Another fantastic recap! AZIdolFan reviews Thursday’s Idols Live show in Phoenix, AZ
***
Overall it was a great show.
I (39 turning 40 in less than a month) went with my brother (46) to this year’s American Idols Live!
I had to drive up to Phoenix from Tucson. I left work at 4:45pm. I did my best time, an hour and 20 minutes from my house to my brother’s house in Scottsdale. So after he took forever getting ready we left. It took over 30 minutes to get from his house to freaking downtown! Then it took forever to park and find will call. (I had never been to this arena. All the other AI concerts have been at the Glendale Arena. Don’t know why they moved it.)
So we finally headed inside just as the concert is starting. People are still being seated during Didi’s first song, which sounded “just ok” to me. So finally I’m all comfy in my seat when she starts her second song, Terrified. I absolutely loved it!!! She sings it wonderfully and she looked so pretty. So I wanted to take pictures. So what happens, afkjwrjafreakingakdfjakd memory card error. I was so pissed. So Didi thanks us for being a great audience and she takes off.
Next up is Andrew. YAY!!! He got lots of cheers. Straight up was really awesome!!! Sunday Morning was really good too. He told people to stand and I was surprised when so many people did. Again we got told how great we were and he was off. Andrew got a really good crowd response. I was very pleased with that but still pissed off about the camera and not being able to get video.
Next up was my brother’s favorite girl Katie. So now my brother’s name is Chester because he kept saying how hot she was and I’m like “Dude she’s like 16 or 17.” (How old is she really?) Anyways Katie and her FM boots sang well enough. I feel she is trying to hard to be rocker-pop chick when really she is pop-AC princess type of girl to me. So finally fixed my camera and got some good shots of her. (I blew on the memory card. How stupid is that!)
Next up is my guy, Timmeh! He’s so pretty in person. He doesn’t talk a lot, actually the whole first acts don’t talk a lot. He does the first song, Better Days. I think he sounds great. He gets a crowd at the front of the stage and then security comes and breaks them up before the song is done. I felt bad for the little girls who just wanted to see him closer. Then he does the Coldplay song and I liked the first song better. I wish he had done a more up-tempo tune and moved a little more. (does Tim dance well?)
So next up is Siobhan. I really wish I can say she sounded amazing and I was blown away but I can’t. She sounded just like she did on the show. So if you liked her on the show you would like her live. I didn’t like her on the show so live…. I liked her outfit. I was very sad she lost the little black wispy thing on her wrist and skirt after the first song. My brother liked her big black boots. So we cheered for the boots. The paint it black scream thing sounded to me like it was computer enhanced and that’s why it was so long. (sorry jmho.) but it was cool nonetheless. Spider web was fun-ish. I have never heard her last song but I have a feeling I would like it better. I couldn’t understand sh*t of what she was singing. And I liked her last pose, Very dramatic! (Very Poser!)
Aaron got lots and lots of screams. And lots of little girls dancing, which was very cute. I actually enjoyed him, some. I feel Aaron still needs some growing up to do but he has vastly improved. Oh, and the hip shaking gyrating move still makes me laugh. I also find it amusing that he didn’t sing any songs from the show. (I think it’s because all the songs he sang on the show pretty much sucked.) So finally the 1st half (or bottom 6) sing their little group song which was ok. I got a good shot of Didi and Andrew so I was happy.
My bro takes off to get a beer and hot dog and water for me. It was flipping hot in the arena. Our theory is they didn’t turn the AC lower than 90 to save money. (Hey they had to save money somewhere if they are selling $10 tickets.) I watched some of the commercials they had the Top 10 do. I noticed for the AT&T commercial Casey did a lot of the talking for the spot. Boy has some acting chops. I was surprised.
2nd Half starts with Big Mike. I don’t like Big Mike. I think he is SUPER cheesy. I think he is a poor man’s Ruben Studdard. I like his opening few notes and that’s it. But good news for Mike fans, the people next to me and in front of me got video of him (so that means some people who are not big o’meanies like me like him).
Then Casey moseys up to the mic, literally. No big entrance. I guess he’s not that type of person. He does his awesome guitar playing. Then he does Don’t, which I really really love. Then he sings with Big Mike which I don’t mind cause Casey sounds so great I forget Mike is there. Then Casey does his last song, which was super awesome! I can’t get a decent shot of him because I’m on his right side and that’s where his hair hangs. L My brother is super impressed with him. Says he didn’t know he was that of an amazing guitarist. Sometime during his set he tells us that today is a special day for him because he found out he got signed. So we all cheered. Tears may have even welled up in my eyes a little, maybe. Then he walks off the stage in the some way he walked on. Very casually.
Then my girl Crystal comes out. YAY!!! You could tell how happy she is to be touring. The first song was GREAT! Then comes the tech guy with her harmonica. She warms up doing the ‘You Are My Sunshine’ song. (My brother tells me it has every note for the harmonica so that’s why she used that song to warm up. See, I learn something new everyday.) Then she sings Come To My Window. I don’t love it but I do like it. Then she gets rid of everything and does Up To The Mountain, which is just gorgeous. It does seem weird that she doesn’t have anything in her hands during this song. She needs to figure out what to do with her hands during this song besides awkwardly clap. Oh, before that song she says, “I hear little voices for me.” and runs to the front of the stage to give guitar picks to some girls who were gathered there. (Oh yeah, security totally let people gather by the barricades for the second half. Whatever. Poor Tim.) So Crystal ends her time on stage with Piece of My Heart, which again was really good. So tech guy comes out and walks Crystal off stage. At first I thought he was just gonna take her stuff and go but no, he helps her down the steps on the side to go backstage. Is Crystal alright? Is she having problems with her diabetes right now? I’m very concerned. My brother told me he just helped her so she wouldn’t fall but she didn’t even have heels on. I’m still very concerned. Maybe I’m just being a silly willy.
So we finally get to Lee. (Disclaimer: I’m a Crystal fan. I voted for Crystal. I do not hate Lee but I also do not love him. Read At Your Own Mental Health Risk) I didn’t recognize the first song until I heard the words Beautiful Day and I’m like “wow, he REALLY changed it up.” I kinda liked it. And then he does Rocket Man and Hallelujah and I noticed something. ALL THE SONGS ARE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME!!!! HE GOES FROM LOUD TO LOUDER AND IT DOESN’T EVER STOP OR CHANGE!!! My brother tells me later that his ears were ringing because Lee was so loud. I really really really wish he had done a slow mellow song to give me (and my brother) a break. Hallelujah was really good. My favorite was Treat Her Like A Lady. My least favorite was Use Somebody. I’m sorry but it was bad. It felt like he didn’t get the song or something. It was a little upsetting to hear the song ruined like that. You can tell Lee is still growing and learning. That’s not a bad thing. I wish him well.
I got some crowd pictures. It was pretty full. I was surprised. I would say about 93% full but the top tier was closed off so I didn’t count that.
And then the last group song. All the boys looked so pretty. And the four girls looked so cute. Crystal and Lee looked adorable holding hands. I finally got a good pic of Casey and my last pic of Tim and the concert finished. I got my keychain at the merch table and we were out. (not a lot of people buying stuff.) I was in my bed by 1 am. I did real good time on my drive back down to Tucson.
It may seem that I didn’t enjoy myself but really I did. Me and my brother had a lot of fun and all 10 of them sounded really really good (some more than others). I would recommend going especially if you can get a good price on the tickets. J I can’t wait for next year!!!
