Casey James Again!

I cannot say I am much of a country music fan.  I don't hate it and have enjoyed some of the country music that's turned mainstream, but if I listened to a country music station, most of it would sound like the same song to me.

Anyway, Casey James.. I became a fan late last summer after I happened upon an acoustic show right in my town.  When I discovered Casey was returning to my area on a night that was doable for me, I really couldn't not go, even though I needed to be a bit late.  I darted toward the venue and heard the beat of the band; I knew this would be a different experience than the outdoor acoustic show I attended.  As I opened the heavy door, I was instantly hit with a strong, smooth, bluesy vibe and felt like I was right where I should have been at that moment.

I have to say that Casey has an appeal that crosses genres.  I don't think you have to be a country fan to enjoy his music.  This was rock..this was singer-songwriter...of course it was country as well. But what appeals to me about Casey's music really struck me last night as I watched him rock out.. the music was just him.  He was connected to the music, believed in what he was singing. He was so comfortable and natural and easy.  The Casey-written songs were actually more enjoyable than the covers.  I tend to be drawn to artists who are genuine and repelled by those who aren't.  Casey is genuine.

An observation...during my first Casey show, Casey had this adorable habit of profusely thanking the audience over and over for coming out (when we should have been thanking him for doing a free show for our community).  Not so much during this show.  Instead, Casey seemed to be right at home onstage - he was in his element, as if he was a country rock-star.   And that he is!  The months of performing for fans and the release of a major label cd must have colored him with that "I really do belong up here" conviction. That is not to say that he lost his humble kindness; once again, he opened himself up to after-show pictures and conversations with fans. I did get a quick picture with him and he said he hoped I'd come out again... well, of course I will.

My one complaint during my first Casey show was that the show ended abruptly and somewhat unexpectedly.  Not the case last night because he absolutely played and sang the hell out of "Polk Salad Annie."  Then he punctuated the night with "Done Made Up My Mind."   There was no doubt that we got a full show, start to finish, rather than just a setlist. "Let's Don't Call It a Night" was a mid-show climax with nearly everyone singing along, showing that there are Casey fans everywhere. At first, I took the excitement over that song as a sign that the Casey hardcore fans all traveled to Akron. However, today my sister texted me that she was jealous that I saw Casey James - however, she didn't know him from Idol, but knew him as a new artist with a great single on country radio.  Casey is arriving!

Other favorites: "Crying on a Suitcase," "Love the Way You Miss Me," "When I'm Feeling Blue." Good stuff...I recommend you give his cd (or better yet, a concert) a try if you haven't yet!

9/11: A Vivid Memory After 10 Years

The day started out so normal; I timed my morning rush just enough to stop by the small, friendly dining hall next door for a blueberry swirled bagel and raspberry iced tea to take to my 9:20 class. Something wasn’t right, though, when I left the staircase and entered the café… people were glued to the televisions. There was no one at the checkout counter when I went to check out. Over came the cashier, who greeted me almost daily as I ate in that dining hall, knew me by name. “A plane crashed into the world trade center,” she said. My first thought was, “a plane crash, what an unfortunate accident.” Seconds later, I heard someone exclaim, “another plane has just hit the other tower!” I slowed down to catch some of the television coverage on my way out, but back at that time, class was my biggest worry in life. Being late, getting a bad grade – a much bigger concern on my conscious mind then the security of our powerful nation. So off to the social sciences building I went.

The first indication I got that something was seriously wrong was when my professor cancelled class. I went to the computer lab and started an email chain with friends, asking if they have any idea what’s going on. After a few back and forths, my friend sent a one-liner that still chills me: “They just bombed the Pentagon.” Word started getting out that all classes were cancelled, so we made plans to hang out at the dining hall and watch the coverage on television. Everyone was somber, quiet, glued to the television. We got out first glimpse of Osama bin Laden, who is so ugly and evil that I have not been able to look at his picture directly without feeling a little ill. There were tears, but there was togetherness, with my 3 best friends who are still my best friends today.

The Red Cross was on campus that day. I was afraid of needles and thought I’d never give blood, but it seemed like the right thing to do. So we gathered in the Student Union and just waited for hours with hundreds of students who had the same idea. We never did make it to the blood room – time just ran out – but even waiting and being willing to give blood made it seem like we were doing something.

Went back to the dorm… minutes later, the RA’s came through, telling us we all had to go to the Rec Center for a mandatory assembly. I left so abruptly that I locked my keys inside my room. Asked the RA if he could open the door and he said no, just to go.

In the assembly, we learned that someone called in a bomb threat in an unidentified residence hall. Therefore, until all the residence halls were checked, we were not to enter any of them. By that time, the sun was already starting to set, so we headed to the chapel for a candlelight vigil. The warmth and spirit of the student body, brought together with songs such as “Lean on Me,” was overwhelming and beautiful and safe. When we started singing “America the Beautiful,” my friend lost it and took off. I followed her, but she made it clear she wanted to be alone. So there I was on campus…alone… at that moment, I felt connectionless. I didn’t have a cell phone at that time… I didn’t have my keys, money, a jacket, my student ID… I was alert for another possible attack at any moment –maybe this time they’d take out half the US. I couldn’t go to the dorm, I couldn’t call my family.. I was just alone.

I did go to the library and confirmed that my family was okay via email. Waited out the dorm evacuations and got the okay to go inside. Felt like we would never be the same. I wondered if the US was going to be the same in the morning; I wondered if I should even bother applying to grad school- would I have a career?

The next morning, classes were in session. My perception that NOTHING was going to ever be the same was shattered within 5 minutes of class when the prof of my fiction class said, “Well, there was a pretty large tragedy yesterday, and in our reading, it’s clear that Jane (Eyre) has had quite a tragedy too.” And we were on to discussing the book, which I had not gotten to in the midst of something that seemed much bigger than the reality of reading fiction.

9/11 was the first time that I questioned the power of the US. That is huge.. yet we are left with countless stories of people who have lost so much more than the trust and security – they lost the people who were their world. I don’t know if words can capture the impact that this event has had – the swirling combination of the beauty (of the way we banded together and cared for each other for that day) and the sheer evil and horror that we were all exposed to on that day… the days after…. the years after. Not to mention the hate towards those who chose to suddenly shatter our innocence without warning.

Casey James, Main Street Festival 8/20/11

Before today, I really wasn't a fan of Casey James. I couldn't tell you a single thing he sang on Idol. Last week, I started hearing something about his new single..and to be honest, I wasn't completely sure who he was. After verifying he didn't growl and cry/hyperventilate in an over-the-top manner during Season 10, I vaguely remembered voting a few times for Crystal AND Lee in the S9 Idol Top 3 because I didn't want him in the finale (ouch, right?). Therefore, to me, Casey just wasn't memorable. I didn't dislike him, but I guess you could say I didn't really "get" him.

Fast forward to the Friday that I hear Casey is coming to town the next day. I love live music, particularly when it comes from former Idol contestants since they can actually sing. So of course I decided to go. I think it is safe to say that I won't forget him after this night.

Casey nailed it in every possible area: graciousness, pitch, banter, musicality, stage presence, personality. Even punctuality; there was no waiting around 45 minutes - he started right at 8. Casey's voice has an amazing tone and television does not do him justice. Between his richer-than-expected voice and amazing guitar skills, any criticism I (vaguely) remember having of him during Idol (e.g., "his voice is too thin") seemed a bit faulty. I am amazed I liked the music so much with no familiarity of any of the songs. My favorite was a ballad called "Why I'm Feeling Blue"; I enjoyed the warm, bluesy honesty.

And as for Casey's graciousness: he started his set by telling us he feels at home, and he offered a humble "thanks, ya'll" after nearly every song. One thing I've picked up from locals in the two years I have lived here is that they have a lot of pride in North Canton and it's growth; Casey was aware of this and made reference to some of the positive changes happening in this town. As if his onstage presence wasn't enough, he announced that he would be free after his set for as long as it would take to meet everyone who's interested. Thanks to the adrenaline from the great show, I did want to meet him (to see him up close, get a physical reminder of the great show, and tell him how much I enjoyed his music). Casey continued to tell fans he was grateful for the opportunity to play here, personalized each autograph, and posed for an individual (or family) picture...with everyone in line. This had to have been a two-hour commitment, but Casey seemed happy to do it.

A favorite part of my concert experiences is people-watching. The crowd was very polite and I did not witness any bad behavior to shake my head at. The locals around me were gushing about how they have never had anyone so famous at the Main Street Festival and how attendance seems much better than usual. I heard an older couple next to me talking about how great Casey sounded, and a couple of older women discussing how adorable he was. A husband suggested his wife just "run up and give him a kiss and get it over with" and they laughed heartily. Positive buzz was coming from all over; I think he definitely gained some new fans. (And while I smiled at what the older fans were saying, there were fans of all ages enjoying the show....there were more than a few little girls and teens giddy about meeting Casey).

From this point forward, I know I'll remember who Casey James is. He's an unassuming guy who made a small, close-knit community happy for an evening with his time, talent, and generosity. I am really excited that a record label has recognized his talent and that there is new music coming out soon; when that happens, I'll remember him as an artist worth supporting. If Casey comes near your town, I'd say he is definitely worth checking out, even if you are initially thinking "Casey who?"

Q92 Promo Review - David Archuleta in Canton, OH!

“Can we find the youngest fan here?” the dj requested before David hit the stage. People were quick to point out a baby – clearly the youngest fan there. “Would it be rude to try to find the oldest?” The consensus was “yes!!” Looking around the crowd of 250+, there was a great mix of people: children and teenagers, younger adults, older adults. Mostly women (as we could hear in the Elevator sing-along!), but there were definitely men and boys mixed in with the crowd. And not men who were dragged in by their wives and girlfriends, but men who took the initiative to call in to win tickets, and those who even called shortly before the concert began to confirm the time so they wouldn’t miss it!

I really enjoyed seeing the excitement of the teen fans. Heard a story of girls “shaking and crying” after running into him before the show. At the meet and greet, another girl was sheepishly laughing and wiping away tears after meeting him. Saw older fans smiling with pride, almost like proud parents as he stood up there and sang beautifully.

The question of what I was doing there crossed my mind. Age-wise, I guess that I’d put myself in the demographic of David Cook, my favorite Season 7 Idol. So, at my age, the romantic attraction isn’t there… motherly feelings aren’t there… but I did put effort into winning the radio contest, taking a vacation day for work, and getting there early to get good seats. I recorded songs and took pictures and stayed until the very end of the meet and greet, just observing. So what was the pull that drew me to my second Archie show in a month’s time? What is it that helps Archie appeal to such a wide range of fans?

1. The voice. David started out with “A Little Not Too Over You.” His voice, as always was stunningly clear and strong. Most artists actually don’t sound good live, but David sounds consistently wonderful. His cover of “A Thousand Miles” was another song that I felt really showed off his vocals and I am glad that he ended up deciding to add that one. These are the types of songs where you can just get lost in the unique, unmistakable tone of his voice.
2. The Humor. Holy jeez, is Archie funny. While there are so many people who feel that they have to be crude or offend people to be funny, Archie can be hilarious, but no one leaves feeling bad or uncomfortable. He rambled on and on about extra credit…and about how it sounds like his voice has not changed (not true, Archie! You sound like a guy!). Interspersed in all this was his conscience speaking aloud and eventually convincing him to sing an extra song. You really have to see it to appreciate what is funny because it is nothing you can explain, so be sure to watch all the banter you can find from this show on You Tube!
3. The Authenticity. I really get the sense that what you see is what you get with Archie. When he started getting tired during the Meet and Greet, you could see his smile wavering and his gaze kind of drifting to the side. I love this because you know that, when he is smiling so big (which is often), he really does mean it. His rambling, too.. I am a bit of a rambler and find it hard to finish thoughts and stay on target in my speech and I have developed techniques to hide this tendency.. he embraces it, though, and makes it work for him. Is he unintentionally funny, or has this become his style of humor? Who knows, but it just works because it is him.
4. The Growth. Elevator was a definite peak in this show; be sure to check this one out if you have not. Archie was totally in his element as he invited the crowd to sing along. “This side of the room! Now this side!” Scolding us that we were not loud enough and ordered us to do it again. “Guys!” Taking advantage of the awkward moment of maybe one guy singing to get everyone laughing again… Yes, Archie was fun! During Idol Season 7, I recognized Archie’s talent from the beginning, but my main complaint was that he peaked too early (I felt Imagine was his best) and didn’t keep my interest. However, I can say now that he is an interesting performer and Elevator from Canton is just a great example. I suspect that part of noticing how interesting he is comes from a viewpoint shift, getting to “know” who he is more and not being clouded by any competition between him and Cook. However, I also think he has grown as a performer, for sure.

I also have to say the Archie community is pretty cool and accepting. Got to hang out with a couple cool fans - @emily4archie, her cool mother, and @y_j_fan. No one I have met during my last two concerts has (openly) looked down on me for being a Cook fan. LOL

In conclusion, screw age stereotypes and misguided analyses on personal characteristics that make people his fans. Archie is made to appeal to the masses. Jive, get him on the radio and promote him!

**One more thought.. the word that came to mind to describe Melinda, his new manager, was "take charge." She kept things moving and, while she was pretty tiny and didn't seem mean, she didn't have the demeanor where you would dare push her around!

New Albany David Archuleta Concert Recap

David Archuleta live is a must- hear experience. The first time that I heard Archie's voice in person was at the AI Finale in Hollywood. When his warm, clear voice first filled the studio, my sister and I just looked at each other wordlessly, jaws dropping. Next time I heard him live was at the AI Live Tour in Cleveland, where I couldn't help but feel I was witnessing the beginning of the career of someone who was destined to be great someday. Although I had no connection to him, I actually felt proud. There is something about that live voice that doesn't quite make it to television, to studio recordings. So it wasn't a stretch for me, upon discovering that there were no longer any tickets available on ticketmaster.com OR by phone 15 hours before the show, to instantly feel that it was a huge mistake to have waited too long to get tickets. It wasn't a stretch that I would locate a ticketmaster outlet and drive to it just in case they had a ticket.... after it was technically closed at 9:00pm. It wasn't a stretch for me at all to drive two hours to New Albany, Ohio on a cool Sunday morning by myself.

Once at the fairgrounds, I located a spot and observed the buzz and excitement of the various fan groups uniting. I got nothing but smiles from everyone who met my gaze. I was asked at some point if I had a screenname and I had to explain that I did, but they wouldn't know me because I am a Cook fan. People were actually surprised that I'd be there; "so, then, what is your connection to Archie?" and "Wow, the last person I'd expect to see here would be a Cook fan!" But being a stan of one doesn't need to exclude being a fan of the other; I have always been in favor for the "Davids" fans to band together. (It occurs to me how all this fan stuff is just bizarre, but it doesn't matter because it's fun.) "You're going to see him sing songs that the fans haven't even heard yet! This is a big deal!" was the message communicated with pride by several people. I met people from Canada, from Florida. Pennsylvania.. and so on. Met some sweet people from a chat I visit from time to time when I want to talk Archie.

Standouts in Archie's set were "Something 'Bout Love," "Stomping the Roses," "Elevator," and "Zero Gravity." I loved jumping with Archie when he said to jump... and swaying, dancing, smiling. "Stomping the Roses" was a new song and I loved it instantly. "Elevator" had the most emotional impact for me and the emotion was joy. I find Archie to be joyful when he performs; he clearly loves it and this song was all kinds of fun. The falsetto in this song was pretty impressive and strong, and honestly I am not always a fan of falsettos. At one point, Archie yelled out "O-H" and, after the crowd responded "I-O," he instantly gave a full body chuckle: "haha." Adorable.

I think I didn't appreciate "Falling Stars," "The Other Side of Down," and "My Kind of Perfect" quite enough, but these were two brand new songs and it was awesome to be among the first to hear them live. After further listens to "The Other Side of Down" and "My Kind of Perfect," I'd like to experience them live again because they are really good songs. Of course he closed the show with "Crush," which was a crowd pleaser. His second single, "A Little Too Not Over You" was somewhere in the mix too. As I commented afterwards, it isn't easy to put on a great show when much of the music is not familiar, but Archie pulled it off.

In all, it was a great show and I left energized and happy. While technical excellence is important, the way that the music makes you feel is even more important. I think Archie hit all the right notes in both areas.

In honor of missing the AI7 tour... all those nights of staying up late in hopes of finding out what the MAVID was for the night, seeing awesome performances of songs like IDWMAT and BJ, finding out whether David spilled water over his head or cried, etc....I will republish my AI7 tour review now. It was a great night. I have had no interest in going to the AI8 or AI9 tours... S7 was special.


Tour recap! I went to the show in Cleveland on Thursday and was really glad I did. It was an awesome show - it definitely beat the other Idol concerts I have attended (seasons 2 and 4). The performances were really good, I was pleased with my seats, and I got to meet the Idols! And I got to meet another fan from the internet (Missy) - first time I ever did that. And she is really awesome - totally nice, friendly, generous, funny....now hopefully she won't come on and say I am a total freak, lol. It was great to go with another real fan who would actually linger around the buses and understand and accept that I know every lyric to Magic Rainbows, lol.

So since we had to be there pretty early for the M&G anyway, we went early to see if we could catch anyone out by the buses. It was interesting to people-watch; easy to spot some of the more obsessive people. I met Kristy Lee Cook - she seemed to be going through the motions, but big props to her for taking the time out to see fans before and after the show (and she's really pretty, too). We headed to the Meet and Greet. As expected, it was very quick - the Idols were behind a table...we were only supposed to get one autograph from each Idol; there was a stack of pictures and they were signing those and passing them down the line. My goals were to try to say something nice to each Idol, sneak an extra autograph from Cook and Castro for my sister, and take pics of the Idols I liked. As soon as we got in the room, I spotted Cook doing that hearty laugh of his (he was joking around with Carly) - he was pretty attractive. I took a couple pics of Cook before I got to him and then told him I enjoyed his music and that this was the first year that the person who I wanted to win Idol won and he said "Well you're batting 1 for 7!" (OK, I did have the maternity matador picture with me, but things were just going too fast so I never had him sign it). He was pretty much adorable and I got his autograph for my sister and than basically must have been flustered enough to forget to take pictures of the next few Idols and say little more than "hi" to them until I got to Jason. Actually, before that, I did stop by Michael and he also looked really gorgeous (but kinda tired) - I handed him the pic for my sister and asked slyly (since we werent supposed to ask for 2 autographs) 'could you sign this one, too' and he kind of whispered 'yeah!' (and quickly signed it as he looked around, like he was jokingly pretending to do something forbidden)...and then I moved on and kind of recovered when I got to Jason and took a pic of him signing and I think I paid him a compliment and he said "you're welcome!' and then kind of laughed and was like 'i mean, thank you' in his clueless manner. I told Archuleta I like his new song on the radio and he kinda giggled and said thanks. Other than that, I said hi to all of them except Syesha - she seemed a little standoffish and didn't look up.





After that, we got lost in the arena and ended up in places where we totally didn't belong (nowhere cool though), but no one who worked there even said anything. We waited a couple hours for the concert and did more people-watching. I was satisfied with the free seats - they were in the lower bowl, 9th row, towards the center of the right side of the arena. I could see the performers fine. The concert began...Chikezie was good - he has a great voice and had some good energy. Ramiele was kind of amateurish to me - she had some good vocal moments, but overall, I think she does lag behind all the other performers. Michael Johns...he sang his ass off and was outstanding. Really outstanding. We Will Rock You/We are the Champions, It's All Wrong, and Dream On - I totally do not understand what happened to him on the show because his voice is great live and he has great stage presence. Crowd loved him. Kristy Lee did what she does well. And Carly.....her voice was kind of shrill in her first song, but she sounded great in her next two, and that girl, too, has major stage presence! At this point, to me, while several of the performers were competent, she and MJ looked like stars.




I love Brooke on coldplay's "Yellow" - she has a nice vibe to her performances - with her and Jason, what you see on the show is what you see on the stage. Fans were pretty crazy for Jason. Syesha sang "Umbrella" and I didn't like it...but then her next two songs were amazing! It seems she really connected with the songs and her voice was just in great form and the audience was very appreciative - many gave her a standing ovation and she seemed really appreciative of the response. Archuleta came out to lotsa shrill screams. This kid was dull during much of the tv show, but his voice sounds really great live and I couldn't help but feel, as I was watching him sing Angels, that I was witnessing someone who will hit it really big someday just rise to stardom. Amazing. His Stand By Me performance lead into a longer, faster version of "Beautiful Girls" and he seemed to be having fun with it. He also outsings "Once Republic" on Apologize. While his singing was great, his banter was really awkward, but in an endearing, funny way.





Cook came out and I swear the vibe changed. We were all standing, screaming, singing along. He feeds off the crowd's energy and I think he was really loving the response to him and he just put on a really great show. I think that his crowd reaction was the craziest and loudest. Since everyone was singing along to "Time of My Life" and "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing", there was a couple times he stopped singing and the words were actually discernible as sung by the audience. He jumped off stage at the end, as if to be immersed in the audience. Guy seems to be in his element (really loving it) when he is performing to large crowds, and hopefully this is part of the start of a great music career for him.




Please Don't Stop the Music was a fun ending to the show. Michael Johns just kind of dances around, doing goofy stuff, like he is some drunk loser at a club aimlessly strolling up to random people to dance (badly) with. He and David did a Phantom of the Opera skit with masks and roses - looked totally girly.

Since the traffic would be crazy afterwards anyway, we wandered over by the gates to see if any Idols would come out. Kristy Lee came out again and some girls asked her what her most memorable moment on tour was and she laughed and said she wouldn't say, but her most embarrassing moment happened on stage in Kansas City...since she wouldn't tell them, they asked Jason if he knew when he came by and he spilled the beans that a tampon fell out of her back pocket on stage - leave it to him to just share her embarrassing moment, lol. His eyes are stunning in person. Archuleta came by through the line - he was in a real rush and was later spotted running to the buses.


Missy and I went back to my place to play her Guitar Hero game and I found out I suck. It was a great night!

American Idol Season 7 Finale Recap

Since it's been 2 years, and I once again feel nostalgic for AIS7 and my awesome trip to Hollywood to see David Cook win, I thought I'd "republish" a message board post that I wrote after my trip. During Season 7, I had steadily started admiring and becoming an invested fan of David Cook since his Always Be My Baby performance, and being there cheering him to a win just kind of sent me over the edge to this insanity:) I've displayed the past couple years. The original audience of this post was a small pop culture board that I used to post at with Idol fans, most of who liked David Cook but were not as invested as I was. I've changed some of the slang and eliminated statements directed toward specific people, but I am leaving the original opinions and observations intact... this is not supposed to be great writing, or insightful, but just describes my experience of being there.

This trip was won for writing a little Chicken Soup style story about being a fan of Chris Daughtry for the Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul contest.

"On Monday, I had fun exploring Hollywood, wishing that the show was still at the Kodak because it's a more interesting area than Downtown L.A. The Idol portion of the trip began on Tuesday morning when we walked over to the Nokia to pick up our tickets from the box office. We went about half an hour before the office opened, so we were able to see people building the Idol Extra set and news crews interviewing Idol fans....everyone in line at the box office was a winner of various contests (Oscar Meyer, Fox, etc) - I ended up talking to a really loud and excitable archuleta stan who practically demanded that a camera crew talk to her about how much she appreciates her prize from Fox - she asked who I was cheering for and I said Cook. Her facial expression actually turned a little less friendly and she said "I'm for Archuleta" and there was a silence, so I said "well, both seem like good guys and are deserving" (intending it to be a friendly statement) and she spat out "Cook has an attitude." I said "a winning attitude. I like it" and she turned away and stopped talking to me. O-kay.

Once the box office opened and people picked up the tickets, I heard some people saying that their seats were in the mezzanine - mine were too. They were in the front row of the mezzanine, but they were pretty crappy seats, to be honest. Some of the "seat fillers" ended up with much better seats on the floor, but you know, they actually waited in line outside from 10:30am until the show started - I ended up sitting next to one of the seat fillers on Wednesday night and he just reaked of sweat and he apologized for his smell, saying that he felt he really worked for the tickets, so I was grateful that I was able to bypass all of the waiting-all-day-for-tickets thing and was relatively cool with the seats.

I got to the theater and they were taping Idol extra. Holy moses, there was Constantine. He just has this air to him and I forgot that I think he's a pig now. He is really attractive, really attractive. He appears to work for tv guide or something.


He was messing with his hair.


Sanjaya seemed to be getting interviewed by Justin Guarini and Kimberly Caldwell. You can see Tamyra Gray in one of these shots, too. Kimberly Caldwell is much tinier than I expected her to be:






Sanjaya ended up walking within a few feet of us, he looked up and I waved and he waved back right at me with his creepy smile.

OK, fast forward to the show. Before the show, the "sway-bots" (term coined from USA Today, I think?) from the mosh pit walked out in orderly lines, very mechanically. They really looked like a bunch of brainless bots! WTF is the purpose of them? An obnoxious guy ran around, trying to pump everyone up. He asked who was there for Cook. Thunderous applause. He asked who was there for Archuleta. The applause for Archie did seem to be louder then and throughout the night. There seemed to be a lot of Archuleta signs, too. Ick.

It seemed as if the theater became full at exactly the right time and we were told that we had to be very quiet, as they were going to be doing a new beginning of the show in under a minute and the place got silent - we watched the boxing beginning and the show was on. The introduced the judges and I admit that I booed Randy (both nights).

Cook's voice just filled the room. He sounds so great live, so great. The audience was actually much more into this performance than it seemed on tv - the majority of people were clapping to the beat. When I watched it back live, I was actually surprised at how the energy didn't seem to come through on television.

Archuleta was next and, as a Cook fan, I was very impressed by Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me. By sister and I looked at each other, literally with dropped jaws. This song is way overdone (Clay, Bo) and we really did not need another Idol version, but I found myself clapping at various points throughout the performance because it really was outstanding. I actually understood the judge's comments here and thought he also sounded better live than on tv.

Cook.......oh man, this "original song" was horrible. Live, the sound was a little distorted and I couldn't detect a melody. When he got the negative feedback, the depression started to set in about it being obvious that the contest was going into Archuleta's favor. I was worried that, if Cook won, he'd be singing this Hillary-Duff-knockoff-pile-of-shit. BLECH. Actually, the song did sound better on tv because it wasn't so distorted. Archuleta's original song kind of made me sick and I started to feel sicker when he got more praise for that.

David Cook's voice, again, filled the theater beautifully for his last song. For whatever reason, I felt dissatisfied, though, despite the fact that he sounded just gorgeous. I think that, by that point, the judges put so much of a downer on things with giving 2 rounds to Archie that it made what Cook was doing hard to enjoy. I liked David's response to Simon's criticism; we all cheered.

Archuleta sounded beautiful, of course, but how un-interesting of him to sing Imagine again. I left feeling lousy about the finale. It's really no fun to see the judges tell your guy that he lost in a knockout.

The show went so fast - I couldn't believe it was over. I went into the lobby and down the escalator and saw some huge guy who looked like a huge inflated blowup doll with clown hair coming toward me - yep, Chris Sligh. He was right there in the mob of fans and no one was even bothering him - he was walking briskly, talking to some guy, and walked right by me, and I said "Hey Chris" and he kept walking.

I am glad I bought a few minutes of internet access in the business center that night to see that Cook was leading DialIdol and that he had a chance of winning. That made me feel better.

Next up....wednesday...

On Wednesday, I arrived at the theater at 2:30 (show started at 5) hoping to watch people arrive, but was met by a much different scene than Tuesday. There was already a line of people at the door and the security people insisted that everyone get in line....so we could not watch the red carpet stuff! How disappointing. However, I did see Bo close up and he just looks good.... he was so close that I could have reached out and grabbed his hair - people said that Haley and Melinda were there too, but I didn't even see them because my attention was on Bo. I blurted out "Bo Bice" like a moron and he gave a general smile and wave to the crowd.

Ryan was standing in the street (in the lane that was closed off) talking on a cell phone and looking important and busy near the red carpet. He is small and business-like.

The show started a couple hours later. The sway-bots filed in mechanically once again and assumed their position. I wonder if they are hired - they all look like they are going to a high school homecoming the way they are dressed. Before we went live, the Davids came out into the center of the stage to stand still as statues for the opening. Before it went live, Cook was doing this cute boxer shuffle, maybe with a few jabs. Archie awkwardly tried to do the same. We were all told to get really quiet until Ryan said "This...is American Idol." However, people were yelling out random shit (to the stage manager's chagrin) and it looked like someone might ruin the opening (but everyone did get quiet in time)....the whole crowd did jump the gun, though, and cheered early.

At the end of the first medley with the SYTYCD performers, Jason got scared by the flames and was jumping around at the end when everyone was still. We thought he got burned or something. He's so animated

Wow, the minute David's voice started on "Hero," I got chills. Again, he sounds outstanding live. This was my favorite performance of the night and I thought that the Davids actually sounded really well together. The crowd was going NUTS for them. Lots of fun.

Syesha and Seal put on a blech performance. Jason Castro, on the other hand, sounded outstanding. His reprise of Hallelujah (sp?) was just beautiful and I was thrilled to hear it live - he has a way of making you just hang on to every note. I wonder why he didn't have a guest performer...but anyway, he really did sound great during all of his solos. He just has a natural live performing voice........while Carly, for example, sounded just horrendous live. Carly was shrill, sounded like she was on helium - it was so unpleasant every time she sang. She needs to dial it back a little. Michael Johns, though, BTW - geez, his voice is insanely good. It's another one that just grabs your attention. It's not as strong as David Cook's though.

I'm getting ahead of myself - that was a good moment to see the Davids get their new SUV's...Cook was squeezing his head between his elbows in his "overwhelmed" stance. I wonder if he was aware that they get cars - if not, then what a nice surprise that must have been.

The girls' medley was okay. Actually, live, I am not sure I like the female voices - they come across as kind of shrill and chipmunky. Except Brooke - her voice sounded very warm and pretty, Amanda sucks.

I really enjoyed the Bryan Adams medley - I thought it was fun.

Actually, I didn't like Cook's performance with ZZtop because it sounded all distorted in the theater and I couldn't pick out a melody, but when I saw it on tv, I recognized the song. He seemed to have fun. The crowd responded well.

The Jonas brothers were painful to listen to. Archuleta outsang the One Republic guy on "Apologize"...Carrie Underwood, who would have thought, actually has good stage presence! I was shocked to see she commanded the stage, looked like a seasoned performer.

I was anxious for the results by the time they did the George Michael medley. This was an amazing show though - it was a lot of fun, there was tons of energy in the crowd, and the show was just plain entertaining. When they announced the winner, it was great to jump up and down screaming for a long time....and have it be completely socially appropriate. While, throughout the finale, the screams were louder for Archuleta (probably due to kids and teens being loud screamers), the place just ERUPTED for Cook's win. I thought Cook showed the right amount of emotion - it was just the perfect ending to the season. I was really glad that the winners song wasn't that awful thing he performed on Tuesday night. Although the coronation song was awful in all it's Rainbow glory, it seemed so appropriate for that moment and it was just so perfect for David's voice on it to be booming throughout the theater as confetti fell. Archuleta fans started pushing their way to the exits and you could just tell by people's faces who they were pulling for. It was wonderful.

Outside, Idol Tonight was taping. Here is my biggest regret - I was standing so near the door where the Idols were coming out to go get interviewed. I had a chance to go to the bleachers and watch this taping...however, the limo was waiting down the street and, while I stuck around for 40 minutes after the show, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cook (IF he came out), my conscience kicked in and I just had to leave so the driver wasn't sitting there waiting forever. I regret so much not just planning to stake out the theater for the rest of the night. I really wanted to see Cook, but had no idea whether he'd be getting interviewed. (We werent allowed phones, so I couldn't cancel the ride). Ugh, I have to get over this disappointment.

I did see Jason, Brooke, Carly, Jordin, Kristy, and Syesha rather close up, though. Jason and Brooke are both really really gorgeous people. A few crappy pics (I had a crappy disposable camera, btw, because cameras were prohibited in the show and I didn't want to risk losing my digital to the security people).

That's all...