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WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. Wednesday at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
THE SHORT WORD: It was one highlight after another as the road version of America’s favorite TV show played the Wachovia Arena on Wednesday. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, the most popular seems to be runner-up Adam Lambert (they screamed every time his picture came up in the promos before the show), followed closely by champion Kris Allen and third-place finisher Danny Gokey. After each Idol took turns in the spotlight, all 10 closed the show with a crowd-pleasing version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”
THE HIGHLIGHTS: The first half of the show was highlighted by Michael Sarver’s performance of “In Love With A Girl,” Megan Joy’s channeling of Amy Winehouse on “Tears Dry On Their Own” and Scott MacIntyre’s version of Keane’s “Bend & Break.” Lil Rounds got the party going with a fabulous take on Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” and Anoop Desai kept it going with Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative.” Fifth-place finisher Matt Giraud then hit big with “Hard To Handle,” complete with a Jerry Lee Lewis-style solo while standing at the piano.
Allison Iraheta kicked off the second half with a good dose of rock-star attitude on Pink’s “So What” and Heart’s “Barracuda.” Gokey followed with a very versatile set including Santana’s “Maria Maria” and two Rascal Flatts tunes. Audience-favorite Lambert stirred it up with his version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and a great David Bowie medley. Allen then finished up great renditions of “Heatless” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” followed by an acoustic-guitar-driven sing-along “Hey Jude.”
FUN FACTS: The eighth season of “American Idol” ran from Jan. 13 through May 20, and the tour started on July 5. This season’s episode featuring the music of Michael Jackson is the only episode ever rebroadcast by Fox (it was shown again after Jackson’s death as a tribute). Allen’s debut album will be released on Nov. 17; Lambert’s will follow a week later. Gokey is scheduled to release a country single before the end of the year.
THE CROWD: The attendance figure was not available at press time, but it looked (and sounded) like a near=capacity crowd.
UP NEXT: Only five more shows on the “American Idols Live” tour, including tonight in Bridgeport, Conn. Next show at the Wachovia Arena is Daughtry (with Idol-alum Chris Daughtry) with special guests Theory of a Deadman and Cavo (both just played Montage as part of “Crue Fest 2”) on Monday, Nov. 16.
– Brad Patton~