Hartford, CT AI Live! Show – Melanie’s Recap
I know Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a little late to the party, but I wanted to give a recap of my concert experience in Hartford. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve mostly lurked up to this point and have really enjoyed reading all your recaps and felt it was time to give back. Sorry this is kinda long. I hope I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t bore you all to death.
I want to start out by saying that Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a HUGE David Cook fan. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s drawn me into AI like no other contestant and this was my first time venturing online to follow the show. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m also an Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Live Tour virgin, so this whole experience was all new to me. Despite my love and devotion for David Cook, I enjoyed many of the idol contestants this season, and having such eclectic taste in music was really looking forward to the show.
My husband went along with me to the concert. He also watched this season, but didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t follow it as closely as I did. He was in the dog house for not getting me a birthday present, so his punishment was to be my fangirl slave for the day and attend the concert, meet the idols, take pictures, or whatever else I requestedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦lol.
Meeting the IDOLS:
More Re-cap after the JUMP…
We got to the XL Center around 1:30 and waited until around 2:45 for the idols to come out. They had set up an area inside with barricades for everyone to stand around. There were about 100 people there when we arrived, which was a lot fewer than I had expected. We snagged a small area of barricade away from everyone else, where a few other fans were waiting. There were tons of teenagers and little girls waiting to meet Archie, though I did see a few Carly and Jason fans and of course lots of David Cook fans.
So MJ was out first, looking sexy as usual. He started in the middle and went along one side. He spent a long time speaking to a small group of fans and I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see him get around to the other side. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the only idol I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t meet of the ones that came out.
David Cook came out shortly after MJ and ran right over to our little section! I think I contained myself fairly well though my husband said that I did a little jump, clap, and squeal in my excitement (lol). He was thoroughly amused and standing at a distance (probably thinking I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know this woman) with the camera ready to go. David was in a rush (the idols had come out late) as he had press to do and told the people next to me that he couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t take pictures because he wanted to get around to everyone. So when he got to me I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t ask for a posed photo (which I would later regret since he did take some pictures with fans).
I was the 5th or 6th person he came up to and I was in total shock! I was so nervous I was shaking and all I could get out was, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Congratulationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . He said thanks and asked who the autograph was to. I told him my name and proceeded to tell him how to spell it (for some odd reasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦gah!). He gave my picture back, I said à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Thanksà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ and that was about it. All the things that I had planned to say completely escaped me and by the time I processed that David Cook had been standing right next to me, he was gone. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even think I made eye contact (Cook was probably thinking, whatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s wrong with this girl? or maybe he gets that a lot, IDK). Hubby caught the whole thing on camera of course, while I stood there wondering what just happened.
I did much better with the rest of the idols I met, which included Ramiele, KLC, Archie, Jason, and Brooke. Carly, Syesha, and Chikezie didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come out. My husband and I were blown away by how tiny Rami is. She looked like a little kid and we didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even see her come out. You donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really get how small she is until you see her in person. She was very nice and posed for a picture.
Archie was also very small in person. He was also in a huge rush. I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get to say much to him because he was talking to someone else still while he signed my picture and literally a mob of people ran over when he came to our section, so I stepped back to let all the little girls have their moment.
Jason came by and was pretty chill as expected. He also posed for a pic. KLC almost bypassed our section, but she came over when people yelled out to her. She also was unable to stop for photos and was in a big rush due to press. I did congratulate her on her album.
Brooke was the last idol I met and such a sweetheart! Sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s so laid back and friendly. She just chatted away with us about their crazy schedule then posed for a pic. My husband couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get over how nice she was. Lots of people cleared out after Archie, Jason, and Cookie left.
Overall, meeting the idols was fun but a little surreal. It didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t help that DC was the first one I met. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never really met anyone famous before or sought out autographs so in all my 29 years, this is probably the most fangirly I have ever been! I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even get that way for NKOTB back in the day! LOL.
Soà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦that brings us toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦
The Concert:
The crowd was pretty mixed. Mostly families with young kids and teenagers, but we also saw people our age, college age students, and grandmas. There were 2 couples sitting next to us in their 50à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and 60à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s as well.
MJ was the first to really get the crowd going. Although I wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a huge fan of his on the show (other than a fan of his sexiness), I thought he was way better live. We enjoyed his set, but hubby said that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s still not sure about him and needs to see what kind of CD he comes out with first.
Brookeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s set was our favorite of the first half (though MJ wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t far behind). She seemed very natural with the audience and made a fan out of both of us. I was kinda surprised hubby liked her, as her style of music really isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t his taste.
The others in the first half were kinda forgettable but had some nice moments. Props to Chikezie for getting things started. I know hubby, like most of the males, also enjoyed watching KLC, though heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not convinced sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going to go far in the music business.
We both could have gone without the cheesy filler before the show and during intermission, though there were a few cute moments with some little kids. I tried to warn hubby ahead of time, but nothing quite prepares you for a giant pop tart running around trying to get everyone to clap. Hubby shot me a look like youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve got to be kidding me! Paybackà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a bitch baby! Betcha he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t forget my birthday present next year!
The second half of the show delivered and had the largest reaction from the crowd. Even Carly and Syesha had very nice responses. I was a little disappointed in Carlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s set. I felt like I couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hear her singing above the band and thought she sang in a higher pitch than I remembered. Probably just bad acoustics in combination with where we were sitting, which was in one of the lower side sections. Hubby was also disappointed, as he had liked her performances on the show better.
I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mind Jasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s songs. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not a big fan of his, but did enjoy a few of his performances on the show. My husband is NOT a fan. He canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stand watching the faces he makes when he sings. Jason got lots of squeals in the high pitched Archie range.
Syesha sang her face offà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦or should I say her boobs off. Seriously, I thought those puppies were gonna bust right out of her dress! (Though, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure that would of made hubbyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s night.) The girl can sing and looked gorgeous!
Archieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performances were good. Even hubby enjoyed him, and Archie bored him to death on the show. He didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even remember that he played the piano. We both thought his stage presence has improved significantly. There were a few giggles and he was really out of breath between songs, but he somehow came across as less awkward then some of the others with his crowd banter and even threw in a few new dance moves while performing. His crowd response was the high pitched squealing type that everyoneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s referred to, but as much as you hear about it, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s that much louder and ear piercing in person.
Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s set was awesome and we both left the show excited for a solo DC concert. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just the most natural up there and really has the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ factor. I fell in love with his singing all over again hearing him live. The Cook chant was cool, but from where I was sitting, I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hear anyone sing back for TOML. I did hear some singing to IDWTMAT. Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s response was loud, but without the high pitched squeal as others have stated.
Then there was Mavid! I feel very fortunate now to have seen the last Mavid performance. IMO it was one of the best. Just as I told hubby to watch for it, they started twirling everywhere. Of course, hubby was less impressed but did laugh.
Overall, we really enjoyed all the performances and thought everyone sounded better live than on the show. I was actually far less impressed with the audience. I think we would have actually enjoyed the show more if we had been on the floor. The audience there stood the whole time and had a blast. In the side sections (in our area especially) only a few people stood and most did not stand at all. One family nearby looked so miserable I wanted to ask them why they were there. I was ready to check for a pulse. Just lame! Later my husband told me that he felt funny even clapping because hardly anyone around us was. It was kind of a buzz kill.
We were most irritated by the people who kept getting up during the show. It seemed like it was always the same ones. We had aisle seats, so this was especially annoying. The worst people were the oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s who left early during Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s set and during PDSTM either to beat traffic or because they were only there to see Archie. It was incredibly inconsiderate to the people trying to watch the rest of the show not to mention rude to the performers.
All in all it was an awesome but long day. We didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t wait around to meet the idols after, as huge lines were already forming. After 8 hours, my hubby had had enough so that was that! If you got to the end of my novella, then thanks for reading!!! Enjoy the pics. I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t include any from the concert as they were too far away and didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come out well.
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11 Responses to “Hartford, CT AI Live! Show – Melanie’s Recap”
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Loved the recap and the pics.
Melanie – Thank you for your recap; better late than never, as someone we love says! Too bad they don’t have the seating set up ahead of time as ‘responsive’ and ‘not so much’, that way the lumps could all sit together, heh.
And I have a feeling quite a few of us would probably be even more ‘deer in the headlights’ around Cook than you were. Lucky you for getting the autograph and breathing the same air for a minute, anyway!
Other than going for autographs, etc this grandma had the same experience you did (those people and kids getting up and down were annoying). Go DC!
AWW Melanie what a lovely recap for us! Thank you for sharing. Once again, reading these is making me excited to see more of the show than just…well, you-know-who! I have a feeling I would be a bit starstruck too to meet him. Oh OK, I’d probably just pass out and fall in the floor at his feet. thud. Seriously, I’ve spent hours thinking about the shows I’m going to and what would be the best way to get to meet David Cook…oh and MJ and Archie, of course! I just mean meet for an autograph, photo, handshake…beer, pizza, you know…. :bye_tb: No I’m not a stalker, just being silly. Sounds like the set-up inside the venue prior to the show was a good idea. Wish they’d do that in Dallas and KC, as it will no doubt be HOT outside in August!
Thanks for the recap Melanie. I’m glad you had a good time. I’m like you in that I watched the show before but never really invested in it until DC came along. I’m wondering if the obsession will ever fade.
Since it won’t let me edit my comment, I also want to add that your dear husband forgetting to buy you a birthday present can be a good thing in disguise. You can own him for months…..
Thanks for a nice recap ! Bonus- hubby enjoyed it too !
wow… I should bring a manbitch next time I go to a concert ot hold all of my stuff and take pictures! Glad you enjoyed, cute pix.
Loved your recap. It sounded so much like my reactions in Chicago, although I was on the floor and the audience response was decent. I wasn’t lucky enough to meet David. He didn’t come out at all in Chicago until after the concert and then it was a mob. So, I drove to Indianapolis to see the show again and again he didn’t come out. I did see him after the concert but was too far back to get an autograph, shake his hand and tell him how much I appreciate his talent, and wish him good luck. Only only got a glimpse of red baseball/football cap. So, much of our reaction to the concert was the same, but you had a far better meet and greet experience. I agree about Carly. I loved her on the show but could hardly hear her sing at either location. I too was surprised at how little both Rami and David A. were and was surprised at how painfully thin Brooke was although I loved her set. David Cook did not disappoint. He is, if anything, better in concert than on television. He owned the stage and the audience. It was like being there again reading your description. Thanks so much for posting it.
Glad you had fun!! Sorry that you didn’t get to meet Michael – my fault. I was over there part of that small group, haha.
But it was a great concert, wasn’t it?!
I’m glad you all liked the recap. Thanks for your kind and entertaining comments! You all crack me up and made me feel better about freezing up in front of Cookie. I think if I had actually fainted, hubby would have pretended not to know me…lol. I do feel very fortunate to have met DC.
fallforever, I like your idea…. ticketmaster should sell the tickets in “lump” and “non-lump” categories. Really!
WestiesRule- The peeps getting up and down were super annoying! I thought about tripping someone on the way up, but thought better of it :devil_tb: I’m kidding of course, but maybe they wouldn’t have kept getting up if they had a sore shin.
kathrynTX, it was really nice being inside even though it wasn’t that hot that day.
gingerly, I like how you think. I’m definitely trying to take advantage of the situation with hubby. Actually, he’s been a pretty good sport about my little obsession, which is showing no signs of fading. I’m also a huge Big Brother fan, so double wammy this time of year.
LMFAO, flowerchild16!!!
Aww, ShariG! I’m sorry you didn’t have a better meet n’ greet experience with David. Hopefully you’ll get another chance when his solo tour comes around!
BigNLiddle, haha! I guess I can forgive you this time for hogging MJ, as long as it wasn’t Cookie. But don’t let it happen again! And yes, it was an awesome concert!