Randomize ME

Dear Pharmacist: I attended an “American Idol” concert and I got so excited to see my favorite, Adam Lambert, that I developed cardiac arrhythmias. I went to the ER, the doctor called it “A-fib” and I was sent home with medications. What do you suggest so that this scary thing doesn’t happen again? — J.S. Ocala, Fla.

O&AN Exclusive: 1-on-1 with Adam Lambert by Kristin Keiper

The runner-up on Season 9 of American Idol is kind, gracious, honest, attractive, gay – someone you’d want to befriend.
O&AN: Any chance you’ll be in Nashville in the next year?
Lambert: You know, there’s always a chance. I think Nashville has now become a huge music scene, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up there for some project or another. The support that I’ve seen out here has meant a lot to me, and it’s been surprising, because I didn’t realize that was the case. I kind of figured, ‘Oh, I’m maybe more supported in the metropolitan, liberal areas.
’O&AN: Not the South?
Lambert: I didn’t think the South, and there was also so much support in Utah. There had been areas in my head that I thought were more conservative areas, and the support has been unbelievable. So far in the South, I’ve found the fans have been wilder than they were in California. I mean… people are really enthusiastic and passionate down here. It’s kind of all hitting me all at once, that it’s universal, and that means a lot to me. That means I did something right, and I’m really happy about that.

American Idol review and rare photos By Tracy Crain (Very, very, very late review from Tulsa)

… After a quick intermission, the show came back in full force featuring Allison Iraheta, singing songs such as “So What,” and “Crybaby.”
American Idol number two finalist, Adam Lambert did a total of five songs, which more than brought to life a stunned and adoring BOK audience.
As the highly anticipated Kris Allen took the stage, the crowd grew even more excited as he performed a total of five songs that included such hits as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and “Hey Jude.” Allen’s performance in Tulsa followed the death of his grandmother. Yet, he remained strong, and appeared to be in great form as concert goers far and wide raved of the handsome and adorable young star, who is also working on his first album, in addition to performing on the 2009 American Idol Tour.On Saturday afternoon, Allen’s grandfather attended a special ceremony in Allen’s hometown of Jacksonville, Arkansas, which honored the American Idol 2009 Season Tour Winner, by updating the city’s welcome sign to read, “Welcome to Jacksonville, Boyhood Home of Kris Allen.”
Tulsa Today was pleased to present the pre-concert exclusive of Allen, which published earlier in July. (See our entertainment section for the article or click here.)

‘American Idol’s’ 10 finalists converge on Charlotte Saturday By Jen Aronoff

Dubbed the dark horse of the competition, the unassuming Allen charmed audiences with nice-guy humility, an acoustic singer-songwriter sensibility and determined musicianship, playing piano and guitar. He’s now co-writing an album slated to come out this fall.
Q: At the concert, you go on after Adam, who’s like a spectacle unto himself. How has that worked out? I think it’s kind of nice. Adam does his huge thing and it’s so amazing. He’s one of the best performers I’ve ever seen. And then I come on, and… it’s a little bit smaller, but I think the arena really appreciates what I do.
Q: What does it say about how “Idol” has changed that you could be on the show and win it? Does it say anything about how pop music has changed, too? I feel like pop music is definitely not going my way. ( Laughs.)
Q: You mean, with artists like Lady Gaga? Yeah, you know what I’m saying? I’m not gonna get up there and do, like, an electro-beat kind of song. But hopefully, people can appreciate what I do as well. I just think that it was nice that (the show this year) wasn’t all about how good you can sing. It was about what kind of recording artist you’re going to be, and how well you’re going to do in that respect.
Q: Do you feel any pressure with the title of “American Idol”? I mean, it started off as the search for a pop superstar, and I wonder if it’s even possible to be that kind of superstar now. I don’t see it like that. I see it as a chance to get out there. Now, because we were on the show, we’re getting the chance to do what we want to do. Whether you’re as big as someone like Lady Gaga, or whether your CD doesn’t do amazingly, but you’re still playing gigs and making music – at least we were given the opportunity.

Adam, Kris lead a surprisingly solid “Idols Live” By Leslie Gray Streeter

… Broadway vet, certified rock screamer and sensitive songsmith Lambert created a electrified, leather-bound, sexually-charged chemistry that none of the other Idols could match. The thing is, that doesn’t make the others, particularly impressive, smokey-voiced rock pixie Iraheta, acoustic, chill Allen and surprisingly satisfying former piano bar employee Matt Giraud, bad. They’re just different performers. Don’t get me wrong – if you’re most riveted by a big, big rock voice with flashy costume and sizzling slinkiness to match, Adam is your guy – he navigated easily between the flames of “Whole Lotta Love,” the moody poignance of “Mad World” and a punchy David Bowie medley, including a “Life On Mars” that gave me chills.
But what if you’re tastes run, say, more to the quietly brilliant acoustic (as mine admittedly do?) Then Kris Allen’s set, if curiously low-speed considering that the energy of Adam, might be more your cup of tea. Starting with his winningly creative “Heartless,” he impressed not only with a better-than-the-original “Bright Lights” but a chant-worthy, arm-waving take on The Killers’ “All These Things That I’ve Done” that amped the energy of the crowd to as close as Kris Allen comes to a frenzy. This is a not a frenzied man. He’s chill. He’s relaxed. He’s not in a hurry, because he’s having too good a time, and he’s hoping you do, too.
Besides the finalists, the two standouts were 17-year-old Iraheta, whose command of her voice, a by-now overdone cover (Heart’s “Barracuda”) and an audience continues to make me want to verify her birth certificate…
Again, no one matched Adam’s showmanship. But if that’s not your thing, you had a lot more to choose from.

American Idols improve on tour, but the `As’ — Adam and Allison — have it all and As seen on TV — but it’s a whole lot better BY HOWARD COHEN

… Adam, who finished second, was nonetheless the star of the eighth American Idols Live Tour Wednesday night at Sunrise’s BankAtlantic Center. Base this observation partly on his stellar performance. Adam, who always knew how to make an entrance on TV, didn’t disappoint as he exploded with Whole Lotta Love, his convincing Led Zeppelin cover. He brought shivers on Mad World again and he concluded his set with a David Bowie medley that went from space (Life on Mars?) to rave on a clubby Let’s Dance, complete with PG-13 hip thrusts. Also, rank Adam the undisputed star by the decibel level in the arena from moms and daughters any time the San Diego rocker’s image flashed on one of the view screens above the bare stage.
Also fantastic, 17-year-old Allison Iraheta, who put Pink’s angry (and adult) So What across to the teens in the house and embodied its lyrics — “I’m a rock star; I’ve got my rock moves” — and then delivered a flawless Janis Joplin song, Cry Baby. Allison sounds like she’s smoked a carton of cigarettes while on an all-night bender singing Joplin records and The Rose soundtrack. These are good things. Allison and Adam also reprised their Foghat Slow Ride cover after his set and it scorched, as expected.
Finally, before the closing group number of Journey’s inescapable Don’t Stop Believin’, winner Kris Allen had his turn and he sang his season’s highlights — Heartless, Ain’t No Sunshine and switched off between piano and guitar. Naturally, it was anticlimactic compared to what had transpired moments before, but in his warm fuzzy and still ambitious way, Kris was likable and helped make this a night of slick musical entertainment you could leave feeling good about.

We are ushered into the St. Pete Times Forum, and we wait. Every show, the tour manager picks 5 of the 10 Idols to be available for interviews. This year it was Michael Sarver, Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai, Adam Lambert, and Scott MacIntyre. I learned they were staying at the Don Cesar, a beautiful Pink resort on St. Pete Beach. They spent one day off prior to their Tampa show lounging on the beach and relaxing.
Allison was such a spunky, fun interview! “Um getting the album out there cuz I’m working on it now, and after the tour just doing this all this all over again, getting it out there!” Then out crack intern for the day, Claudia Trejos, interviewed Allison in Spanish for our En Espanol, our Spanish news channel for Bright House Networks.
Adam Lambert was wearing a specially blended shade of nail polish. Next for Adam: “Um I’ve been working on an album actually. It’s gonna be out in November. So we did some work on it before this tour started we are working on it currently, and we’re gonna work on it right when the tour is over, and we are gonna hopefully get it out in November! We’re hustling on it!”

I just breathed the same air as Adam Lambert, an American Idol concert review by Amanda Allwood – this really isn’t a serious review, this girl just wanted to flail around in print…

… Allison was looking f-i-e-r-c-e and she sounded… eh, well she could have sounded better, she is still better than that Gokey dude.
AND THEN HE ENTERED THE SPOTLIGHT. For the next few songs, I was entranced by his beauty, his bedazzled jacket, his near constant pelvic thrusts and yeah, his voice. I love me a little Adam Lambert…
Oh yeah, and then that Kris Allen kid sang some songs, he wore plaid and he played an acoustic guitar…

Jacksonville’s ‘Idol’ comes home by Christy Hendricks

The 52-stop tour has been exhausting for the idols. “I’m tired,” Allen says. “I’m not going to lie to you, but when you’re on stage, the adrenaline kicks in.”
Charlie Wood, Allen’s grandfather, was at a ceremony Friday morning to unveil the proposed “Welcome to Jacksonville” sign on Hwy. 67/167, which will proclaim “Boyhood Home of Kris Allen.” Allen says he is honored by the sign. “I heard my grandpa was there,” he said. “He’s pretty great,” Allen said of his grandfather. “He’s going to make it out tonight (to the show).” Allen says of the sign, and of his home-state fans, that “the support that places like Jacksonville have given me … it’s reassuring.”

Best Kris Allen career move.

“They kind of have some stipulations on what they’re supposed to do with these songs and so they have to write the words a certain way and it’s supposed to have this nice feeling. To have your first single be something that you weren’t a part of writing, it’s a little bit weird, but you can’t complain.” That’s what Kris Allen had to say, soon after becoming “American Idol,” about “No Boundaries,” the so-called “coronation song” on “Idol” that he was obligated to record as his debut single. Of course, what he was really saying is, charged with writing an inspirational ballad, the “Idol” songwriters pooped out tripe they tried to pass off as filet mignon, and woe is me, contractually speaking, if I complain. The song continues to haunt us on the radio, but mercifully, after audiences received the song unenthusiastically in the early dates on the Idols Live! Tour, “No Boundaries” “climb mountains” and “weather hurricanes” no more. As we saw last Saturday (see review this issue), it’s been replaced by the infinitely better “All These Things I’ve Done,” by the Killers. Now, if Kris can keep “No Boundaries” off his debut album, fit in several triumphant anthems like “All These Things” and stay out of the John Mayer/Jason Mraz ghetto of inoffensive pop, he’ll be on his way.

American Idol 2009 comes to Tampa and ‘Idols’ electrify Tampa audience By Walt Belcher – okay, this guy obviously didn’t even bother to watch since he thinks that Kris sang No Boundaries!

Kris Allen won “American Idol” but runner-up Adam Lambert has been bringing down the house on the “American Idols Live!” tour. The eyeliner guy electrified the nearly full house at the St. Pete Times Forum with a pulsating cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and he switched back and forth from crooner to rocker with songs like “Starlight,” “Mad World” and a medley of David Bowie songs, including “Life on Mars.” Dressed in studded leather and denim, Lambert’s a scene stealer, a glam rock mix of Elvis, Liberace and Judas Priest.
Allen got his share of ear-splitting screams and howls … Allen, the wholesome church-going Arkansas lad, played guitar and piano as he went through some of the songs that took him to the Season Eight victory such as Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” He also was impressive on Matchbox Twenty’s “Bright Lights” and performed the written-for-Idol winner coronation song “No Boundaries” and closed with “Hey Jude.”
… teen powerhouse Allison Iraheta soared on Janis Joplin’s “Cry Baby.” The little lady with the red/purple punk hair also was scorching on “Barracuda.” And when she teamed up with Lambert on a sexy wild version of “Slow Ride,” it made you want more from this duo.

American Idol top 10 slotted into clear personas for the 2009 tour By Stephanie Hayes

Parental gasp of horror: Allison Iraheta, 17, sang Pink’s So What: “Guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went. So I’m gonna drink my money, I’m not gonna pay his rent.” Pay attention, kiddos.
Clairvoyant guess: Adam Lambert loathes stools, dry ice and Mad World.
Reality check: When runnerup Lambert so much as snarled, the crowd had a hernia. They loved dreamy acoustic winner Kris Allen, too, but comparatively? Uh … oh look, a text message!

Lambert wants to see where the music takes him By WALT BELCHER

Lambert says the “American Idols Live” tour has been a “whirlwind of excitement” that is hard work but “totally worth it to get up on that stage.”
Lambert signed a record deal with 19 Entertainment and RCA Recordings. Lambert is scheduled to record that album while on the road with the show’s finalists for the “Idols Live Tour.” The untitled album is expected for release in the fall. Like most of the finalists, he looking ahead to the end of the tour and the release of his album, a mix of all styles of music. “It will be a diverse collection of pop, rock, jazz, blues, ballads and everything,” he says.
Forget any talk about him becoming a Broadway star. He toured in “Wicked” and performed in other stage productions before “Idol.” “Now I want to be me,” he says. “I don’t want to play a character. I want to see where the music takes me.”
He says he is cool with a second place first because “honestly. I didn’t go in it to win.” “I went in for the experience,” he says. “I am competitive on stage but it was more about getting the exposure for my future.” He adds that he is pleased that he went as far as he did considering that he is an alternative style of performer. “It shows America was ready to judge based on talent.”

Kris with Fans – explanation for the video from aloverestrained – Adam fans giving other Adam fans a bad name… first time I’ve seen Kris look annoyed.

“I have a vid of him signing for a person that had a sign that said “Adam, come here”. It was wriitten in Sharpie on a manilla envelope. In this vid, they ask Kris to sign it. Then after he takes pics with someone else they ask him to sign it again. Then they ask him to get Adam. His responses the first 20 times he was asked were pretty neutral, but by this one he was rightfully annoyed.”

Kris Allen Interview (This was back in Tulsa)