Check out Molly’s take on last night’s concert in New York City
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Hey guys! I’m 18 and I’ve been watching Idol since Season 5, and have seen every concert from 5-9. I know this season took a lot of heat in the media and with a lot of fans, but I actually really enjoyed this year and was super excited for the tour. Oh, and as a side note Lee has been my favorite since Top 24 : )
I decided to brave the 95 degree heat and try and meet the Idols before the show (I’d never tried to meet them other years, before or after). I waited 5 hours, but alas no one came out. There were about 20-30 of us waiting (some people left or disappeared and came back so the number fluctuated). I was pretty bummed, but I was still looking forward to hearing them sing!
I have to say, there was a really nice crowd there. The venue holds 15, 000, and everything except the upper deck was filled. There were people in the upper deck, but it was only a third full. But if you took away the nosebleeds it was pretty much sold out. It was an outside venue, right on the water. Kinda cool actually.
Didi, my 2nd favorite until her elimination, kicked off the show. Even though her songs weren’t ‘get the crowd going’ types of songs, I really enjoyed her. I loved “Terrified, ” I actually like her version better than the original.
Andrew came out next, and to be honest, he was my least favorite of the Top 10 on the show. However, he impressed me tonight. “Straight Up” lost a little of its magic with the full band playing, but I was still digging it. And “Sunday Morning” was a nice follow up that highlighted his voice. He definitely was better in person than on the show.
Next up was Katie, who was the first to get the crowd pretty interested. Her cover of the Demi Lovato song was energetic, and I think it was perfect given her age and ‘attitude’ she displays when she sings. “Fighter” was a great second song that showed a more mature side of Katie. The energy she showed was so good to see!
Tim came on after, and of course the girls screamed. I thought he did a pretty good job on “Better Days, ” and even on “Viva la Vida.” He’s fun to watch because he’s always smiling and happy! He didn’t blow me away or anything, but he was good. And he looked good : )
Siobhan came out to a cool intro, and went right into “Paint it Black, ” which was awesome. Even though I got annoyed sometimes for her using “the scream” so much on the show, it’s exciting to hear it in person. “Spiderwebs wasn’t as good as PIB, but I enjoyed it. Her last song, “Stockholm Syndrome” was super great. No, it’s not a typical American Idol concert song, but she rocked it! The headbanging was cool and the ending was epic.
Next up was some kid who sang country and walked the stage like he owned it. Oh, wait what? That was Aaron Kelly?! Aaron was terrific! His stage presence has improved immensely since the show, and he was right at home with the songs he chose. “Somebody Like You” was fun and energetic, and he was superb with “Walking in Memphis.” I’m telling you, this isn’t the same kid from Idol! He ended with “Fast Cars and Freedom” and he officially made me a fan! One thing he also did was cemented the fact that he is NOT Archie 2.0. He’s his own person with a totally different style, and he rocked it tonight!
Before intermission, the Top 10-5 came back out to sing “The Climb, ” a song I despise. But you know what? They made it sound good! The harmonies at the end? Loved it! Props to them for making a Miley Cyrus song sound so good.
Big Mike kicked off the second half of the show with “This Woman’s Work, ” and I could totally feel his emotion in this song. Since this venue was outdoors, the first half of the show was in daylight, which made things a little different than what I was used to for a concert. When Big Mike came on darkness had set in and the atmosphere in the arena had definitely changed. But anyway, I thought TWW was terrific. It was my favorite Mike song from the show, and he was fantastic on it in person as well. After he sang it, he told us that his wife and little girl were in the house, and it was his daughter’s first show! After hearing that I couldn’t help but think that his emotions during his first song were a little stronger tonight. Next Mike sang “Ready for Love, ” and even though it was slow, it was beautiful. I understand that he wanted to go up tempo with his last song, but I’m not sure if “My Love” was the right choice. It was fun to see him rap, however.
Next up was Casey James, who I wasn’t a fan of on the show. But his guitar skills? Sick. Ridiculous. And I was enjoying the singing too! “I Got Mine” was great. “Don’t” was nice – I’m glad he threw a more mellow song in – and it set the mood for Big Mike to come back on for the duet of HYELAW. The duet was actually kind of just eh for me. There were some pitch issues in the harmony part, and I don’t usually notice pitch too much. Casey then finished up with a Rolling Stones song, and once again I was really enjoying Casey – something I hadn’t done much of during the show! He impressed me, and I’m glad.
Crystal came out with “What’s Up?” and flat out rocked it. So cool to see her do live. I thought her “Come to My Window” was better than when she did it on the show, and I liked how she played the harmonica with it too. Then, right at the end of this, some group of four people comes out of nowhere (they must’ve decided to move up) and sits in the unoccupied seats behind us. They immediately start talking very loudly, as “Up to the Mountain” starts, and are both insulting Crystal and praising Crystal, and using expletives. Very loudly, just having their own conversation, and ruining the song since it was a softer one which made them very noticeable. My mom said something to them, which they ignored, of course. They later got into a verbal fight with a lady who was mad because they were the only ones standing and were blocking little kids. Thankfully “Piece of my Heart” drowned them out some, and while it wasn’t my favorite from Crystal, it was very good.
Now. Now it was time for Lee, and it was the first time my favorite was the winner. I was beyond excited! (Note: pardon my bias in this section) He started with a version of “Beautiful Day” that was a combo of his released single and the version he’s been doing on talk shows. It wasn’t the best – I would’ve preferred one of the other versions – but hey, Lee was finally here and it was his coronation song! Woo! He sang “Rocket Man” next, and hello awesomeness! I was loving it! Then, he preformed a sort-of rock version of “Hallelujah” that had me saying “Full choir?! Who needs them!” I had doubts about him singing this on tour but he put all of them to rest with this performance. And we still had the best to come! “Treat Her Like a Lady” was fantastic, and was extra special to me since it was the performance that made Simon say “your life may have just changed forever.” And, finally, he sang “Use Somebody, ” which was all kinds of epicness. All kinds. Everything I had hoped for in this song, he fulfilled. I absolutely love the way he says the line “I was roamin’ around…” So. Good. Lee Dewyze, you’re awesome. I will buy your album the day it comes out.
The show ended with the guys coming out for a quick chorus of “It’s My Life, ” the girls coming out for the beginning of MLWSWY, and then everyone joining in to finish the song. Yay for fun group songs! It sounded really good! Top 10, thanks for an awesome concert!
To conclude, I have NO IDEA why this tour isn’t selling. (Ok, that’s a lie, I do have an idea – the economy [$70 a ticket is too much for many], the bad press, the lack of a “star” etc.) What I mean is, this show was amazing! Honestly, I’m not kidding, it was my favorite Idol concert. Maybe that’s because coming in I liked the majority of them, maybe it’s because my favorite won, or maybe it’s because they were just that good! I don’t know, but if you’re not sure if you should go or not, I highly recommend going. But, if you do, you need to go in with at least an open mind. If you go in with a negative attitude about this season, I don’t think you’ll enjoy it as much.
So anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I hope you go and love the concert as much as I did!
