Jason saw the Idols in Houston TX. Hey lady who lent Jason your camera so he could take photos? Could you put them up on face book already? Heh.
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My name is Jason and I am a huge American Idol fan and have watched live since Season 6. I sent my recap last year for the amazing Season 8 and while I didn’t feel Season 9 was anywhere close to Season 8 televised wise, I still really enjoyed this Season. Sorry if this is kind of late, I am recently getting over mono and didn’t have the strength to type it.
We went to the Houston show. My favorite this year was Aaron Kelly, followed by Siobhan Magnus and Crystal Bowersox. I also enjoyed Lee DeWyze, Katie Stevens, Didi Benami and Tim Urban. I’ve been to 4 Idol concerts, Season 6-9 and have enjoyed them all. This one I felt was the best because of how close I was. I was 2nd row in the front and saw all the Idols up close and got to interact with them. I had a blast! I went with my sister, whose favorite was Lee DeWyze. She enjoyed the show as well.
Didi Benami: I have always liked Didi, ever since her audition. I feel she has such a unique voice and showcased it well on the tour. Her set was subdued but she sounded very good. Her first song “Lay it on Me” was nice but kind of forgettable whereas “Terrified” I felt was more authentic. I loved it just like I did on the show, even if it wasn’t acoustic. I still feel with the right songs, Didi can be a hit in the current music scene, kind of like Colbie Caillat.
Andrew Garcia: I never really liked Andrew on the show. I felt he was good up until Hollywood ended, then lost side of who he is as an artist. But, I have to say I enjoyed him live. His voice does sound good live, reminds me kind of like Taio Cruz, the singer of “Break Your Heart.” “Straight Up” was a good performance, but again I kind of wished it would have been acoustic just like he performed it on the show. “Sunday Morning” was a big crowd pleaser and he sounded very good on it. He was so much better live than on television I thought.
Katie Stevens: I was really impressed with Katie. She has a much more powerful voice live than she showed on the show. She has a beautiful tone and really worked the stage. My sister liked her voice but was turned off by her attitude on stage, the way she performed. I guess she came over cold, but I still really love her voice and felt “Here We Go Again” was the right song to give her recognition that she could be a future Disney star. “Fighter” was a great song choice for me, since Christina Aguilera is my favorite singer of all time. Katie has big pipes to pull it off, thankfully and ended her set with a bang.
Tim Urban: Tim has a very good voice live, not going to lie. I don’t know why the judges were so harsh on him almost all season. He has a nice tone and felt much more relaxed live than on television. His first song, “Better Days” is a great song but I’m not sure it was the right song to pick for a concert. He sounded good though. I much preferred “Viva La Vida” as it got the crowd going and was a great sing-a-long song. The only thing I would have suggested is if he moved around more, as I felt Tim, Andrew and Didi kind of just stood there but again that’s kind of their persona and the way they represent themselves as on the show so it wasn’t very surprising. Still I very much enjoyed Tim.
Siobhan Magnus: Love, love, love “Paint It Black.” It was amazing! Siobhan just stood there and sang like a superstar. The big note she held at the end had to be around 40 seconds, I was impressed. “Her second song “Spiderwebs” was a fun song, even though I didn’t really know it, she had me up dancing. She kept looking at me and smiling so that was pretty cool. She has great poise and presence on stage. Her last song “Stockholm Syndrome” was an interesting choice. I like Muse and can see Siobhan singing this type of music. She sounded a bit nasally on this song, but still sounded really good. I felt she really put on a good show and I could see her headline her own concert and I will be there!
Aaron Kelly: My favorite Aaron is up! His whole set was fantastic. He had me dancing from “Somebody Like You” and looked at me as well and smiled. He sounded even better live, his tone is beautiful. The one thing I felt he didn’t accomplish on the show was move around and perform more. But, he more than made up for it on tour! “Walking in Memphis” was a cool song and he sounded great on it as well. I love the song and feel like Aaron could record a version of it now and it would be a hit on contemporary country music. Aaron closed his set with “Fast Cars and Freedom” which is a great song. Love me some Rascal Flatts. I’m a country singer as well and both me and Aaron have the same influences like Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban, I believe this is another reason why I became attached to him this season. He’s a genuinely nice guy with a great voice. We need a young country guy singer on radio, since there isn’t one. I’m tired of hearing Taylor Swift all the time, with the same love or breakup songs repeating over and over.
Group Performance: I love “The Climb” it’s my favorite Miley Cyrus song. I thought all their voices blended beautifully. I liked how they started with Andrew, Didi and Tim on guitars, then let Aaron, Katie and Siobhan with their solos. It was nice to see Aaron come full circle, singing the same song he auditioned with.
Michael Lynche: Michael has a very solid voice, and he was always consistent on the show. The one problem I had with him is that he is way over the top. All aside “This Woman’s Work” was a lovely performance. He built it up quite nicely, even though I prefer the version from the show. “Ready for Love” felt authentic and again a nice vocal, yet I felt like he was becoming kind of boring with all the slow songs and energy. Once he sang “My Love” he really picked things up and left on a high note. I can see him as a viable r&b artist, yet another side says Broadway to me, which isn’t necessary a bad thing.
Casey James: I never liked Casey on the show. He was my least favorite. Seeing him live though, I could really see his appeal. He has charisma, great guitar skills and can work a crowd. His voice does sound better live, although I still believe his guitar skills beats out his vocal skills, yet he was good. My favorite performance was “Don’t” by Shania Twain. I felt he got to cap into his vulnerability and gave a solid performance. “I Got Mine” and “It’s All Over Now” were two performances that got the crowd going. The only thing I hoped for was that he moved around stage more, as I felt he just stood there for the most part. But again, seeing him live in concert changed my perspective on him; I could see him as a star.
Crystal Bowersox: Speaking of stars, Crystal has a bright future. She has such a unique gift, and I felt she should have won between her and Lee. I do really like Lee as well, but felt more coming from Crystal when she sang. “What’s Up” was amazing. I love the song, and she did it justice. She worked the crowd great and has massive appeal. “Come to My Window” is right down her alley and she showed the kind of artist she can be. “Up to the Mountain” was a beautiful vocal and really showed off her range. Someone brought out a huge jug of water for her to drink, and she said “Everything is bigger in Texas!” She was very personable and “Piece of My Heart” was a great closure from a great singer/performer.
Lee DeWyze: Now it’s time for the winner of Season 9. Lee has a very good voice and he is definitely unique. He roamed the stage and worked the crowd well, I just felt like I wanted more. “Beautiful Day” was a different version than the one from the show and I didn’t like it as much, honestly. I wasn’t really familiar with “Rocket Man” and again thought it was okay. “Hallelujah” was probably my favorite performance of his. It was beautiful on the show and once again, a very nice vocal. “Treat Her Like A Lady” was my favorite performance of Lee’s on the show and thought the live version was just as good. I don’t like the song “Use Somebody” and feel it is overplayed but I can see Lee going for this sort of style. Kind of a pop/rock sound, it really suits him.
We left during the finale to go get out spots to meet the Idols. We met these two drunken ladies who were huge Lee/Casey fans. They went to a bar and said I could use their camera to take pictures with the Idols because mine had died. They said to return it to the hotel and they would post them on Facebook and I could see them. They never did and it really sucks because I can never see the pictures I took with Aaron, Tim, Siobhan and Andrew. I guess you can’t really trust some people. At least I got to meet them and interact with the Idols so that’s good. I got all of their autographs.
First out was Lee and he was super nice. He really is very genuine and sweet. Next was Andrew and he was super nice as well, taking a picture with me. Michael was very nice as well, and switched caps with a fan. Finally, I met Aaron and he told me he remembered me dancing! He smiled and took a picture with me. I told him “he needs to be signed to a country label soon.” He said he is in talks with someone right now! Aaron was amazing. Then I met Siobhan and she told me she remembered me dancing too! She was so funny, she said “did you notice me, noticing you, noticing me!?” Haha! She stayed around the longest, like 5 minutes because a big fan of hers was there. I got a picture with Siobhan, which was awesome. She was sweet. Next was Tim and I got a picture with him. He was so nice and told me “I like your hair man!” Haha, I have the same type of style hair Tim has so that was pretty cool! Crystal was next and I told her she is amazing and can’t wait to buy her album. She thanked me and said she couldn’t wait to record it. Katie was next and she was kind of rude, people thought. She wouldn’t take pictures and was rushing. I thought she was nice, I told her I loved her voice and that she reminded me of a young Christina Aguilera. She said, “thank you, that’s my favorite artist.” I told her that was mine too. Didi was next and I told her I loved her voice and she looked at me and smiled, thanking me. She is really beautiful in person. All of them looked different in person. Lastly was Casey who came out with his mom and couldn’t stay out long because it was his hometown concert and family was there. He signed my picture and was nice.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the concert very much and even though this past season got mixed reviews, there is a lot of talent there and I encourage everyone to go see the concert before it ends this month!
