MaryS has been writing recaps since Season 5! So happy she’s back this year with another one. Read it below:
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A little background: I started watching American Idol in season 5 and this is my third Idol tour concert, having attended in seasons 5, 8 and now 9. I’ve liked at least one Idol every season, but I liked most of this Top 10. I thought this season was underrated (for me personally) and so I was not surprised they put on a great live show.
Logistics: NJ Transit had clusters of parents, grandparents and kids going to the Idol concert on the train. There were plenty of hand-made fan shirts and, buzz or no buzz, these kids were every bit as enthusiastic as kids who went to the concerts in previous seasons.
Security at the Prudential Center was efficient and polite as usual and when I made it inside (nobody was stopped from taking video during the show that I could see), immediately found the merchandise table which was doing a brisk business. I purchased the promised headshot of Tim for my daughter who couldn’t come with me this year because she’s at camp, a headshot of Casey for me, (don’t judge… He’ll look so nice in my office!) a glow stick and a program: 45 bucks. Then, armed with my Idol stuff, I raced to find my seat.
My seat was in section B – row 24, on the floor in the center closest to the stage; not bad but kind of hard to get good pictures from so far back unless you have a big zoom lens on the camera (which I don’t). For the past couple weeks I’ve been watching Ticketmaster because there are usually seats really close to the stage that open up closer to the event. This season, the best I could find were further off to side of the stage so I didn’t buy them.
I figured when I got there if there were a lot of open seats up front I’d sneak a little closer if I could. However, that was not to be because the Pru was packed! I wouldn’t say it was totally full; there were some empty seats here and there, but it was a really good turnout for the Idols that made me happy for them. The NYC Metro area is very Idol-friendly!
As it turned out, a familiar face to Idoloonies was sitting in seat right behind mine: Jim Cantiello, aka @jambajim! I said “Hey! I know you!” to which he looked a bit alarmed, as he clearly doesn’t know me, but we sorted it out and I think he knew I wasn’t a crazy stalker. I asked if he was tweeting the concert and he said that he was. He said “I have to be nice because a bunch of the Idols follow me…”, which I agreed was good (I like “nice” Jim Cantiello). I asked some other questions… like his time and place of birth, social security number, street address, the square root of 963, the best recipe for making margaritas… just kidding. I tried not to scare him by letting him know that he’s now my new celebrity boyfriend, because that would be creepy and totally uncool.
I bought a $4 bottle of water and passed on the $3 bag of pretzel M&M (gone are the days of free pop tarts) and it’s on to the show!
The show: I had problems with my devices and while I was still flailing around with my %$^&#*ing phone, Didi Benami’s set started. One minute the band was warming up and the next she was there and singing a song I’d never heard before. Didi looked really pretty on TV but she is stunning in person. She was one of my favorites in Hollywood, and I like her jazzy tone. I think she made some song choices on Idol that didn’t serve her well but I really like her vibe. Didi was gracious and upbeat and her set was as chill and sweet as a glass of Southern sweet tea on a hot summer day… her voice sounded lovely but I would have preferred to see her perform these songs in a more intimate venue.
Favorite Didi performance: “Terrified”. I’d buy this on iTunes if it were available.
Next up Andrew Garcia: I wasn’t a fan of Andrew’s on the show and when he left the show I thought it was long overdue. Wearing a newsboy cap and laid-back street clothes, I wasn’t expecting much from Andrew’s set. His set was my most pleasant surprise. He’s got a really rich voice when he’s on. I really liked the full version of “Straight Up” and building on the jazzy tone set by Didi, his voice is perfectly suited to Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning”. He got some of the folks up and moving so that was a good start.
My favorite Andrew performance: “Straight Up” – his “signature” song.
Katie Stevens came out with something to prove and tossed her hair around like a pro. She looked cute and fresh like a teenager should, unlike some of the styling choices she made (or were made for her) on Idol. On the show it was clear she had potential but she was needed some time to develop and may was a little bit adrift. I think this is partly because of confusing commentary she got from the judges. I heard how strong her voice was in the videos from the IICD house visit so I wasn’t surprised that she can BELT IT OUT like a fierce little pop princess. I do not love “Here We Go Again”, and Katie couldn’t really improve it much for me. Someone in the audience in front had a big honkin’ sign that she was holding up the whole performance and I couldn’t help wonder if they really believed she would see it. I don’t know. Maybe the performers do see it, but it’s annoying not to be able to see through. Moving along, I get the impression that Katie is really more comfortable singing power ballads and she did a great job with “Fighter”; a very energetic, fun performance.
My favorite Katie performance: “Fighter”.
Tim Urban got the girls squealing. My daughter was undoubtedly squealing with them in spirit. Wearing his plain white t-shirt over well-developed pecs of late-night repute, his hair looked very “Bobby Sherman” tonight… that’s not a bad thing, just very nostalgic. Tim is a natural on the stage. He’s got presence, easy banter and stand out looks. His “Better Days” wasn’t one of my favorites and I actually liked “Viva La Vida” better. I don’t know if Tim will sing for a living in the future or not, but he’s fun to watch performing. Disney or Nickelodeon would foolish not to snap him up! I can see him on my TV making young girls happy for years to come.
My favorite Tim performance: “Viva La Vida”
Like Tim, Siobhan Magnus owns the stage. I totally covet her outfit. She is really beautiful. She is a PERFORMER! I loved “Paint It Black” with a perfect blend of subtlety and kickass-ity. I love the way she loses herself in the performance! “Spiderwebs” was fun to watch but the vocal antics were a little much, my biggest issue with Siobhan’s performances on the show. Like Adam Lambert last season, she’s got a fantastic instrument. I still prefer Siobhan with less “bigness” in her upper register, but that’s just my taste. I didn’t like “Stockholm Syndrome” musically, or maybe I’m not hip enough to understand what she was doing… could be. I guess I just like to feel music, not think about whether I’m feeling it. Still, Siobhan is incredibly entertaining to watch on a stage.
My favorite Siobahn performance: “Paint It Black”
Aaron Kelly, little brother on the Idol boys’ bus can strut on a stage like a man twice his age. He’s got to be one of the most focused teenagers I’ve ever seen and this serves him well, because Aaron has a clear idea of who he is as a performer. I understand all the raves for his tour set because he feels right at home with his song choices. I loved his versions of “Somebody Like You” and “Walking in Memphis”, the latter a favorite of mine, and one that he inhabits. I didn’t like “Fast Cars and Freedom” as well, but that has more to do with Rascal Flatts than Aaron Kelly. Whether Aaron gets a record deal to sing country music right away or takes time to attend a conservatory first, I can believe him as a country artist.
My favorite Aaron performance: “Walking In Memphis”
The Climb – Much better harmonies and meshing between the bottom 6 than the finale number with the top 10. I liked the color-coordinated white-and-denim outfits too!
After the intermission and a bit of Idol (idle?) chitchat with Mr. Cantiello and his giant beverage, the show got rolling again.
Michael Lynche, dressed like an enforcer for Soprano and Soprano (kidding. He looked very nice) in his 3 piece suit, tie and fedora, does the smooth r&b like nobody’s business. My problem is that kind of music tends to put me to sleep or in a trance, and while Mike seems like a great guy and I think he’s got a great voice, it was another performance I would have preferred to hear in a more intimate setting, rather than a big stadium show. I’m probably one of the few who wasn’t overwhelmed by “This Woman’s Work” on the show and I wasn’t overwhelmed by it on tour either. He sings it beautifully, but it’s an intimate song, not one to sing for 12, 000 of your closest friends. I would have preferred “It’s a Man’s World” which has a little more bravado. I liked “Ready for Love” better especially with his guitar work but again, it was a cool, low key and intimate vibe where the venue called for something bigger. He picked up the pace with “My Love” and the rapping was a nice touch. My favorite Mike performance was still the duet with Casey – but more about that in a moment.
My favorite Mike performance: “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” (duet)
The music started thundering through the building as Casey James got ready to perform. I waited to see his number 3 and his name and face crawl across the jumbotron, but either it happened too fast and I missed it somehow or it didn’t happen. It was odd and a bit disappointing because that moment builds excitement and gets the audience cheering and I felt a little deprived. Anyway, the lights came up and there he was, rocking vocals and wailing on that blue electric guitar. “I Got Mine” got everybody on their feet and got my heart pounding. Casey’s guitar duel with the lead guitarist from the band was phenomenal and I love to watch what he does with his hands across those strings… I may have made some… exclamations not quite appropriate for such a public setting, but you know, I like to feel the music and sometimes the music just moves me. :) Bringing it down with a sweet, plaintive acoustic vibe, I love Casey’s version of “Don’t” to show off his country style with a little grit and a whole lot of soul. Then Mike was back for “the 8 minute version” (tm- @Jambajim) of “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman”. Confession: When I heard they were going to do the duet on the tour, I was disappointed because I wanted more new music and more solos from Casey. But I have to say there is something very moving about these two men playing and singing together. Casey’s guitar and whiskey baritone blends so nicely with Mike’s smooth, honeyed tenor. To cap off the set, was Casey’s fantastic slide guitar and killer bluesy vocals on “It’s All Over Now” which left me a very happy Casey fan. This is exactly the kind of music I like to listen to and I cannot wait to buy Casey’s album. The only thing that could have made it better was if Casey had worn that blue t-shirt that he had on in Hershey. Today he was wearing one of his many light blue western-style shirts… not that he doesn’t look great in those western shirts, just sayin’.
My favorite Casey performance: “It’s All Over Now” (slide guitar and red dirt bluesy vocals get me every time)
Crystal Bowersox made me squeal almost as much as Casey did. She was my favorite of the women from when she sang “Long As I Can See the Light” and I love how soulful her voice is. There were several points during the concert where I got goosebumps and if I closed my eyes she sounded like the late, great Eva Cassidy who was one of my favorite female vocalists ever. Crystal has an easy, natural banter that matches her persona perfectly. If you didn’t know better you’d think she was sitting around her living room with a bunch of old friends. Then she sings and fills that entire arena with her incredible voice. Between “What’s Up”, Up to the Mountain and “Piece of My Heart” every one was a gem and it’s hard to choose a favorite but I absolutely loved the way she arranged “Come to My Window”, a song that I usually don’t like that really shows how transformative her voice can be. I can’t wait to hear what she records and I they producers let her gutsy soul breathe free and not overproduced, sanitized pop.
My favorite Crystal performance: “Come to My Window” (go figure!)
And last but not least, Lee DeWyze, showed off exactly why he won this thing. I will admit that while I often liked Lee’s tone on the show, I didn’t love the over-the-top pimping of less than stellar vocals and didn’t get all the hype. Freed from whatever it was that kept Lee from displaying the passion on the show, Lee is pretty passionate live. I really prefer his own arrangement of “Beautiful Day” to the version he was forced to sing on the show. I loved “Hallelujah”, “Rocket Man” and “Treat Her Like a Lady”. I didn’t love “Use Somebody” but it wasn’t Lee’s interpretation, but the song itself. Oh, and I didn’t notice anything awry about his zipper (I wasn’t looking).
My favorite Lee performance: “Hallelujah”
“It’s My Life/My Life Would Suck Without You” – This is much better on the Idol stage than it was on GMA. It’s too bad more of the Idols didn’t get a chance to showcase their individual talents on the GMA concert because I think these artists are every bit as talented as previous seasons, and they put on a diverse and entertaining show overall.
Then I had to dash (yeah, right – with all the people trying to get out at the same time), made my train connection on time (yes!) and was home and sipping a glass of wine by a little after midnight. I had a wonderful time and I’m pretty sure most of the people in that arena did too. Those of you have can still buy tickets for upcoming shows, I think it’s well worth the money.
