Concert Recap - American Idol Stars, 3/28/2009

On Saturday night I went to see some former "Idol" contestants at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles, IL. Melinda Doolittle, Chikezie, Phil Stacey and Gina Glocksen? Sounds like a good time! Since I'm a nerd who doesn't know anyone else that likes "Idol" as much as I do, I made this journey all by myself. It's OK. I'm used to being a loner.

As a stickler for punctuality I made sure I got there before the 8:00 start time. It turns out I needn't have rushed, as nothing happened until 8:30. There was a pretty good turnout. I wasn't sure what type of crowd I'd find there, but it seemed to be mostly adults 40 and up with occasional teenagers and children. I must've looked weird as a guy in his mid-to-late 20's all by himself, but hey, what do I care what some people in a town two hours away think?

After I'd already been sitting down so long that I was ready to stretch my legs, they dimmed the lights and a guy came out who introduced himself as Ron Onesti. He told us that the Arcada Theater had been built in the 1920's and that his group had saved it from being torn down. They were trying to preserve the historical building by bringing good entertainment to the venue. Sounds like a group after my own heart. Family-friendly entertainment and an appreciation for history!

It turns out that the first hour of the show was going to be a singing contest featuring 14 local amateurs (mostly kids). The winner would get the chance to audition for a talent agency as well as sing with the Idols in their final group number. There were four judges to pick the winner. Two were local DJ's and the others, I believe, were talent scouts. They didn't critique the contestants after their performances since it would've taken too long and they didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. In the spirit of "American Idol" they brought the 14 out to do a fun cheesy group sing of "Rock Around the Clock" before the actual competition started.

I won't recap this singing contest in great detail, since you probably don't care if you're reading this, but I did think there was some good talent. One girl sang Aerosmith's "Cryin'" with her husband playing acoustic guitar. I thought she was possibly the strongest vocalist there. Another girl sang "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and did an excellent job. Of the contestants who appeared to be within the proper age range for "Idol," those two probably would have the best chance of making it.

There was also a guy in a cowboy hat who sang some Jason Aldean song. I don't see him going anywhere in the industry, but he was perhaps the most entertaining. Another hopeful was a schoolteacher who said she taught Kindergarten through 4th Grade and that her students were there that night. I had one of those "I'm getting old and feeling pathetic for not doing anything with my life" moments when she stated her profession, since she appeared to be several years younger than me. She got drowned out by the backing track too often to have any chance of winning, but her stage routine was...interesting.

The winner was a young girl who sang "Orange-Colored Sky." I thought she did OK, but she wasn't the one who impressed me most. Still, good for her. Even though I was there to see the Idols, I was happy for these singers who got a chance in the spotlight. I tried to clap for them as much as possible to be encouraging.

After that hour-long opening act and the intermission it was time for our Idols. It seemed that the audience thinned ever-so-slightly after the singing contest was over. I think some people were only there to support their friends and relatives in the competition rather than see the Idols. They were introduced as Melinda Doolittle, Chikezie, Jon Peter Lewis and Gina Glocksen. Jon Peter Lewis? Where was Phil Stacey? I have nothing against JPL, but I was looking forward to seeing Phil. Oh well, it was sure to be good all the same.

The first thing the Idols did was walk out one-by-one singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." I know, I know, we've all heard it a thousand times, but it's one of those simple group songs that everyone's familiar with. I formed a just-for-fun singing group with some co-workers of mine once and that was our signature tune. Fortunately, they cut it down rather than go through every verse and bridge. It served more as an audience warm-up than a full-fledged segment of the act.

Gina got the first solo set. She mentioned her recent marriage and told us that Jordin Sparks sang for her first dance with her husband. She was going to sing the song Jordin sang, which was a slowed-down version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." I actually liked it. It was a fresh take on the song that didn't seem needlessly contrived. I did think it was kind of funny when she sang the line "You'll let me be your man." It probably works better if there's a man present, like at a wedding. Still, Lennon and McCartney wrote some great stuff in the days when they were actually collaborating, and the song was in good vocal cords with Gina.

Gina then sang an original she co-wrote with her husband called "Just Me." She said they wrote it together right after her elimination from "Idol." One lyric was something like "I don't have to be some girl on a TV show." That internal struggle most of us have with our outward image versus our true selves is probably magnified on "Idol," so I can imagine it being an inspiration for a song. I thought it was pretty good. By the way, did I mention that the Idols backed each other up several times? Melinda sang backup (or support, as I believe Melinda herself calls it) for Gina on this one.

Jon was next. He started by asking the audience if anyone remembered Season 3, back in the "dinosaur ages." Someone in the crowd yelled "Fantasia!" He answered "Yes! Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson..." He made a reference to his famous "A Little Less Conversation" performance by saying "They made me sing Elvis songs and dance like this." He demonstrated the moves he immortalized in that fateful Wild Card show. Good to see he still has a sense of humor about it. Did he say they "made him" do it though? There could be a scandal brewing if that gets out. He sang two originals called "Break the Silence" and "Everybody Falls." They were both OK. I liked "Break the Silence" better of the two.

Next was the greatest singer ever to set foot on the Idol stage, Miss Melinda Doolittle. First she sang an original from her new album called "Declaration of Love." I believe both Gina and Chikezie backed her up here (most of this is from memory). This song required a ton of vocal ability and soul, but if you're familiar with Melinda you can probably guess that she pulled it off perfectly. After that she sang "My Funny Valentine," which most of us probably remember for its sheer perfection when she sang it in Season 6's Semifinals. While it's hard to duplicate the magic of that moment, she did do another fantastic job.

Next was Chikezie, who sang "I Believe to My Soul" with Melinda and Gina on backups. He rocked the house with it. Ah, Chikezie. It was us, not you, who were robbed last season. After it was over Chikezie talked to the audience about how blessed he was to be there that night. He also said he was honored to share the stage with the kids who performed earlier, because they're the future of the music industry. I assumed he was going to do another song, since everyone else did two, but he re-introduced Jon.

Jon sang another original called "Now That I'm Kneeling." This was my favorite of the songs he performed that night. It had the most memorable hook and he tore it up vocally. Yes, I just said Jon Peter Lewis tore up a song vocally. If your only image of him is some marginally-talented kid on "Idol," you'd be surprised if you saw him today. He's grown a lot as a singer since then. I actually want to check out his album after hearing that song.

Gina came back after that to do Heart's "Alone." She started by saying "I don't need to introduce this next song, sing everyone always sings it on 'Idol.'" Ha! At least she's aware of it. Of course, back when Gina sang it it had only been done once, and that was by Carrie Underwood. Chikezie sang the Nancy Wilson harmony vocals. I'll take this moment to add that I was extremely impressed with Gina throughout the night. I don't know if she's improved since being on "Idol" or if she just does better with songs she's more familiar with, but she sounded like a total pro out there. Even though I've poked a little bit of fun at her before on this blog I have to give her credit for being an outstanding performer. I wasn't a fan of hers when she was on "Idol," but I've grown to appreciate her a lot more since then. She sang Sara Bareilles' "Gravity" after that. She described it as being about toxic relationships, but opened up to us and said that it always reminds her of her father. Sounds like there's a sad story in there somewhere. I thought the song was kind of boring, to be honest, but at least she sang it well.

Chikezie came back to do "All the Woman I Need" with Gina and Melinda supporting him. It's good to see him staying true to the music he loves, even though a lot of people were underwhelmed when he did that song on the show. I like an occasional R&B ballad, so I was able to enjoy it. After that Gina joined him to do a duet on Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat's "Lucky." Chikezie and Gina Glocksen might seem like an odd pair for a duet, but it really worked well. I liked the laid-back love song.

Next it was Melinda and Gina's turn to duet. Melinda talked about how Gina has been her rock during the tour and how she values her friendship so much. I love hearing that stuff, because friendship is a beautiful thing. They sang the song "For Good" from Wicked. I'm not familiar with the story of Wicked, but the song was about thanking someone for impacting your life in a positive way. Even though they've probably performed it together several times, I believe they were sincere when they sang it to each other. It was a touching moment.

Melinda got the final solo set. First she sang "It's Your Love," another original with both Chikezie and Gina on backups. Jon didn't do any duets or backups, possibly because he was a last-minute replacement for Phil. I think I enjoyed "It's Your Love" a bit more than "Declaration of Love." Then she sang a song she'd previously set the AI stage on fire with, "I'm a Woman." It was good to hear the whole thing and not just the minute-and-a-half "Idol" version. You can fully appreciate the humor in the lyrics.

Finally the whole group came out to sing Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground," with the winner of the singing contest joining them onstage. It was a groovy way to end the show. They gave us their thanks after it was over and Gina even thanked us for staying, as several people had left before the end. Not me. I like to get my money's worth.

Afterwards they did a meet and greet, and I was a little nervous. Not too nervous, mind you, but just a little. That's the great thing about Idols. They're average joes when we first meet them and well-known names when it's all over. While they may be recognizable to lots of people worldwide they retain some of that approachability they had at the beginning of the season. I wished I could've sat and chatted with them rather than say a few things in passing, but I knew they had to keep the line moving. I decided to have them sign my computer-printed ticket as a souvenir.

I brought a camera with me that could record videos, so I decided to leave it rolling while I went down the table. It's fun to relive that three and a half minutes.

First was Chikezie. I said "Chikezie Eh-zay, right?" I figured he'd had his name mispronounced so many times that he'd be happy to see that there's a fan out there who says it the right way. Yeah, I'm not sure why I was thinking that would be the thing to say to him either. He just kind of nodded. I told him he was my favorite from last season and that I "always voted for him." I meant to say "every week," so it probably sounded weird, but he shook my hand in gratitude. I told him to "keep on rocking," he said "you too" and started playing with what looked to be some portable communication device. I get the impression that Chikezie's a shy person, since he didn't seem particularly talkative with the fans. It's odd that I finally met one of my favorite Idols and our exchange was that lame. I wish I'd told him how brilliant his "She's a Woman" was or something. I hate trying to converse under pressure.

Next was Jon. I was kind of caught between him and Chikezie while he was talking to the girls in front of me, so I may have creeped him out a little by holding the camera pointed at him before I'd even said anything to him. The girl in front of me was apparently a big Phil Stacey fan, since she had a t-shirt with "I [heart] Phil" written on it. She asked Jon where Phil was. Jon wasn't sure, so he asked Chikezie, who said Phil had a prior commitment. I think it had something to do with singing at a church in Alabama. I tried to make some conversation with Jon when it was my turn, so I asked him if the group numbers at the results shows are fun, and he said that they weren't for him. He said song and dance has never been his thing. Song yes, but dance, no. I also told him that I liked his original material, and he seemed grateful to hear it. I told him I'd check out his album on Amazon, to which he said "please do."

When I met Melinda I told her she was great that night. I mentioned that I'd voted for her the week she was eliminated and apologized for it not being enough. "Shame on you," she jokingly said. I recalled how there was a message that came with the vote that night saying "Thank you for voting for me, Melinda." In the words of Chris Farley: "Idiot!" I finally get to meet Melinda Doolittle and that's all I can say? I ought to be struck upside the head with a shovel. Her response to that was just "Oh yeah, we said it ourselves." She asked if I was recording with the camera, since it must've looked weird with me just holding it there. I told her yeah, I wanted to record my little "meet the Idols" moment. She was kind enough to keep on smiling for me. She's as wonderful in person as I always imagined.

Finally I came to Gina. I told her she did a good job, which she appreciated. I said "We don't have many Illinois Idols, do we?" She said "No, we don't. Not yet." I'm not sure what she meant by "not yet." Perhaps she was referring to the kids who'd sang in the talent show that night, suggesting they might be on the show someday. Either that or she'd misheard me and thought I'd said "any" rather than "many," and assumed I meant there were no winners from the Land of Lincoln. It's OK, Gina. You did a great job representing our state.

Overall, it was a fun show put on by a quartet of class acts. The two-hour drive in the rain both ways was definitely worth it. If you liked them on "Idol" and they're coming to your area, I highly recommend checking them out.