I’ve got more re-caps from DC and NC I’ll be featuring in the next day or so…
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Have you ever tried to wear the tour colors of four different Idols at the same time when you know you’ve also got to look good enough to walk around Baltimore city without attracting strange looks? Let me tell you, it’s not easy.
In Allison crimson, Kris green, Matt black, and Adam leather, I arrived at the First Mariner Arena in Charm City with my sister (who had no compunctions about dressing for Adam and Adam alone’â€even her plaid skirt was blue and black) We were immediately sent back to the car to dispose of the video camera, which had not been well concealed. Sister protested. Security was not amused. Oh well’â€I’d gotten an amazing parking spot so we didn’t have far to backtrack. We made it back early enough to settle into our seats on the floor and watch the loop of videos and the parade of people coming in. We’d already met a bunch of decked-out Adam fans (and one five-year-old carrying an ‘Allison Iraheta rocks!’ sign bigger than she was) at dinner, and by the looks of the people in our immediate vicinity on the arena floor, Baltimore was indeed infected with Adam mania. It may or may not have been contagious.
The show started about 15 minutes late, to my great dismay, as we’d already seen three straight Carrie Underwood music videos (with David Cook at the front and Daughtry at the back) interspersed with ads for Coke and the AI tour merchandise. Every time Adam’s face showed up on screen, the teenaged girl contingent started making noise. My ears have been to crazier parties than this but this does not bode well for their ability to function in four hours. Still, no time to think of that’â€the stage lit up with strobe lights, and the crowd lit up screaming.
Michael Sarver takes the stage with ‘In Love With A Girl.’ At first, he’s outshone by the backing music; he’s not easily heard over it, and all that distinguishes him is his lackluster dancing. He kicks into gear and sounds quite good, but he’s not very animated; he doesn’t seem thrilled to be here. Michael’s great with the crowd, really trying to get people out of their seats and engaged.
‘Closer’ is not what most people would expect Michael to sing, but he nails it, his voice big but smooth. He still looks like he’s going through the motions, but you can’t complain about his singing. Michael doesn’t deserve to be brushed off as a country artist only when he’s capable of singing like this.
Megan Joy Corkrey is up next, starting with ‘Put Your Records On.’ Since Paula isn’t here to say it, I’ll say it for her: ‘Megan, you look gorgeous tonight, ‘ dressed in a short pink dress that shows off both her figure and her tattoo sleeve. This song isn’t much different than it was on the show, no real significant changes to the arrangement or execution, but I can hear it on the radio. It gets better towards the end.
As her background changes (a nicely-done animation of restroom-sign male and female characters on a pink backdrop) Megan starts looking like she’s having more fun with ‘Tears Dry On Their Own.’ This song sounds less ‘Megan, ‘ however; there is less of the distinctive twang to her voice in this song. This doesn’t detract from the performance’â€this song is better than the first, and it sounds like she has connected to it better. Megan tries to rev us all up, starting to clap and prodding us with ‘Come on you babies’ ¦ Thanks, you five people doing it!’ I like her sense of humor, and if her album sounds like what we heard tonight, I’ll buy it!
Scott MacIntyre takes the stage and the audience takes to its feet. He’s behind his piano, of course, starting with ‘Bend and Break.’ One of my problems with Scott on the show is that he did not enunciate and he is no different tonight. His words slur together so that I have a hard time distinguishing what he is actually singing. Scott has really benefited from the vocal coaching the contestants received. The tone of his voice sounds much better than it did on the show, and I am so glad that he picked a contemporary song. This is the first time that Scott has sounded like anything but a hotel bar singer to me and I love it. However, he continues to rely on big, long notes and runs to carry the song’â€a habit that at its best is vocal showboating but at its worst is reminiscent of David Archuleta murdering ‘Imagine.’
By now we’ve all heard about ‘the high-five heard ’round the world’ and the Simon impression, but Scott played it off well’â€instead of making himself sound self-pitying, he invites us all to laugh both at and with him.
‘A Thousand Miles’ has the same problem as ‘Bend and Break’ in that it over-relies on big notes. ‘Bend and Break’ was the better song in this set, by a mile. Still, it was a quality performance with a fantastic series of high notes at the end and it’s great to hear Scott singing a more contemporary song.
Lil Rounds starts off with ‘Be Without You.’ This is classic Lil’â€big voice, big notes, not very subtle. This is Lil’s niche; this is where she sounds best. Her energy is infectious and she clearly enjoys every minute onstage. However, I cannot understand a single word she is singing.
‘No One’ is exactly the same type of song as ‘Be Without You’ and I find myself wishing she had chosen to show us something different’â€exactly the same problem I had with her on the show. She sings it nicely, but the performance is nothing special.
Finally Lil mixes it up and gives us something different’â€she’s singing ‘Single Ladies.’ On the show, Lil tried to sing big like Celine Dion, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and Tina Turner’â€and she ultimately paled in comparison. Unfortunately, while fun, ‘Single Ladies’ adds Beyonce to the list of ‘People Lil Can Imitate But Not Equal.’ This song is not as conducive to belting as the first two songs in the set, and while those two weren’t spectacular, the solid B grades I’d give both of them make me wish that Lil had left her set on that note rather than showing off what she can’t do.
Anoop Dawg is in the house, and Charm City seems charmed by him as he walks onstage to more applause than Lil. (He has a spot in his heart for Baltimore too, he tells us; he has cousins here.) He starts off with ‘Always On My Mind.’ Noop Dawg can carry a ballad. His voice is smooth and controlled, but almost too restrained. The final 30 seconds of the song are powerful and beautiful, and I wish the entire song had carried the same emotional impact. (The little girl in front of me does not share my reservations: she hangs off her mother’s arm, cheering ‘Anoop! Anoop!’ )
Next Noop brings out ‘Mad, ‘ and now we’re talking. I can hear this song on the radio. (Also, I want his rain of bubbles background imagery as my screensaver.) The suavity of Anoop’s voice really serves him well in this type of music. He glides easily up into the high notes and belts his way into the chorus.
I was really looking forward to ‘My Prerogative’ but sadly, I was underwhelmed. After ‘Mad, ‘ this sounds almost karaoke’â€he’s bringing nothing new to it, and sounds like he’s going through the motions of singing it. He has a ‘The Note’ close to the end which is impressive, but cannot redeem the disappointing mediocrity of this song. What a shame for such a talented performer.
Matt Giraud brought everyone to their feet with ‘Hard to Handle’ ’â€this is the energy that ‘My Prerogative’ should have brought, but didn’t. I’d dance to this’â€I am dancing to this. (Also: holy cow, Matt Giraud with a fauxhawk.) He sits down at the piano and lights the keys on fire with a pretty credible rock star scream at the end. This is the reason I came out wearing Matt’s colors.
Before he starts ‘Georgia’ Matt takes the mic and thanks ‘every single person who ever voted for any of us.’ Aww, the love. I wish Matt would do less this and more ‘Hard to Handle;’ while vocally a fantastic performance with a great falsetto, it verges in places on the boring. Still, it was far more of a ‘vocal master class’ than we got from other people on this show. (I’m sorry, is my bias showing? I’ll tuck it in.)
‘You Found Me’ was one of my top favorite songs on the show; as a fan of The Fray, I thought Matt did it better. Even early on in the song, he’s connected with it better than he did with ‘Georgia.’ Perhaps he might have been better served by ending his set on a higher note with ‘Hard to Handle’ at the end instead of beginning, but again, you can’t argue with a great performance.
For the first group performance, Megan and Lil open with a smooth R&B version of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.’ This arrangement and interpretation suits both singers; it’s pleasing, if not exciting. Matt and Scott slide onstage behind pianos for what may be the coolest moment of the first half of the show (although Scott’s piano may be a hair out of tune? It sounds a little tinny.) Guys, you don’t need to ‘Tell Her About It.’ Judging from the crowd reaction, ‘she’ just considered herself told and wants both your numbers. I feel bad for Michael, having to come out after that and right before Lil and Anoop stole the show. Neither one of them are going to be rap stars, but the entire rap intro to ‘Beggin” was so fresh and enjoyable it didn’t matter that I couldn’t understand a word they were saying. I’m so glad they brought group performances back for this year. It’s a fun way to end before the completely unnecessary 20-minute intermission. Note to concert planners: this is a concert, not a musical. No intermission needed.
Oh look. More Carrie Underwood videos. It’s very clear who 19E considers their star Idol.
Allison Iraheta comes onstage and the crowd starts to light up. In ‘So What’ she comes off as trying a little too hard, but it’s great to see how much fun she’s having. Even the people in the nosebleed section are standing up. Allison’s similarities to Pink don’t end with the hair; she can really sing and carry a song. Really lovely softer tone to her voice through the ‘You weren’t there, you never were’ section.
In ‘Crybaby’ Allison is a whirling dervish of fuchsia and leather, completely making up for previous performers who stood at their microphones and did not move an inch. Allison’s phrasing has really improved since she sung this on the show. She sounds fantastic. I think she just lost her headset. I don’t think she cares.
‘Barracuda!’ Allison’s ability to carry this song shows that she has what it takes to be a rock star. She’s singing and playing off of the guitarist, sexier than her 17 years, primal, angry, and ecstatic to be up there. I have no idea how she is going to talk the next morning with the way she’s so fiercely growling and shouting these notes, but this is amazing. This is what I came here to see.
Danny Gokey has a huge crowd following. He starts off with ‘P.Y.T., ‘ which is about as energetic as Danny gets. After Allison, this is somewhat of a letdown, but Danny can’t help not being a Tasmanian devil with pipes and awesome hair. This is enjoyable, rather Karaoke Gokey, but people are getting on their feet for it. Still, you have to feel bad for him, positioned where he is. The little girl in front of me just tugged on her mother’s arm, saying ‘Adam’s next!’
‘Maria Maria’ is next. Danny, frankly, sounds like a white boy from the suburbs, and he doesn’t have the sultriness to pull off this song. It is very karaoke, no soul and all bad acting. He doesn’t have any connection to the song, and if it’s memorable it will only be because he substitutes the guitarist’s name for ‘Carlos Santana.’ (This guitarist is fabulous, by the way; the whole band is.) Really a disappointing performance.
Danny just took his coat off and threw it. I am not turned on. I am a little bemused.
I should say here that while I appreciate Danny’s big voice, I think he has to be really careful with his song selections and pick songs he connects to because he tends to sound like he’s singing karaoke after having had a little too much to drink. His next song is ‘What Hurts the Most, ‘ which he really did connect with on the show to good results. Today, though, it seems he’s just powering through it. I don’t feel or see any of the emotion that made it memorable. Towards the middle it starts feeling more real, more heartfelt, but with the amount of musical support these people get from the band and the amps and crowd energy that makes them sound better than they actually may be, it really says something when a performance is better on TV or Youtube than it is live in concert.
Danny warns us that his next song will be ‘passionate.’ He knows that we ‘all know of his tragedy’ from the show, and he ‘doesn’t want to make this about [him]’ but he wants to take this opportunity to tell us all that we shouldn’t let tragedy kill our dreams. Danny, your mention yet again of your personal tragedy just killed my dream of getting through this show without any contestant self-pity. Please just sing. He pulls out ‘My Wish, ‘ which he dedicates to all of us in the audience’ ¦ and to his hopeful career as a backup singer for Rascal Flatts, which it seems he’s auditioning for with this set. This song is better performed than the first three, more heartfelt, a little bit better sung. Sadly, he brings it down flat, exhorting us to dream, interjecting to the song ‘This is what I learned!’ Danny, this is a concert, it is not a self-help group.
Close your ears, ladies and gentlemen, here comes the hordes of screaming girls (and some guys) for Adam Lambert. Adam’s background takes awhile to cue, and the little girls in front of me look at each other, concerned that he will not come out after all. But here he is, taking the stage to explosions of red and black on the background, and the explosion of my eardrums as the screaming reaches fever pitch. (However, I do not think that Adam got a better reception than David Archuleta got here last year, which is interesting.)
Adam starts with ‘Whole Lotta Love, ‘ ensuring that whatever Danny just sung will be completely unmemorable. You have to feel bad for Danny, but not for too long, because the sight of Adam gyrating like Elvis drives all thought from your mind, whether you’re turned on or just wondering whether he’s made of rubber. Whoever has the electric guitar deserves a medal. The music dies down a bit as it seems the song is winding down, allowing Adam to deliver one of those ‘Adam notes’ a capella’â€but he’s not done yet. Adam follows the lyrics and sings ‘woman’ in this song, but the teal eyeliner tells us he doesn’t mean it. The teenage girl contingent does not care.
‘Starlight’ is one of my all-time favorite songs. Adam really plays the introduction, announcing the song title in a theatrical manner that makes even an Adam fan like me raise eyebrows. (Adam, your song and singing speaks for itself. Talk less, sing more.) He starts high, sounding almost female, almost Gwen Stefani; I don’t know if this is his falsetto or a sound effect, but it really lends a different tone to the song. How does he hit these notes? I’m a girl and I can’t hit these notes. Adam is exultant’‒I’ll never let you go!’ ’â€and almost worshipful as he reaches for the ceiling at the last note. Fantastic performance.
I wish the screaming girl contingent would just shut up, because Adam’s pulling it back for ‘Mad World’ and they are drowning him out. Adam’s voice has much more depth and a richer tone than we heard on the show; I don’t know how much of it is sound effects and how much is him, but it lends itself well to this song. This is a haunting song and he sings it as if kneeling at his own gravesite.
Adam breaks for a minute and says he’d like to introduce a friend of his’ ¦ Allison Iraheta! The band turns it up for ‘Slow Ride, ‘ and Adam wants us all to know he ‘loves us’â€MWAH!’ This is Adam’s set but the fuchsia bouncing rubber ball is threatening to steal the show. These two have such stage chemistry, such exuberance. A pink bra gets launched onstage at Allison’s feet. She picks it up, dangles it by her fingertips, shrugs, and throws it at the drummer, then gets back to business, vocally dueling with Adam. This is just plain fun, and the two hug at the end. I may have died of cute there.
Since day one I’ve said that Adam reminds me of Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie, and this set drives that point home. (I love the Mars background to evoke the Spiders.) There goes Adam’s coat, spikes and tails and all, and I think the teenage girl contingent may have just disintegrated, leaving only their screams behind. It’s really easy to see that Adam loves what he’s doing. He ends with one of those Adam screams, which I clock at 12 seconds. Well done.
After the reception that Adam got, I was afraid that the crowd’s enthusiasm would leave them too exhausted to scream for Kris Allen. There’s definitely less energy here than there was for Adam, but Kris isn’t rattled or bothered by it. He seems pretty unrattleable. Here he is with his guitar, sitting on a stool, just chilling. The first few lines of ‘Heartless’ float out, pure, then he starts getting into it, a little angry, a little hurt. (There is not much funnier than Kris Allen singing about how he’s got homies.) The lights and background are very spare, letting his voice take the deserved spotlight.
Kris cranks up the volume with ‘All These Things That I’ve Done, ‘ and I’m so glad that this got included in the set even if it was a last minute replacement. This is feel-good music, played by someone who loves what he does. Other people have mentioned an ‘energy suck’ after Adam, but you can’t tell that here; Kris gets people on their feet and clapping. Adam is glitz, glamour, and the reincarnation of the 80’s; Kris is just fun. He’s not trying to be slick or sexy, he’s just trying to sing and have a good time, and you can tell that he is.
He sets down the guitar and chills out, sitting down behind the piano for ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’ I love the way he breaks it down during the ‘I know, I know’ segment, then coolly pulling his voice back and slowing down. Kris is a master at arranging songs to suit his voice and he has improved this song since we saw it on TV.
I could sit here for the rest of the night, happy on the floor, dancing to Kris. Here he goes with ‘Bright Lights.’ This is the kind of music I see him doing’â€a little Goo Goo Dolls, a little Jack’s Mannequin, a little Jack Johnson, a little bit the Beatles. Radio friendly, but good music, sung well, played well, a satisfying dinner and a movie date with your CD player. Everything Kris sings sounds personal; he connects intimately with each note. Here he comes with an electric guitar solo, bouncing onstage like a kid living his dream, which I think is exactly what he’s doing.
‘Hey Jude’ has always felt really melancholy to me, but Kris turns it hopeful, the song that’ll bring you up when you’re feeling down. This is comfort food: slow dance with your first boyfriend in the school gym, rain on the window and you in bed with a book. All the Idols come back onstage for the ‘na na na’ section in preparation for the group number.
As a college aged female I am biologically predisposed to love the song ‘Don’t Stop Believing.’ Matt and Scott play piano and end up singing a duet with the entire audience. I can’t hear Michael’â€in fact, I can’t hear any singer in particular, partly because the bigger voices are restraining themselves, partly because my ears have gotten fed up and gone on strike, and partly because everyone in the arena is singing. This is a quality rendition of the song, about as good as any group performance is; I think it’s made better not by the singing itself but because of the energy in the arena and the spectacular efforts the band is going to. Everyone’s on their feet, I’m on the floor and I can’t see the stage, so if there are Kradison antics, I missed them. Still, it seems those three are sticking together for the ‘Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye’ interjected into the end of the song. When they end with ‘Don’t stop!’ we don’t want them to, either.
Best songs of the night
10. ‘Tears Dry On Their Own, ‘ Megan Joy
9. ‘Mad World, ‘ Adam Lambert
8. ‘Mad, ‘ Anoop Desai
7. ‘All These Things That I’ve Done, ‘ Kris Allen
6. ‘Hard to Handle, ‘ Matt Giraud
5. ‘Slow Ride, ‘ Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert
4. ‘Starlight, ‘ Adam Lambert
3. ‘Bright Lights, ‘ Kris Allen
2. ‘Barracuda, ‘ Allison Iraheta
1. ‘Heartless, ‘ Kris Allen
Top sets
10. Lil Rounds’â€two very similar songs done decently and one song done rather poorly
9. Danny Gokey’â€very disappointing. Similar songs, very karaoke, no real connection, preachy. I think he’s better than what he showed us tonight.
8. Michael Sarver’â€vocals were good, but the overall lack of energy on his part brought it down. I don’t know if he’s just not an excitable guy or if this whole tour thing is wearing on him.
7. Megan Joy Corkrey’â€two very solid, enjoyable B-graded performances, just outclassed by others.
6. Anoop Desai’‒Mad’ was outstanding, his other two songs were just OK.
5. Scott MacIntyre’â€a pleasant surprise, as I didn’t love him on the show. Could have gone farther on TV if he’d picked more contemporary songs like he did here. If he keeps on in this vein, I’ll buy his CD.
4. Matt Giraud’â€two great songs and one good one.
3. Adam Lambert’â€he put on a great show.
2. Allison Iraheta’â€when she goes on tour on her own, I will be first in line for tickets.
1. Kris Allen’â€really gave everyone our money’s worth. Five great songs, each one showing a different side of his ability as a performer. Showed us all he deserved to be the winner. Even my sister, who came primarily for Adam, agreed that Kris outshone him.
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