For the past eight years, the producers behind the "American Idol" summer tour have perfected the art of putting on an entertaining concert this year's tour is no exception. At last week's show in Boston, the audience burst into screams as soon as the show's familiar techno theme began to play and an enormous center screen rolled a video of last season's 10 finalists. Even without Ryan Seacrest's famous line ("This is American Idol") and the judges' snarky or gushing critiques, the performers had enough exuberance to fill the TD Banknorth Garden.
Getting the audience pumped and ready for the two-hour concert fell on the shoulders of tenth place finisher Michael Sarver. The former oil rigger who charmed the judges with Boyz II Men's "Thank You" at the Phoenix audition surprised the crowd with a dynamic rendition of Ne-Yo's "Closer." Although he saw little screen time throughout the season, Sarver proved that he has the chops to survive and even thrive in the recording industry.
Another impressive performance came from Scott MacIntyre, who was a Cambridge University-bound academic before he won a place on "American Idol." Visually impaired since birth, MacIntyre has never let the disability deter him from his pursuits, including studies in London and a hobby of computer programming. With no judges to rave about his inspiring perseverance alone, it was a relief to see the spotlight focus solely on MacIntyre's sonorous voice and phenomenal showmanship. The audience especially relished his rock-infused take on Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles," a refreshing version of the frequently covered pop single.
MacIntyre later joined Matt Giraud in a sprightly duet of Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It" on two pianos placed back to back. In an interview with The Dartmouth, Giraud, who had been reserved on the show, revealed himself to be a wisecracker.
"My biggest goal and my biggest dream is to make a good album and collaborate with . . . great songwriters," Giraud said.
He joked that he might record a Britney Spears cover before breaking out into an impromptu "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman."
Giraud brought his infectious spontaneity to the stage, effortlessly mixing jazzy piano solos with masterful vibrato runs during Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle."
The only two disappointing performances came from Megan Joy and Lil Rounds. Joy's attempt at channeling "Idol" alumna Carrie Underwood was ineffective, and even her skimpy hot pink dress was not enough to compensate for her shaky high notes and lack of stage presence.
Despite Rounds' explosive presence, the songstress imitated Beyonce and Alicia Keys too much to maintain much originality. She belted out Beyonce's "Single Ladies" with a voice powerful enough to get the crowd on their feet, but Simon Cowell would have commented, "That was too karaoke."
Fortunately, however, Anoop Desai followed the two duds with covers of Elvis Presley, Ne-Yo and Bobby Brown that reinvigorated the audience. Desai attributed his crowd-pleasing performance to the judges' absence.
"[The arena] is a better singing environment and not having that constant, overbearing presence is very nice," Desai said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Although criticized for inconsistent performances on the show from his ridiculous rendition of Usher's "Caught Up" to his superb take on Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" Desai proved why he had made the top 10 with his rich and resonant voice.
The top four finalists performed after intermission, beginning with 17-year-old Allison Iraheta. Iraheta showed off her powerhouse vocals, but her enthusiasm was not shared by everyone. A degree of interaction was lost, but this small flaw will undoubtedly improve with future performances. Third-place finisher Danny Gokey switched gears dramatically from Iraheta's rock and roll to some cringe-worthy salsa dancing and a pep talk reminiscent of a church retreat before his last song "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts. His vocals are a remarkable combination of strong and mellow notes, but Gokey himself distracted the audience from enjoying his set.
The noise level inside the arena went through the roof when Gokey finished; immensely popular runner-up Adam Lambert was next. Lambert displayed his versatility with covers of artists ranging from Led Zeppelin to Gary Jules. If Gokey had given the concert the atmosphere of a religious revival, then it most definitely sounded like the Second Coming of Jesus during Lambert's 15 minutes. His fierce voice and his honed ability to connect with the crowd justified all the hype.
The final performer was season eight's winner Kris Allen, who garnered as much screaming and applause as Lambert had before him. He may prefer plaid shirts to Lambert's guy-liner, but the boyishly handsome Allen got even the most die-hard Lambert fans to cheer for him after his four songs that began with an acoustic version of Kanye West's "Heartless" and ended with The Beatles' "Hey Jude."
He and Lambert affectionately called Kradam by their fans were the main spectacle during the group finale of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Watching from the front edge of the stage, I indulged in the intimate atmosphere, something you don't often feel at other major concerts.
This is the very genius of "Idol." Each year, viewers choose which contestants will live the Cinderella story. After watching them all season, the concert is unlike any other in that the audience has already established a bond with the performers. The experience is like seeing a friend finally make it big after spending years as a struggling musician. The finalists are genuinely grateful for their new lives, and you cannot help but smile at their beaming faces after another successful stop on the national tour.
