Girly Breska says hello to her fellow idoloonies at the Minneapolis, MN Idols Live show last Friday. Read her recap below:
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Hello, fellow idoloonies! I attended the Idol show at Target Center, and I decided “hey…what the heck? Why not write a review?”
First, I’ll tell you a bit about myself. I am a 20-year-old college student with a nearly non-existent social life. I love music in general; I’m actually a flute performance major. My musical taste is kind of all over the map; I like pop, rock, country, some r&b, and even just a little bit of rap. My summer has pretty much consisted of working as a cashier, going to concerts with my dad (we saw Kris Allen and Adam Lambert in June), spending time with my sister, and web-surfing. I check mjsbigblog.com multiple times a day for the latest Idol scoop. Oh yeah…and I’m a Facebook addict!
Anyway, I became hooked on Idol after watching Kelly Clarkson win in Season 1. However, I really became obsessed with it when Season 7 rolled around. That was the first year that I went and I saw the live show in Minneapolis, and I went last year, too. Somehow I’ve managed to win tickets every year, and last year I actually won two pairs. My favorite Idols from past seasons are David Cook, Brooke White, and Adam Lambert (my style icon!). This year, the main reason I wanted to go was to see Lee. I also liked Didi. Overall, however, I thought Season 9 had been a disappointment in comparison to Seasons 7 and 8. After seeing the show live, though, my opinions have changed! :)
My dad and I arrived at the venue at 6-ish. I had hoped we’d get there much earlier so that I could meet the idols as they got off the buses, but I had no such luck. My dad’s hours at work aren’t regular, so we got to the venue much later than I had planned on. I noticed that there were very few people outside, which seemed odd since the last two years it had been quite busy outside the venue before show time. From this observation, I gathered that the idols weren’t going to be playing to a full house. After we got inside and I had purchased a program and a Lee photo (my favorite!), we headed to our seats in section 106 (quite a ways away from the stage). The people seated directly behind us were obviously not idol tour regulars because they were speculating what order the contestants would perform in. One of them mentioned something about Lee probably not going first because everyone in the audience would leave right after he performed. One of them also mentioned something about Carrie Underwood being on Idol a few years ago and being a finalist. I was thinking, “She frickin’ won the show!”…I didn’t say that out loud though. ;)
Well, here we go! Let’s get this recap started…
Didi Benami: I really thought her vocals sounded much stronger live than they were on the show. However, like many have already said, her set doesn’t really bring the crowd to its feet. (I didn’t stand for any portion of the concert; I would have liked to, but no one else in my section stood up, so I would have felt weird.) I think Didi would be more suited to play at smaller venues. Both of her songs I thought were good choices, though, because they suited her voice. She also looks fabulous onstage.
Andrew Garcia: He was one of the bigger surprises of the night. I was never a huge fan of him on the show, but his vocals sounded so smooth live. “Sunday Morning” was my personal favorite out of the two.
Katie Stevens: This girl could be the next big Disney star. She has WAY more vocal control than say Miley Cyrus, and she knows how to strut her way across the stage. I know some other reviewers have criticized her choice of outfit, but I thought it suited her. The Adam Lambert-style fingerless gloves were a nice touch, too! I was never a huge fan of the song “Fighter, ” but she made me like it :)
Tim Urban: The award for most improved has to go to Tim. “Better Days” gave me goosebumps, and “Viva la Vida” was arranged in a way that fit Tim’s style. Also, Tim has a certain charisma that I believe will take him a long way. I could see him acting in a show on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel.
Siobhan Magnus: “Paint It Black” was fabulous! I enjoyed that one much more than her other two songs. “Spiderwebs” (is that what its called?) and whatever the heck the other one was were kinda forgettable. I didn’t enjoy the last one very much. It was just too “hard rock” for my taste. And I couldn’t understand most of the words, which didn’t help matters either. The outfit was AWESOME, however! I like Siobhan’s rocker-chick style and her hair.
Aaron Kelly: Where the heck does that huge voice of his come from? He has the voice of a 30-year-old guy but it comes out of this teeny-tiny body. It’s almost unreal. I mostly enjoyed his entire set, especially “Walking in Memphis, ” a song I’ve known since I was little. I went to the concert with my dad (a BIG Elvis fan!), so he enjoyed the videos of Elvis that went along with the song.
Group Number: “The Climb” was performed much better than Miley would have done it. I enjoyed the harmonies and the laidback feel with three of the finalists on guitar. And then Aaron really took it up a notch with his solo bit. Overall, a very satisfying rendition of a song originally recorded by a mediocre singer.
Michael “Big Mike” Lynche: hmmm…I’m just not sure what he was thinking when he put his set together. It was all just a bit too sleepy for me. Additionally, I don’t really enjoy soul/r&b that much to begin with. I did like “My Love” when he wasn’t singing in falsetto. I almost wanted to laugh during some of the falsetto parts because it’s just so comical having that high voice come out of a huge man. Overall, though, I think Mike has potential; I just won’t go out and buy his albums because they are just not my “thing.”
Casey James: His set really showcased his guitar skills. I think, in general, he was a crowd-pleaser, especially to the women. I thought he wasn’t quite as stiff-looking as he was on the show. That was always one of the things that bothered me about him, because he always came across as wooden. He also didn’t sound as much like a sheep as he had during his run on the show. “Don’t” and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” were the highlights for me. Both of them are kinda sappy love songs, but hey, I’m an Idol fan, so I enjoy a bit of cheese :)
Crystal Bowersox: She was very consistent. “Come to My Window” and “Up to the Mountain” were my favorites. I also thought she seemed very relaxed, like she was totally content to be up on that stage entertaining us, and nothing else in the world mattered during that moment in time. There is nothing fake about her. I think I may finally be a fan!
Lee DeWyze: This was the guy I had been waiting for most of the night. He really created a special moment for the audience when he sang “Hallelujah, ” with many in the crowd swaying their arms back-and-forth and singing along. “Beautiful Day” was a lot better than I remembered it. His new arrangement doesn’t feel as forced and mechanical as the original arrangement. I wish he had recorded the new version rather than the old one which just sounds like a copy of U2. “Use Somebody” was really good, too. I could see Lee making an album of songs similar to that one. He has the right grit in his voice to make it work.
Group Number: Didn’t see it. I rushed out to get a good spot at the barricades, and this ended up paying off!
After the show, I ended up meeting all of the Idols (except Casey) at the barricades. I struck up a conversation with another idoloonie who came to Minneapolis all the way from Texas and I learned he was a junior in college, just like me. This type of fan interaction is part of what makes concerts so fun for me. My dad always goes with me, but he’s not really an idol nut. As for the idols, Lee was really fun to interact with, and so were Tim and Aaron. I’m kinda obsessed with Tim now. He’s basically the hot boyfriend that I never had (LOL!). Overall, all of the idols were very nice, and they all seemed down-to-earth. I tried to get a picture with Crystal when she came by, but my camera stopped working for some reason, which kinda pissed me off. Siobhan was a bit of a surprise because she was so quiet and reserved (but friendly). Overall, the entire experience was a blast, and it proved to be a night that I will never forget. I can’t wait to go again next year! :)
