IDOL 8 PRESS CONCERT REVIEWS!

Most people I know don't give a rat's behind about reviews. If my kids say they are going to see a new movie and I say it got bad reviews they usually "good - that means we will love it!"

Firecracker wrote:

Most people I know don't give a rat's behind about reviews. If my kids say they are going to see a new movie and I say it got bad reviews they usually "good - that means we will love it!"

Lol That is how it usually goes. For cd's the reviewers usually pan anything from Josh Groban or Celine Dion and I have loved their stuff, so yeah most people ignore the critics reviews.

Shannon :angel3:

Most reviewers hate the CDs I love. I guess I have bad taste

And here's another article about Adam, dated May 11, from the same website. Looks like it was written by a guy - but I loved what he had to say about Adam! Check it out! http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2009/05/11/do-you-care-where-your-american-idol%e2%80%99s-tongue-has-been-adam-lambert-and-the-not-so-gay-agenda-video/

Here is a good review from Charlotte. I like what the writer says about Kris!

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/549/story/866437.html

Shannon :angel3:

Lambert Law #1: If you've got it, flaunt it.

Lambert Law #2: Black is beautiful.


http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/midnight_sun/blog/2009/08/concert_review_american_idols.html

I saw that one earlier CC and I just loved it! :D

New York Times review...............Angel, you might not want to read this one.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/arts/music/11idols.html?_r=1&hpw

Sky wrote:

New York Times review...............Angel, you might not want to read this one.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/arts/music/11idols.html?_r=1&hpw

I saw this yesterday and was not sure if I should bring it here. It does belong here though, so thanks Sky. Frankly while debating what to do I got busy with other things and then forgot to bring it!! I don't agree with a few aspects of the review - especially what is said about Adam while on Idol, but yeah - just skip this one Angel. Seriously.

That review was brutal to Kris, I guess not a fan of him.

Not at all

Great article, but it's a long one, so I'll just post the link! Enjoy!

http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/08/10/american-idol-tour-newark-kradison-matt/?xid=rss-feed-americanidol-%27American+Idols+Live%27+tour+review%3A+Kradison+rules%2C+but+Matt+Giraud+impresses%2C+too%21

Idols Live concert tour appears to be recession-proof

A slumping economy and slipping TV ratings don't seem to be hurting American Idol at the summer box office.

The Idols Live tour, featuring winner Kris Allen and nine other finalists, is selling 82% of its tickets and has grossed $11.2 million — almost exactly the same as last year's tour at the same point.

MORE: 5 Fun Facts about Kris Allen: Learn all about the Idol winner [CHECK OUT THE ADORABLE VIDEO OF KRIS HERE! He answers questions about babies, barbeque, and boxers or briefs! Too cute!]

According to Billboard Boxscore, the first 19 shows of 2009 averaged 9,456 attendees per city, almost even with the 9,771 for the same period last year. With ticket prices ranging from $40.50 to $69.50 — a dollar higher than last year — the tour is almost exactly equal.

In the industry, "40% of tickets go unsold," says Billboard senior touring editor Ray Waddell. "They're doing better than average," especially since "these are baby acts on their first national tour, even if they've had the best exposure you can get."
One factor that could be contributing to the tour's success is the number of guys on the bill (a seven/three split), because Idol crowds tend to be heavily female. Another boost: Season 8 had a hugely popular runner-up.

"The Adam Lambert fan base is incredibly avid," says former Idol blogger Richard Rushfield, the incoming West Coast editor for Gawker. "That dedication is what sells tickets."

It also helps that this year's tour, which ends Sept. 15 in Manchester, N.H., is receiving generally positive reviews. "The consensus seems to be that every one of the kids is better in the concert than they ever were in the show," says Rushfield, who has attended four dates on this tour. "It's hard to see anybody who enjoyed the TV show walking away dissatisfied by it."

Though just two Idols Live stops have sold out, "that's not a $20 check-me-out ticket," says Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni. "Remember, these artists couldn't sell 10 tickets 10 months ago. So you've really created something from nothing."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-08-12-idols-live-tour_N.htm?csp=34

(Cute pic of Kradam at the link!)

Cute review, but some of the facts are wrong........they were probably mesmerized and forgot a few things!

http://blog.newsweek.com:80/blogs/popvox/archive/2009/08/14/front-row-at-the-american-idol-concert.aspx

Good review for Allison, Adam and Kris! Not so much for the others. It's long, so I'll just post the link.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32362030/ns/entertainment-music//


ETA: Review of Toronto show:

http://www.thespec.com/go/go_at_home/article/618780


I believe Jim Cantiello's interview has already been posted, but here's another article (+ short video):

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1618813/20090814/allen_kris_american_idol_.jhtml

'Idol' contestants belt out the tunes... and some talent
Sunday, August 23, 2009
By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette




For the 10 finalists on the road, "American Idols Live" is part victory lap, part audition to determine who's going to take their shot of fame past the 15-minute mark.

Last night at the Mellon Arena, one thing was clearly reinforced in front of the near sold-out crowd: Adam Lambert is star material.

If Elvis Presley and Edward Scissorhands could somehow have a child, it would look somewhat like this Idol runner-up who has already graced the cover of Rolling Stone and will have to come up with some absolutely abysmal songs to not top the charts when his album drops.

Lambert came out ninth in a swirl of fog to the power chords of "Whole Lotta Love," dressed like a leather-clad villain in "Terrordome." Then he backed up the glam-rock swagger with a beautifully supple voice that can hit the notes and take them to the next level.

Along with the Led Zep tune and a Bowie medley -- who ever would expect "Life on Mars" in such a mainstream show? -- Lambert did a dreamy version of Muse's "Starlight" and then sang Tears for Fears' "Mad World" like an angel. Although the crowd had its share of screaming little girls, it didn't stop Lambert from going NC-17 during "Whole Lotta Love" by putting the mike stand between his legs and doing a long slow stroke to freak out their moms.

How did winner Kris Allen follow that?

Just by being himself, which is a rock-solid Matchbox Twenty-style frontman in flannel shirt and jeans. What Allen lacked in flamboyance he made up for in the truer emotion he packed into his vocals with his fresh take on Kanye West's "Heartless" and the Killers' "All These Things That I've Done," recently subbed for the coronation song "No Boundaries." He also went from piano man on "Ain't No Sunshine" to lead guitarist at the end of "Bright Lights"

If Lambert and Allen get the right songs for their debut albums, they could be the best 1-2 tandem in Idol's history. Too bad we didn't get a sneak peek of that in last night's karaoke fest.

Now, for the others, in descending order of preference:

Matt Giraud: The dueling piano player, who went head-on with Scott MacIntyre on Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It," can really rock the keys, looks cool in a fedora and showed lots of charisma with convincingly bluesy versions of "Hard to Handle" and "Georgia on my Mind."

Tim Stewart: Who's Tim Stewart? Not an Idol, just the blazing guitarist who was nailing it all night, from Latin acoustic to heavy metal.

Lil Rounds: The only way to explain her coming in seventh is "Idol" audiences maybe being burned out on Beyonce types. She's going to have a hard time competing with other divas for songs, but Rounds showed pipes and soul to burn on Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys songs.

Danny Gokey: The show's sentimental favorite brought great energy to the stage (how many Red Bulls did he have?) and tore it up on Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most" and "My Wish." That was an improvement over Michael Jackson's "PYT," which he should avoid.

Allison Iraheta: The teen rocker did a decent Janis Joplin impersonation on "Cry Baby" and belted out "So What" and "Barracuda" with more blunt force than vocal range.

Anoop Desai: The Indian crooner is smooth -- too smooth for "Always on my Mind." An underdog on the show, Desai has surprising R&B chops, but no edge.

Scott MacIntyre: The visually impaired singer-pianist proved to be polished and pleasant, in a Bruce Hornsby kind of way, but Giraud beat him at his game.

Megan Joy: LA Ink Barbie met the challenge of Corrine Bailey Rae's offbeat neo-soul "Put Your Records On," then partway through Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry On their Own" it started to seem like a bad mall act.

Michael Sarver: Sarver comes off too much like football player so he should put the Ne-Yo down and either grab a cowboy hat or grow out his hair and bang his head in a hardcore metal band.

They all mixed it up a few times, for better or worse. Rounds and Joy were a train wreck on "Can't Take My Eyes off of You." The bottom four boys were hot on the Four Seasons' "Beggin'," with a hip-hop cameo from Rounds. Three hours after Sarver, a grand finale a la "The Sopranos" of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" sent people home with all the glitter and flash of the TV show.


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09235/992796-388.stm?cmpid=entertainment.xml

Cool review! Thanks CC!

I do think Adam and Kris could be the best one two punch from Idol!

Carly and Jessica from WPXI.com interview some of the Idols in Pittsburgh. (Alas, they did not score an interview with Adam this time! Bummer! )

"...So what's next for Kris? He told me to listen for his first single to hit the airwaves very soon..." :confetti:

http://www.wpxi.com/entertainment/20510349/detail.html

With video of interview with ADAM!! :confetti:

http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2009/08/american_idols_live_tour.html

ETA: Oh, yeah - there's also video of interviews with Allison and Anoop too!

'Idols Live' delivers a mixed bag of performances

Watching Adam Lambert -- the 27-year-old, now-openly-gay American Idol runner-up perform David Bowie's theatrical 1971 tune Life on Mars? to an arena packed with screaming tweens -- it seemed peculiar that the eccentric glam-rocker didn't take home the gold in the singing competition's eighth season.

Strange, too, was how a 10-minute medley of Bowie, Muse and Led Zeppelin songs (coupled with Lambert's PG-13 gyrations and impromptu uses of both an oversize feather on a stick and a hot-pink bra tossed onstage) so enthused the mixed-gender, multi-age crowd.
Perhaps it was because more than two-thirds of the way into American Idols Live!, a three-hour spectacle in Value City Arena, a parade of the season's top-10 finalists had yet to start a serious blaze onstage.
Sure, there were the messy-yet-confident stylings of 17-year-old Allison Iraheta, who strummed an electric guitar through Pink's So What and wailed to the Janis Joplin cover Cry Baby like a old soul.
Matt Giraud and Scott Mac- Intyre, who both played the piano during their three-song sets (which included predictable fare by the Fray and Keane), were stronger and more confident than on TV.
Third-place finisher Danny Gokey cut back on the goofy dancing that earned him scorn from judge Simon Cowell, but he didn't fully curb his moves. A lively interpretation of Michael Jackson's P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) made me smile.
Others didn't quite deliver the goods.
Megan Joy, sporting a blonde Afro wig, took her Amy Winehouse-style vocals into camp territory, while Lil Rounds couldn't reach Mary J. Blige heights.
Former oil-rig worker Michael Sarver needn't cover Ne-Yo tunes -- and ought to cut back on the beauty-queen waves -- and Anoop Desai, while smooth at projecting R&B material, didn't pick the right tunes (such as Bobby Brown's My Prerogative).
Already hindered by an intermission, enthusiasm had dampened by the time winner Kris Allen was set to perform. Lambert, after all, is a tough act to follow.
Yet the guitar-playing, churchgoing Arkansas native -- speculated to have received a hefty chunk of votes following the elimination of Gokey, a worship leader from Wisconsin -- did his best to chug through the so-so material by Kanye West, the Killers, Bill Withers and Rob Thomas.
Noticeably missing, though, was Allen's first single, No Boundaries, the much-condemned tune penned by new Idol judge Kara DioGuardi that was reportedly scrapped from the tour.
Closing the night was a group performance of Journey's Don't Stop Believin', a fitting tribute to a juggernaut reality program based on dreams -- and filled with characters we invest in (both emotionally and through sheer viewing hours) for months.
The accompanying tour is hardly perfect, but watching the hopefuls sing for their supper one last time is, however cliche, appropriate closure before the sun sets on another American Idol chapter and a new day begins.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/life/stories/2009/08/26/1AA_IDOL_REVIEW.ART_ART_08-26-09_A2_2VESI11.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101

Thanks CC!

Yes, Adam is a tough act to follow!!

I am getting so pissed off with eveytbody and there mother dissing Kris and his song choices. SO SO CHOICES OF SONGS??? Please Ain't No Sunshine is a freaking Classic from Bill Withers, Heartless is a tune that is all over the charts, Rob Thomas's Bright Lights is one of Match Box Twentys show stoppers. Critics are being major ass hats when it comes to Kris and have to do anything to insult Kris and if that means insulting the songs to then they will do it. Thsi ladies is the reason i have pretty much gave up reading the reviews. i am so sick of the BS that it is not even funny. Luckily for me i don't need a critic telling me something before I will buy something. I will be buying Kris's cd when it comes out and i am so looking forward to it. If the Critics don't cause they find him boring then it is their major loss.

Good to see they still like Adam :)

Now off to work. Bye Guys

Shannon :angel3:

St Louis Review

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertain...E6?OpenDocument


'American Idols Live'
By Kevin C. Johnson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC
08/30/2009

After watching the latest “American Idols Live” tour play out at a packed Scottrade Center on Saturday night, it’s still impossible to fathom Kris Allen’s winning over Adam Lambert.

Then again, the wholesome Allen doesn’t sport black fingernail polish and eyeliner, and wasn’t itching to announce he was gay, something that for Lambert probably cost him the title.


Nonetheless, it was Lambert, not Allen, with all the star power during Saturday night’s show, bringing to town all the swagger and style we saw Lambert exhibit on the telecast.

Lambert, decked out in his usual Goth-inspired attire, was electric on Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” pure feline on David Bowie’s “Fame,” and poignant on Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” Fellow finalist Allison Iraheta joined him for Foghat’s “Slow Ride,” though it was hard to take your eyes off Lambert.

The earnest Allen, who capped the show, couldn’t come close to comparing with serviceable songs such as his acoustic guitar rendering of Kanye West’s “Heartless,” the Beatles “Hey Jude,” and Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

We should expect something more from an “American Idol” winner than something that was just OK.

But before we got to Allen or Lambert, there were eight other “Idol” finalists to get through, sometimes resulting in something akin to a karaoke machine explosion. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing in this case.

Adhering to the tour’s usual format, the finalists took the stage in successive order from the bottom up, with the No. 10 finalist Michael Sarver performing first. He was quick to remind us why he didn’t advance past that tenth slot.

Megan Joy, often a curious mess on the show, pulled it together a bit for Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Let Your Hair Down” and Amy Winehouse’s “Tears Dry on Their Own,” not embarrassing herself.

Scott MacIntye, another mixed bag on the show, had his best moment on piano singing Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles,” while Lil Rounds came just shy of fully igniting during her Mary J. Blige medley of “Be Without You” and “Just Fine.” She took a huge risk with Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” and like Joy, didn’t embarrass herself.

Anoop Desai was the night’s first real heartthrob to perform judging by the screams and incessant camera flashes during Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind,” Ne-Yo’s “Mad” and Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative.”

Matt Girard came out blazing with a dazzling mix of voice and piano on Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle,” and kept the crowd’s attention with Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind” and the Fray’s “You Found Me.”

Iraheta lit up “Pink’s “So What” and Heart’s “Barracuda,” and Danny Gokey did the same to Rascal Flatts’ “What Hurts the Most” and Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.”

The concert overall was an improvement over years’ past, with better production, graphics, and introduction of the singers.

And the mandatory group numbers and other various pairings were less “The Partridge Family” than usual.

--------------------

I love that review because I love Adam Lamber simple as that, anytime somebody writes nice things about Adam I am jumping with joy.

ME TOO!!