Idol Thoughts

One of the definite highlights during our NY stay was the American Idol Top 10 concert at the Prudential Center, in Newark, NJ. This past season of Idol was the first we have watched and, by the end, we were thoroughly hooked. The show was screening two weeks behind the US, so by checking on the Internet, I always knew in advance who got kicked off each week. That didn't spoil the fun, though! Watching Idol became a weekend ritual in our household over the past few months--even DH caught the Idol bug. I was pretty proud of myself for scoring tickets to coincide with our US trip.

I didn't tell the kids beforehand, letting them think we were going to see some 'old friends' in Newark, instead. It wasn't until minutes before we arrived at the Prudential Center that Miss 10 cottoned on to the fact that we were surrounded by kids wearing Idol T-shirts. My three were so excited when they finally realized who they were going to see! (Well, the Top 10 did feel like old friends by then.) Our seats were way up in the top tiers of the venue, but the acoustics were fine and we caught close up images of the performers via a giant screen. The performers came out in order, from 10th to 1st on the show, and all I can say is, every single one of them thoroughly deserved to be in the Top 10. Performances in a nutshell:

10) Chakeezie (not 100% sure of the spelling!): Had the unenviable task of starting off the show, but he did it with aplomb. Built a good rapport with the audience, allowing his warm personality to shine through.
9) Ramielle: Seemed much more confident and polished since her time on the TV show, so this has been a real step up for her. My girls loved her, as she is so cute.
8) Michael: After hearing him perform live, I have to echo those people who wonder how he ended up being eliminated at this point. He was in fine voice and is a very talented performer. Should have been Top 5!
7) Kristy Lee: Not a great favourite among my kids, but she knows how to work an audience and is very skilled at picking songs that showcase her talents.
6) Carly: Another one who should have gone Top 5 in my family's collective opinion. She has a wonderful voice, but I didn't really think her songs at the concert were great picks.
5) Brooke: My personal favourite among the Top 10! I love her natural warmth and her sweet personality as much as her gorgeous voice. The kids loved her singing '1234'.
4) Jason: He never came across as much of a conversationalist on the TV and his interaction with the audience was minimal, too. Sounded good, but really, I don't think he should have been Top 5. Cute guy, though!
3) Sayeesha: Another family favourite. Her song choices were spot on and she looked lovely, too.
2) David A: What can I say? He sings like an angel and he looks adorable! No wonder the girls all screamed when he came on! Loved his song choices.
1) David C: Looked every inch the rock star--his win has given him lots of confidence. May I say that all his songs sounded a wee bit too similar, though?

The kids had a great time at the concert, but alas for Miss 7, jet lag caught up with her and she fell asleep halfway through Sayeesha's set. She was the only person to sleep through the two Davids--despite all the screaming that accompanied their performances! When she sleeps she is a dead weight and I didn't fancy my chances of negotiating the steep steps while toting Miss 7. Fortunately, a burly security officer kindly carried her down to the lobby for me, by which time she woke up sufficiently to walk the short distance back to the train station.