Entertainment

By BRAD PATTON | For The Times Leader

To some it was little more than karaoke by game-show contestants, but for the capacity crowd at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza Monday night, it was nothing short of first-class entertainment.

The Top 10 contestants from season seven of “American Idol,” the phenomenally successful hit TV show, electrified the crowd of 10,000 as the first eight acts each sang three songs, while the Top 2, David Archuleta and David Cook, treated the audience to four apiece.

The Idols were backed by a smoking hot five-piece band consisting of two keyboard players, a guitarist, a bass player and a drummer, and two very fine backing singers. The stage had extended runways on either side, allowing the performers to get up close and personal with their adoring fans. The stage show is a well-oiled machine, with only the briefest of pauses between acts.

Most of the Idols have good voices and attempted to make the songs their own, but some of the arrangements were so close to the originals that it left this reporter wondering “why bother?”

Yes, I’m talking about Michael Johns, who did by-the-book versions of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions,” before redeeming himself with a slow, bluesy take on Dolly Parton’s “It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right.” He followed that up with Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” which he noted was the song that got him kicked off of “American Idol.”

The show started with 10^th-place finisher Chikezie doing a stirring version of Donnie Hathaway’s “I Believe to My Soul,” which the 22-year-old singer had done on 70s night. He ended his set with “So High,” really hitting some impressive notes towards the end of the popular John Legend tune.

Up next was Ramiele Malubay, the 21-year-old singer born in Saudi Arabia to Filipino parents. Malubay and the two background singers did some nice choreographed moves to her opening number, the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.” She also did a soaring rendition of Taylor Dayne’s “Love Will Lead You Back.”

Following Johns, who seemed to garner the loudest applause of the first three singers, was country crooner Kristy Lee Cook. The 24-year-old from Selma, Ore., performed one of her favorite songs, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The U.S.A.,” which was featured on the show and will also appear on her upcoming album “Why Wait.” She then did a rousing rendition of “Cowgirls” before turning over the stage to Carly Smithson.

The stage was bathed in green lights for the Ireland-born Smithson as she sang “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence. She then did versions of two songs she did on the show, Heart’s “Crazy On You,” which showcased her impressive voice and the slightest hint of her brogue on the title phrase, and Cyndi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night.”

Fifth-place finisher Brooke White played a black grand piano for a nice rendition of The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” then an acoustic guitar on Feist’s “1234.” She then introduced a clip for “American Idol Gives Back,” before being joined by the night’s first five performers on a stirring version of U2’s “Pride (In the Name of Love).”

Following a 20-minute intermission, Jason Castro took the stage with his ukulele for a note-for-note recreation of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of “Over the Rainbow.” He then grabbed an acoustic guitar for Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Daydream.”

Syesha Mercado was next with an exciting rendition of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and an almost gospel flavored version of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” that really showed her voice to good effect.

Archuleta, the popular 17-year-old runner up from Murray, Utah, played the piano and sang a great version of Robbie Williams’ “Angels” that was featured on the show’s inspirational week. He followed with a song called “Too Late to Apologize,” Ben E. King’s classic “Stand By Me” and a song he said has great meaning to him, “When You Say You Love Me.”

Cook, the season seven champion, then closed the show with a slightly rocking version of Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” on which he played a left-handed Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. He followed with the past season’s winner of the “American Idol” songwriting competition, “The Time of My Life,” a great version of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing,” which he did on the next to last episode, and a song for his brother Adam, “My Hero.”

Cook then got the only solo encore of the night as he did a slower and harder version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” before being joined by the rest of the cast for the closing number.