I’m 21 years old and I’ve been watching Idol since season 3, but was never invested until season 7. Season 7 was the first Idol tour I attended and David Cook stole the show, and stole my heart. As season 8 was approaching I wonder how anyone could top him. Little did I know an alien from Planet Fierce would take me away in his bedazzled spaceship and brainwash me (In the most positive way possible).
During the show I was mesmerized by Adam’s ability, almost animalistic with his approach to everything. I also admired Anoop, Kris and fellow Michigandar Matt. I made not sure not to watch videos of the concert since I wanted to experience it for myself, without knowing too much before hand.
The day of the concert it was raining pretty hard. I picked up my friend around 12:30 to head to The Palace. As soon as we entered this woman in this truck stopped me and told me that the parking lot doesn’t open till 2:30. Disappointed, my friend and I turned around and went to the local mall. We got back at the arena around 5pm and noticed a good amount of fans in their adorable homemade shirts and signs waiting for someone to come out. I decided to wear this silver sequined top, so I could be all glam for Adam. I think I looked like a disco ball, but it was all in good fun.
We went up to some other fans and chatted with them for a few minutes. All of a sudden I see people rushing to the other side of the parking lot, so we followed. We were told that Matt really wanted to come out. I was pleasantly surprised since it was less than 2 hours till show time. I heard screaming and cheering, and there he was our hometown hero. We could see the excitement and joy on his face as he walked by to start on the other side of the barricades. He took his time with each fan, posing for pictures and signing shirts. He tried to make small talk with everyone. I was impressed by his character. He genuinely appreciated and cared for his fans. The fact that he still came out at a late time, and hasn’t forgotten where he comes from I really respect him for that. I have to add that he is GORGEOUS in person. I never had a huge crush on Matt since I was distracted by Adams beauty and obvious talent, but since that day he’s been equal to Adam both by talent and looks in my book.
It was my turn to take a picture with Matt, as we were posing for a picture his hand glided down onto me and was rubbing my back. *blushes* He made a comment how he felt like he was in a photo shoot. He is definitely a charmer and I can see why Kara got all gaga for him.
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As we left the barricades and walked into the arena I noticed Matt’s parents. His dad was wearing a fedora and a shirt that said ‘Matt G’s dad’ It was adorable! You could tell that they were extremely proud of their son. I also saw this guy walking around telling people he was Matt’s lawyer. We took our seats and there was this very kind family next to me. This woman and her mother who must have been in her late 60’s early 70’s, told me that she voted all the time and made everyone else vote with her.
Soon after the show started, Michael came out with a bang and got the crowd going. I was a little disappointed not with the contestants but the production of the show. The stage seemed smaller than last year, and the videos weren’t very stimulating. Nonetheless, the crowd enjoyed Michael. He would ask the crowd to wave their hands in the air and they all followed. Someone threw a stuffed animal on stage for him and he played with it for a bit. I was pleasantly surprised how good he sounded on ‘Closer.’ When you think of Michael Sarver you don’t think Neyo. However, he pulled it off and got the crowd moving.
I was disappointed with my section. We were fairly close to the stage but not a lot of people on their feet. I suppose most of the people were older, and I didn’t see many children.
Megan, came out with her little pink dress and did her little chicken dance. I noticed she had this perm/fro and I was a little confused by it to be honest. She did well with her first song, but I wasn’t a fan of the second. Her voice does seem stronger and seems a little bit more seasoned.
Scott appeared with his piano and began singing his first song, which I was not familiar with. He told his joke about the high-five heard around the world and did an impression of Simon. I was very impressed by his sense of humor and positively. He is truly a great role model. Once he began ‘Thousand Miles’ he got the whole crowd going. You could hear people singing along.
Lil came out banging! Her whole set was impressive. If only she could of done this during the show, she wouldn’t of got the wrath of Simon. I loved her Single Ladies dance, the crowd was digging her, and you could tell she was digging them back. She was not a favorite of mine during the show, she chose the wrong songs and snapped back at the judges. She was one of the front runners and as the weeks went on she was losing her place in the competition. However, I believe that changed with this tour. She seems so much more at ease, and is in her element.
Anoop was next and the crowd loved him! His vocals are incredibly smooth, almost too smooth. He has this beautiful elegance when he sings ‘Always On My Mind.’ He also looked handsome in his attire. I might be in the minority but I think R&B fits him. Although it’s hard to believe he has that bad boy image, but he can work the crowd with ‘My Prerogative’ and emotes that swagger that is needed. He threw in a few stank faces and fist pumps which I found entertaining. Before his last song he gave a shot out to Matt and asked us to make sure we show our homeboy some love when he comes out.
Finally our hometown musical hero comes out. The crowd goes NUTS when the video flashes his face. People were screaming and chanting his name, you could feel the warm energy throughout the whole arena. He came out with full energy and put on a great show. His rendition of ‘Hard To Handle’ was AMAZING! Words can’t describe how much he blew me away. He needs to sign a deal and win some Grammys already. After that song he noted that his family, music teachers and friends were there. He also said that he use to play around the block when he was a kid and dreamed of playing at The Palace. He dedicated ‘Georgia on my mind’ to everyone who supported him. I was mesmerized by him. I was so distracted by Adam during the season that I didn’t fully notice Matt. If only Matty could have been more relaxed during the season, I believe he could have made it even farther. I felt so proud of him, I was smiling the entire time. You watch these people grow and accomplish things right before your eyes. You feel like you know them, so when they are from your state you feel more connected. I can’t imagine what his loved ones were feeling.
Allison came up next with her wind machine and rocking out on the guitar. I wasn’t really convinced that she was playing the instrument. The actual playing seemed a bit sloppy. ‘So What’ seemed a bit shouty. I really enjoyed ‘Cry Baby’ and ‘Barracuda’ much more. She pulls off classic rock really well. She got some screams for line about Detroit in ‘Cry Baby.’ She also mentioned the next three guys after her.
I was not a fan of Danny during the season. If anything his persona irritated me. I know he went through a tragedy and he wanted to share it with the world, and possibly make a difference. However, the producers made him seem know it all and cocky. As the tour started I heard that he was very genuine with his fans, so I decided to give him a chance. During the season I felt like the stage swallowed him up and he didn’t know how to move. He was another idol who surprised me. He sounds so much better live than through the television. He came out with ‘Maria Maria’ and was working the stage. He was dancing with the mic stand and really taking control of the stage. One thing I did not like was his boots. Yes his boots. His whole attire looked like it came from rock week. He was also wearing a chain on his jeans, and he stripped off his jacket. It seemed a bit out of character for him.
The moment that I was waiting for was about to arrive. The alien was about to greet the human race and awe us with his superpowers. The room was pitch dark, but you could see the anticipation rising. After waiting for a few minutes he appeared, fully decked out with his spikes and emo hair. While watching him you almost forget he’s human. He does the whole shebang with the stand between his legs, thrusting, and stroking. He gave shout out to Detroit and told us that he appreciated all the support and that he loved us. He introduced Allison as his kid sister, which I found very adorable. I love the chemistry between them, he really lets her shine even though it’s his set. I couldn’t believe I was listening to him person. I’m not normally ‘fangirly’ but Adam is my exception. I love how his sexuality is not restricted since it’s considered more of a family show. He stripped off his jacket with flare and twirled his hips in a provocative manner. I loved every second of it.
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Kris came out in a casual manner. Although people think it feels off that he has to follow Adam, I like the vibe he portrays. He’s very smooth and relaxing. Almost like an ice cold lemonade after a long day in the sun. I think he’s polar opposite of Adam but he compliments him very well at the same time. I think Adam represents something more primal and sexual and Kris stands for the cuddling ‘ ¦ if you get my drift. I was afraid that since the crowd loved Adam, that they wouldn’t be into Kris, but I was wrong. It took me some time to accept him as the winner, but I think it’s what Idol needed. I like that he’s not the typical idol winner with a big voice. He’s entertaining to watch, during ‘Hey Jude’ he would jump around the stage letting the audience to sing the ‘Na Na Na’s, ‘ I love how the others joined him on stage. You can tell they really support him, and they let him shine rather than steal his spotlight.
Right when ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ started my friend and I left to go to the barricades. I’ve never left a show early, and I’ve never waited after a concert to meet the artist before. There were already people there and we saw some people we met earlier and we decided to stay with them. There was this woman in her 50’s who knew everything about Adam. I believe she went on the blogs and forums, and I realized that this show is not just geared to the teens and college students. The fans were so incredibly sweet, this lovely woman said she had two copies of Adam’s Rolling Stone magazine and offered to send me a copy.
The time was around 11 pm and only crew members were walking to the buses, dragging along suitcases. It was FREEZING outside, It really did not feel like summer. I started to think that they weren’t going to come out and sign. Little did I know Megan came out and started at the end of the line. Soon after Allison joined her and went by very quickly. I noticed someone gave Allison a bag of Cheetos and she got very excited. Matt came out again, he first ran through the line giving high fives. You could really tell he was on cloud nine and appreciated everyone. Lil came by and was very sweet, she tried to make small talk and stopped for pictures. We had a little conversation about how cold it was outside. All of a sudden Kris came out of nowhere carrying his guitar on his back. I believe he wasn’t going to sign, and that he was just looking for the buses. Turns out he went to the wrong bus and figured that he would sign autographs anyway. Luckily, I got his autograph since he didn’t stay out for very long. It was close to 11:40 and Adam was nowhere to be seen. Some people were chanting his name in front of other idols, which I thought was a little rude. Finally, he came out and started at the opposite end. I was honestly surprised he decided to come out. I knew that it was not common for him to come out and meet the fans since he’s been missing after parties.
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Once he got closer the people around me were shoving. My friend was practically being pushed over the barricade and didn’t get his ticket signed. He was pretty disappointed but he was happy to see Adam in person. Adam looked magnificent, I can’t describe how he looks in person. When I saw him in person and I saw him as a person rather than a celebrity. I was so used to seeing him with the glitz and glamour that is Idol. He seemed so untouchable and was put on pedestal from day number one. It was refreshing to see Adam as just Adam. Not just Adam but I also saw the other idols as people rather than some image from T.V. It was a great experience in more ways than one.
