Bird's Bridgeport CT Idols Show Recap

I didn't list all of the songs covered, as I imagine people know them by now. Sorry if I've left anything out. Hope you enjoy this version of a Taylor fan traveling with Chris troopers visit to the Idol show in Bridgeport, CT.

The arena at Harbord Yard is a smaller venue that is integrated with the rest of the Bridgeport area sites, so the parking was limited due to a sports event. We got there early enough to park at the arena and waited in a very disorganized line outside with people asking each other if they were in the right line and small children playing games in the lines while their nervous parents tried to keep them in eye shot. They opened the doors late, which was difficult to bear, given that we were standing near a parking lot that had a very offensive odor. But once they opened the gates, things ran smoothly and quickly. They were randomly checking bags and confiscating people's beverages and snacks, while others were not checked. People could bring in small cameras and no one was shy about picture taking in the arena.

The crowd was a mix of ages, cultures and constellations of different combinations of families and friends. The youngest child I saw there had to be about 5 years old. He seemed kind of wired by the time we got into the arena. There was a little girl sitting behind me, she must have been about six. She could barely fit in the seat as she kept sliding down and lost her shoe under my seat during the concert, which I fetched.

I was with my friend who is not an American Idol junkie, but an American Idol "historian". She has watched the show since the beginning, has the singles and records of her favorites from each season, and knows the in's and out's of each contestant's rise to the top and progress from there. To call her a "junkie" would assume there was something wrong with her lovely habit, and that she would somehow need to stop informing us of what was happening with the Idols and their careers. My other two travel companions were my nieces, ages 13 and 20. They are definitely pop culture officianados, very excited about the show. I left my three year old "Soul Patrol, Takin it to the Potty" girl at home with my husband.

The show started late, so they entertained us with dancing Pop Tart signs and videos of the Idol shows this year. Where were the free Pop-Tarts? Didn't someone say we would get free mint chocolate Pop-Tarts? I swore I could smell them in the hallway. My friend went down to the concessions to get some souvenirs for her colleagues. She noticed there were lots of requests for Pickler items, buttons, pictures, the like. "No Bucky buttons," my friend observed. Were they sold out? Were they not even offered? She was shopping for Chris buttons and such and returned happy. She noticed an equal enthusiasm for Pickler with signs and posters, one shaped like a pickle with arms waving. She said the younger girls seemed to be interested in Kelly and Katherine. I saw a Taylor sign in the row behind us, but I think the girl was asleep before Taylor could come onto the stage.

My friend and nieces were there to see Chris. There was no doubt about that. I love Chris too, but I wouldn't have been there if not moved into this energy by the Soul Patrol. I have only watched Idol for two seasons, so I am a newbie, but I feel like I've known Taylor's style of music forever, so as soon as he caught the public eye, I stood at attention and followed the Soul Man into this very strange, yet delightful experience.

The lights went down and up come the blue lights and the American Idol theme song, just like on TV!! To my surprise, no one gets onto their feet. There's lots of clapping and wiggling around in chairs, but no one gets up. There were a few choice moments when this changed, like for Katherine's Rainbow, and Taylor's entrance, but otherwise, perhaps people were being respectful of the small children sitting behind them.

Mandisa comes out. Wow, what a powerful presence to unify a group of people. "I'm Every Woman" is a song that needs the perfect match. Chaka Kahn would have been proud. Mandisa created an energy that was positive and solid for women and men alike. And Ruben called her !! She was great. Her duet with Ace was very tender and moving. They coordinated well and you could sense a true warmth between them. We enjoyed it.

Ace was adorable. He was greeted with ear piercing screeches that only young girls can make and some crude comments that some of the older women behind us made. The crude comments upset some the younger girls near us. "Ewww, Why are those women saying that?" He seems very comfortable on stage.  He did a great version of "Father Figure" except for the chest pumping that was magnified on the video screen. Some of the moves that he had seemed contrived and overstated, but overall, his voice was great. A clear and a different take on the songs he sang. He did a good job.

Lisa Tucker was one of our unexpected favorites. She was very straightforward, and showed her talent in an elegant way. She sang two Elton John songs, my friend said, "Maybe she got the Elton John songbook?" yet both were done well. Her piano playing was great, again, straightforward and no funny business.

Paris and Lisa dancing was very cute and energetic. Why was Paris hooked up to a headset and dressed like Paula Abdul from the 80's? It seemed out of step, like she was the lead in the show, but yet she was sort of disorganized. She was a bit bossy with the crowd, telling us to make certain hand gestures during "Midnight Train" which the crowd didn't follow, and her vocals seemed rushed. Our advice to Paris would be to stop trying so hard and let her real talent shine through.

Bucky time. Very Superstitious was turned into a sort of a speed metal rock song with flashing lights and Bucky head banging which totally confused my niece. "Wasn't he the Southern guy?" I could barely hear his vocals during that song. When he slowed down and did a controlled version of "Drift Away" we had the real Bucky. We were all very happy to sing along and feel grounded again by his presence. He did a great job with that song. Then Kellie came out and they did "You're the One that I Want" from Grease. I actually liked Bucky in that song better than Kellie. They were doing a little dance around the stage together and he had the air of a gentleman and was a nice contrast to Kellie's "Naughty Minx" stance.

Kellie was very sweet with the audience and tried to get the stage managers to put the house lights on us so she didn't feel like she was "singing to myself in the dark." The stage managers put the strobe lights on us and Kellie complained she was getting dizzy as we were too. They tried it three times before they got it right, strobe lights on us, house lights on her, strobe lights on us, finally no lights, then house lights on us. We all waved to Kellie and appreciated her attention. Her vocals were OK, "I'm the Only One" and "Walking After Midnight" were good picks for her voice, but she seemed to lose her Southern accent in "Walking" which is something we Northerners always enjoy.

Intermission. People were well controlled and it was surprisingly easy to get a soda and food. It was more difficult to find the souvenir lines. I didn't see even one person wearing a Soul Patrol t-shirt. An older man commented that he liked my Marvin-Otis-Curtis t-shirt, thanks to my friends at mj's, I felt well dressed to support our Soul Man.

Chris Daughtry. Wow. What a reception! The lights go out, and the stage explodes with his version of "Whole Lotta Love." As some mjers know, I am a huge Robert Plant fan, so I had to keep an open mind during this song. Chris got the energy right, the crowd was transformed into a frenzy and took a passionate journey to the core of classic rock. Chris' vocals were a bit rushed and muffled by the band, but still on track. I was craving the pin drop silence between the close to the last vocals and the end of the song as Plant and Page create, but then I realized that this was not a Zeppelin tribute. This was Chris' update of the song into the modern annals of rock and an invitation for the younger generation to connect with this great song. My younger niece said later, "I didn't understand the words to the first song, but I liked it." His rendition of "Dead or Alive" had us all singing along.

I loved, loved, loved, the Chris and Elliott duet of Nickelback's "Savin Me". It was powerful and the voices were equally strong and balanced.

Time for Elliott. Like Lisa Tucker, no funny business, just great vocals and a pure spirit toward the audience. We saw some E-train signs. His first song "Never Too Much" was high energy and a solid performance. "Moody's Mood for Love" was in the style of an elegant night club, very classy.

I really liked the group version of "Patience". I missed Axle Rose's screech toward the end, but Ace replaced it with a clear voiced version of the lyrics, and it was actually refreshing.

Katherine made her presence known with KD Turnstall's "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree," followed by a high energy version of Aretha Franklin's "Think." I didn't like "Think" when she sang it on the show, and I didn't like it live, either. She ran around in a long black evening dress and bare feet. "Why?" my nieces asked, "Because she doesn't want to trip on anything" my friend said. I thought her voice was rushed in "Think". But again, they all seemed rushed at times during the show. She then proceeded to tell us that she had a headcold. "Why does she always tell everyone all of her personal problems?" my youngest niece asks. The cold didn't seem to affect her vocals. After the two frenzied songs, Katherine did a beautiful version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" pausing when some audience members shouted out how much they loved her. She seemed genuinely moved. The song was without argument moving. She got a standing ovation and very strong and respectful applause. Katherine fan or not, she really has mastered that song.

The quiet of the song fades and we hear Taylor's commanding voice throughout the arena. I have chills and can't believe the moment is finally here. "Where is he?" Everyone looks around. He comes from the left side of the arena, "Jailhouse Rock" is in full motion and he flies through the audience with the security guards surrounding him. There's a glimpse of a plum color, is it the velvet jacket? No, but a lavender shirt and grey plaid blazer. The house lights are up and the energy is high. The younger girls are at the top of the bleacher seats dancing and singing along. People are running down to the rails to get a closer look. I am unabashedly on my feet as the little girl in the seat behind me is covering her eyes so she can sleep. His energy is contagious and he moves into Bob Seger's "Hollywood Nights." "He plays guitar, too" says my niece. "Yes," I proudly say. I never liked Seger's version of this song, but I really liked Taylor's and I loved the guitar playing.

He mentions Stevie Wonder and goes right into "Livin For the City", everyone was moving and singing along. Mid-stream he adds a few lines of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," which none of us understood why, but OK. He had more leg moves and kicks than arms and circle dances this time, I thought. The leg moves seemed to be exaggerated a bit, which made me wish he was touring solo, so he could relax a bit, because the whole thing seemed a bit rushed. Nevertheless, he commands the audience with his spirit and unique voice. He looked like he was having fun and his smile is just electric. "Do I Make You Proud" made us proud. Even my Chris fan concert-mates were moved. The lights went out and he came back to encore with "Takin it to the Streets" which was high energy and classic Taylor. He then escaped the tour stress with his harmonica and we were transfixed and amazed. He really has a timeless style and classic sense of how to invite a crowd into his energy and space. I can't wait for his solo album and tour.

They ended with "We are the Champions" and "Livin in America". By then, most of the little kids were either sleeping in their seats or their parents were carrying them out on their backs. The older kids were with their families down by the rails dancing and singing as if they were auditioning for Idol themselves. We moved through the crowd early to get out to the parking lot before the mad rush. As we moved through the crowd, I sang with the random people who were engaged with the song, a mother of two caught my eye and we sang a bit together, laughing, dancing and enjoying the energy. For those moments, it felt like we were all part of something that everyone can relate to, the world was small and the love of music was universal. It was then that, in all of it's crass and tacky packaging, the American Idol movement made sense to me. Thanks for a great time. See you next year.