smile when he works a little bit of “Soul Thing” into the middle of it.  I feel like he’s winking at all of the Soul Patrol in the audience, and I’m winkin’ back, baby!  Whoooo, Soul Patrol!!

Next is “What’s Goin’ On” by Marvin Gaye.  Love the song, love his voice singing the song.

My favorite song of the night is next with the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down”.  Wow, did I love this arrangement. This was the MOMENT of the concert for me.  I love watching him play guitar.

I didn’t notice him pulling away from the mic too early tonight.  I was looking for it and didn’t notice it.  Maybe he corrected it already or maybe it’s a function of a better sound system.  His voice did not crack at all.  It sounded strong, healthy, and SEXAYYYYY!!


Next, DIMYP.  Everyone is on their feet, many singing with him.  As his montage plays, people started cheering as though they are congratulating him again for his victory.  He dedicated the song to the troops, but I think people still relate it to him and are telling him, “Yep, you did make us proud!”  He sounds great, much more comfortable with the song than during AI.  He hits all the notes effortlessly.

Encore:  TITTS  Everyone’s on their feet again, dancing to the song.  Taylor lets loose on this one, and gets his most dancey (not over the top, though).  The crowd ROARS when he brings out the harmonica.  I wish he had played it more, but it was great when he did.

Everyone but Taylor for “We Are the Champions”.  Nice, we liked it.  DAUGHTRY sounds good.

Livin’ in America, fun with the pointy posing.  Many shout outs to Worcester.  BTW, earlier Bucky tried to say “Massachusetts” but it came out as “Massatuchetts”.  God love him for trying, though.  Taylor points to each and every Idol and says their name so they get applause.  Points to the band so they get the same.  It’s over and I’m sad it is.  But I loved it!

Taylor first, then DAUGHTRY, Elliott and Ace owned the show tonight in descending order.  The crowd was into them.  It felt like everyone had their favorites, but all joined together in the Taylor love.  I really felt that.

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Here are some highlights from last night’s show recaps posted in the comments section:

  • Worcester DJ’s were reporting that in Manchester Taylor and Chris made two Walmart runs. They stayed awhile buying stuff for the bus and chatting.
  • Kellie’s grandfather had a severe heart attack. Kellie found out at 7:00 AM. She was trying not to break up when she spoke about it at the show. The doctors put a stint in and he’s doing OK.
  • During Ace’s performance of Father Figure, they showed Bucky’s name on the big screen instead of Ace’s
  • Katharine McPhee’s merchandise was finally available.  Up until last night,  only glossy photos of Kat were for sale.  Last night, she had t-shirts, pins, posters, the works. Just as much as Taylor since the final two have their own merchandise.
  • Taylor dedicated “Do I Make You Proud” to the troops.
  • At the end of the show, Taylor gave a shout out to each performer.  When he got to Chris, instead of saying Chris, he said “Daughtry!” (perhaps a joke at the expense of Chris’s tattoo? Hee)
  • Kellie dropped “Bohemian Rhapsody”.  “The Only One” was back in her set.
  • Some folks found out (from last night) which door Taylor would enter to make his “Jailhouse Rock” appearance.  There was a crowd of girls waiting for him there.
  • The consensus seems to be that the show is getting better and better…

Thanks abilymom, madison, and folkgirl.  Thanks, flea, for the videos