Randomize ME

The UCA Athletic Department would like to invite you to bid and possibly win several great items. Up for bid are the following:
Authentic UCA football helmet autographed by American Idol winner Kris Allen. Bidding starts at $100. Current bid: $100

Gays of our Lives (Interview with Nick Rodriguez) by Anthony D. Langford – relevance? They asked about Adam, of course…

AE: You did The Ten Commandments, and you were working with Adam Lambert before he got on American Idol. What was that project like and what was it like working with him?
NR: It’s funny. Before, it used to be like everybody was like, “Oh, you did The Ten Commandments with Val Kilmer?” And now all of a sudden it’s, “You did The Ten Commandments with Adam Lambert?” [laughs] It’s been great to watch Adam change just overnight into this huge thing. I mean we always knew that he was incredible. We always believed in him. That show was filled with incredible people. Just to finally see him get this kind of attention is just so beautiful. Couldn’t have happened to a better guy.
And I’m so proud of how he handled himself. It’s so interesting to know somebody that’s going through that kind of national spotlight. He stayed very true to who he is, and to give him any kind of criticism about not being out, or not being this, or not being that is just so funny, because Adam is the most honest, forthright, this-is-who-I-am kind of person I know.

The Song That Wouldn’t Die – Kara Records ‘No Boundaries’ Herself By Michael Shain

IF Kris Allen doesn’t want to sing the victory song “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi wrote for him – then she’ll do it herself. Kara posted her own studio version of “No Boundaries” yesterday on YouTube, where it got a warmer welcome than it was getting on the live “Idol” tour. “No Boundaries” – the show- ending anthem which both Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert sang on the finale of “Idol” last spring – was not well received this year. In fact, Allen dropped it from his live performance on the “Idol” tour last July after just a week because, he said, it was slowing down the show’s momentum. Suddenly and without fanfare, over the weekend, a studio version of the song by DioGuardi popped up on YouTube.

Are Five ‘American Idol’ Alumni Albums Dropping In November? By Jim Cantiello

On November 17, recent “Idol” champ Kris Allen will drop his major-label debut, and in an eyebrow-raising move, Atlantic Records has decided to release Jason Castro’s first album that day too.
Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta (who placed second and fourth this past May, respectively) are also set to release their first albums later this year. 19 Entertainment has remained mum about their release dates, yet there are a few clues that might shed some insight. And the forecast is looking crowded.

Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta Close To Finishing Debut Albums By Gary Graff

Lambert tells Billboard.com that his set is “about midway” to being finished. “We recorded a bunch of stuff before the tour started, and I wrote a handful of stuff,” he reports. “We have three or four weeks after the tour ends that I have to record like crazy, but we have a lot of material to do that with.” Lambert says the album “has elements of rock, of course, but it has a lot of pop sensibilities to it. It’s really current, really fresh and yet still melodically and vocally it’s nodding to the ’70s and ’80s classics. I know I got most of my credibility on ‘Idol’ doing those songs from those eras, and it wouldn’t make sense for me to do an album that runs away from it.” Among Lambert’s collaborators so far have been RedOne, Linda Perry, Max Martin and Greg Wells. The album is so far unnamed — “I want to see what ends up on the album before I come up with a title,” he says — and will likely be comprised of all-original songs, though he says that “there might be a cover on there. It’s a maybe.” Similarly, he has not yet recorded any duets but says “the jury’s still out. It really could happen.”
Iraheta, meanwhile, has been writing songs with Kevin Rudolf and David Hodges for her album, which she says will “definitely have that rock sound to it. It’ll be fun, and there’s gonna be some deep stuff, too — like, lyrics about what can possibly be happening to other people in the world right now that I’ve gone through myself, but also melodically, just some good, slow rock ballads.” Iraheta says she’s feeling “less pressure” than either Lambert or Season 8 “Idol” champion Kris Allen. “They’re not in my face as much as they are in theirs,” she notes.
Lambert, meanwhile, acknowledges the weight of expectations. “I do feel a little bit of pressure,” he says. “There’s a lot of hype. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of attention, which is a great thing for somebody in my position, with an album coming out. I think people are going to like what they hear. I hope they do, at least.”

Kris Allen: “I’m nuts” by Angela Henderson

A: We only have a few minutes so I’ve got to get right to it. Tell me about the album. K: Um, it is coming out hopefully in the middle of November. That’s what we’re pushing for. We don’t have a complete date yet, but it is coming out. The single will be out pretty soon and everything’s looking good right now. Doing a lot of writing and spending a lot of time with different artists doing a lot of writing and stuff like that so it’s good.
A: Can you name drop a little bit for me? K: I can name drop a couple. You know, I’ve worked with Joe King of The Fray. I’ve worked with Mat Kearney and probably that’s the only two I will name. And different songwriters.
A: So if you were to define it as a certain style? K: I mean, it’s definitely you know in the, it would definitely be in the—I mean, I hate saying this—but it will be in that pop/rock genre, I would say. But that’s so huge though, so something in there, yeah.
A: Is it crazy for you because I know you’re recording while on tour, so that must be [noise that means frazzled]? K: It’s crazy. First, it was, it was almost hard to deal with at first because you’re switching. You’re on tour mode most of the time, and then one day you have to switch over to the other—writing and recording mode. And it’s a totally different monster. It really is. And so doing these things at the same time was really weird at first. But I’ve gotten used to it and it’s getting fun. It really is. It makes me excited that I actually have an album coming out in November. That’s very exciting.
A: So Megan says you all get along. True? Now, tell me the real story. K: I’m serious. We all really do get along. We have a good time together. And we’ve talked about this for a while, the tour’s almost over actually. For us it is anyway. And it’s going to be a sad day. It really is. We’ve had a great time. You know, I think we’re all really excited to start our careers and whatever, but we’ve been together for almost the past year with each other and we’ve lived in the same house, riding on the same bus. 24 hours pretty much with each other and so we have a great time together. If we didn’t get along, this would be a horrible, horrible time.

Review ‘American Idol’ tour at Sprint Center By BILL BROWNLEE (Also reposted as Review No. 2 Adam Lambert is No. 1 at Sprint Center)

Not only was Adam Lambert the clear crowd favorite, he was easily the night’s most substantial artist. He isn’t merely good by the often dubious standards of American Idol. Lambert’s imaginative interpretations of unlikely material were brilliant. His powerful voice seemed to shake the rafters during Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” He also deftly covered songs by Muse, Tears For Fears and David Bowie.
It’s difficult to imagine Kris Allen, the winner of last season’s competition, offending anyone. His numbingly innocuous set paled in comparison to Lambert’s electrifying turn. After Allen opened with his mildly interesting rendition of Kanye West’s “Heartless,” a steady stream of fans headed toward the exits. They didn’t miss much. As Allen’s ostensible victory lap ended with a few predicable choruses of “Hey Jude,” the complete cast closed the show with a deliriously dopey rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.'”
One voice besides Lambert’s stood out on that Journey anthem. The hellacious screech of impish Allison Iraheta, 17, can also envelope an arena. Her bluesy duet with Lambert on Foghat’s “Slow Ride” was excellent. Iraheta’s vicious readings of Pink’s “So What,” the Janis Joplin version of “Cry Baby” and Heart’s “Barracuda” were also entirely convincing. Just as importantly, she brought a carefree sense of fun that was otherwise largely absent Sunday.

Kris Allen’s faith is quiet but strong LINDA CAILLOUET

Kris has gone on several overseas mission trips through the years, but mom Kim says his first as a freshman at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway revealed his true musical gift … But while in Morocco, instead of sharing his faith with others, Kris contracted a rare form of hepatitis.
“He became gravely ill — at one point he was laying on a dirt floor somewhere — and we almost lost him,” Kim says. “When he came home, I didn’t even recognize him. He’d lost 26 pounds (and he didn’t have 26 pounds to lose), was yellow as could be and was sick for a year.
“Up until then, he could play and sing beautifully, but he could never write music,” his mom says. “But that summer, while home and sick, he wrote his very first song, and ever since his ability to write music has been his gift. He felt like God had to take him there — near the point of death — before that gift could be revealed.”

… 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.”
Iraheta lit up “Pink’s “So What” and Heart’s “Barracuda,” …

MEMOIRS OF A MUSICAL AUTUMN By Alex Rush and Jon Wolper (I liked how Adam got included in this student newspaper’s much anticipated albums…)

While technically not the winner of this past season’s American Idol, Adam Lambert captivated the Idol-watching nation much more than winner Kris Allen. While not much is known about his upcoming album, rest assured it’s anticipated just as much as it’s wrapped up in mystique.
Lambert himself has professed to being a bit of a genre-hopper, noting the album will combine ballads, dance beats, anthems and more. He was definitely the standout among last year’s Idol contestants, so it remains to be seen how much of his talent can translate to an original, major label-backed recording. – J.W

American Idols LIVE by Markos Papadatos (very late posted review from a student newspaper)

The alums of American Idol Season 8 performed live on Aug. 11 as part of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009 at the Nassau Coliseum.
Allison Iraheta outsang all of the female finalists tonight, especially during her guitar-accompanied performance of Pink’s “So What.” Iraheta’s rendition of Heart’s “Barracuda” was almost as potent as the original.
Runner up Adam Lambert stole the show. He opened with Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” showing off his fiery rock and roll vocals. Lambert went on to deliver a tender and soothing performance of Muse’s “Starlight,” showcasing his versatility as an artist. His rendition of Gary Jules’ “Mad World” was the single best vocal performance of the entire evening: controlled, nostalgic and powerful. Iraheta joined Lambert on their rocking collaboration of “Slow Ride” and his medley of David Bowie songs was a fitting conclusion to his set. Lambert’s stage presence, charisma and passion for music and performing distinguished him from other finalists, and he had the crowd with him every step of the way.
Although Kris Allen was named winner of American Idol’s Season 8, only three of his performances were remarkable. These include Kanye’s West’s “Heartless,” which he did with an a capella introduction, Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” performed on the piano, and The Beatles classic “Hey Jude.” Following Allen’s setlist, all Idols joined the stage for their finale group performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”

15% Off American Idol Adam Lambert’s Charity Pendant – pretty cool of People mag to do this

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert has lent his design skills to Pennyroyal Silver for a pendant to benefit MusiCares … Since the pendant went on sale this Monday, it has already raised $25,000 for MusiCares. We’ve snagged you 15% off Adam’s pendant — just enter the code “People15″ when you buy Adam’s pendant at pennyroyalsilver.com and support the cause. But hurry, Adam’s pendant is only available until Sunday August 30 at 11:59 PM (PST).

Own a Piece of Adam Lambert

Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert has created a signature pendant based on his own Idol-inspired body art. “The Eye of Horus is a sign of protection,” Lambert said of the piece, which is being sold to benefit MusiCares. “I got it tattooed on my wrist once I made the top 36 of American Idol.”

The crowd was just about as excited to see Adam Lambert, who placed number two. The stage was transformed into an old school arena rock show when Lambert showed up, wearing a jacket that appeared to be both leather and denim, with layered tails (yup, like a tux). And rivets. He took command with Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” and a haunting version of “Mad World” as he sat on a stool on the stage, which slowly became enveloped in smoke.
Winner Kris Allen rose to the stage on a platform from below, wearing a plaid shirt, jeans and a guitar around his neck. His energetic set included “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Hey Jude,” for which he asked the audience to sing along and hold up glowing cell phones and glow sticks.
Allison Iraheta delivered a fearless version of Pink’s “So What,” her hair blown wildly (and to perfect effect) by discreetly placed wind machines, and a take-no-prisoners version of “Cry Baby.”

McCollum’s Column: The bidding was vigorous and the talk evangelistic By David McCollum – random Kris Allen mention…

A guitar autographed by Kris Allen went for $500, and that might turn out to be a steal someday. Several trips of various kinds (hunting and fishing to golf and a beach condo) went into the thousands.
The silent and live auction raised about $16,500 for the UCA athletic department.

American Idols share thoughts before show By Jan Uebelherr

Kris Allen: The surprise Season 8 winner will sing “Hey Jude” during the show. He chose it because he’s a big Beatles’ fan. The challenge, he said, is “to do it justice.” The audience should also watch for a big group number right before the intermission.
“It’s really good. It’s a medley of songs,” he said. Asked about any wacky costumes in the show, he said, “Not me – Adam,” he said, referring to second-place finisher Adam Lambert. “Adam is very . . . he has this jacket that’s very dinosaur-like. Very Adam. It works for him.”