I have now attended the Idol tour twice: Once in Richmond, Virginia, and once in my home base of Atlanta, Georgia. The show is obviously the same at each stop, but I noticed some distinct differences between the tour’s stop in Richmond and in Atlanta. One burning difference (pun intended) is that the Richmond Coliseum has to be the most uncomfortable, hot arena in which I’ve ever had the displeasure of viewing a concert. In fact, it was so hot in the Coliseum that I began to wonder if the place was air conditioned at all, until I went to the basement for Elliott Yamin’s birthday party.
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| Idol Impressions: Elliott & Chris are the Stars |
Alas, the coolness was short-lived; the more people piled into the room, the hotter it got in the basement as well. (I had several people try to buy my fan off me, but that’s another story that I may later tell.)
Of course, you all don’t care about the atmosphere. You’re here for my “Idol impressions.” I will base the bulk of this recap on the Atlanta show, as the performers had more energy (who wouldn’t—the Gwinnett Arena is as cool as the freezer compartment on a refrigerator), and I sat through most of the performances, as painful as it was at times. Elliott performed better in Richmond than in Atlanta, though to be fair, he was not feeling up to par in Atlanta. Before I get started, however, I must warn you: it’s not going to be all nice or “touchy-feely.” What you are about to read are totally my personal impressions; don’t take them personally. If you’re one who is easily offended, I advise you to stop reading now.
The show begins with Mandisa Hundley, who was eliminated from this competition far too early. The words “vocal chops” can be loaned to no one more than to Mandisa. Mandisa got the crowd going with “I’m Every Woman,” and she never let us down. This woman is as beautiful on the outside as she is inside, and her singing abilities far surpass many who finished ahead of her. Her duet with fellow contestant Ace Young should be recorded for posterity. Could I have imagined Mandisa and Ace in a duet? Never. Had I even imagined it, would I have thought it would be good? Certainly not. I was very pleasantly surprised. Their voices blended surprisingly well, and I had Goosebumps by the time they finished. The duet between Mandisa and Ace ushered in Ace’s solo set, which began with his song from the compilation CD, “Father Figure.”
Let me just say right now that I have never been that impressed with Ace Young. Don’t get me wrong: He’s absolutely gorgeous (even more so in person), but Idol isn’t a beauty contest (for me at least). He sang “Father Figure” pretty much as I expected he would, but he threw me for a loop with Maroon 5’s “Harder to Breathe.” When I heard Ace sing this song in Richmond, I thought, “Oh, boy. He’s murdering one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite groups.” It must have been the heat. In Atlanta, he did a better than decent job with this song. I could almost believe Ace as a rocker—almost; let’s not get carried away. He did a fine job, though. In this show, any lack of abilities Ace has as a singer is overshadowed by his enthusiasm, showmanship, and charisma.
Ace was followed by Lisa Tucker, who was equally more impressive in person than on the show. When she performed the two Elton John songs (“Your Song” and “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”) while accompanying herself on keyboards, I saw her as a young Alicia Keys. She really has a fabulous voice, but she’s only 16 years old and has yet to identify herself as an artist. I do believe that will come in time, as she certainly has the talent to go far. Lisa was joined on stage by Paris to perform “Waterfalls,” which was enjoyable, and Lisa exited, leaving Paris Bennett to begin her set.
I have never been much of a fan of Paris Bennett, except when she is channeling Billie Holiday. When she sings the classics, no one can touch Paris; however, I would advise her to leave Beyonce’s music alone. “Crazy In Love” is a signature piece for Beyonce, and no one else should ever attempt to sing it, let alone attempt the dance moves. Beyonce is good at what she does; Paris is a more talented vocalist overall, but Beyonce’s music falls flat on Paris. In retrospect, I believe that Paris should have waited a couple of years before entering this competition; she would have taken it by storm. Now, she comes across as a cute young girl with a good voice who has yet to zero in on her full abilities as a performer. She should stick with the classics; that style of music much better suits her voice.
Following Paris, Bucky Covington takes the stage. Ah, Bucky. What a sweetheart, but again, not a great singer for me. He did get the crowd hyped on “Superstition,” but his rendition of “Drift Away” does just that—you will drift away if you’re not careful. He was robbed of his duet with Kellie in Atlanta, as Kellie was sick and did not perform, which was a good thing for the Atlanta audience. She was pretty bad in Richmond, and her chatter with the crowd didn’t help. Kellie was the first Idol on whom most concert-goers in Richmond decided to take a bathroom/snack break, which is statement enough. Seeing Kellie live did nothing to change my opinion of her singing abilities (or lack thereof, as the case may be). Why 19E decided to sign her to a contract will always remain beyond my comprehension.
Returning from intermission is a real treat, as Chris Daughtry takes the stage. He begins his set with “Whole Lotta Love” and moves smoothly into “Wanted Dead or Alive,” which is now Chris Daughtry’s signature song. I enjoyed the way he involved the crowd, by asking us to sing the chorus, and he seemed to be totally enjoying himself. I have read someone describe Chris as having “rock-god pipes.” I have to agree; he is a true star in the making (and he’s even hotter in person, ladies). After performing “Renegade,” Chris begins the opening of “Savin’ Me” and is joined on stage by Elliott Yamin for a duet. This duet is far and away one of the best of the entire show, and I wish someone would record it for me (please?). Whoever thought that Elliott Yamin could do rock? Okay, I did, but he is absolutely fabulous in this duet.
Chris departs, and Elliott hits us with “Never Too Much.” This guy’s versatility is unmatched. He does a rock song with Chris and bounces right into an R&B/Soul tune made famous by the incredible Luther Vandross? Mark my words: This man will be a star, even if Idol never saw it. Shame on them. In fact, he will be a bigger star because they didn’t see it. Good for us. Again, I have to bring up the fact that people said that this guy has no personality. Yeah, right. You should see him in concert. When he “slows things down,” using his classic DJ voice, to perform “Moody’s Mood for Love,” he yells out into the crowd, “Where my ladies at?” The crowd went absolutely wild, both in Richmond and Atlanta. Take my word for it, here are two words for you that best describe Elliott Yamin: Personality plus. Elliott’s temporary loss of verve seemed to take hold of him on “Moody’s Mood” in Atlanta because that rendition was not as good as others I have heard him perform, and he seemed to be trying simply to survive on “Trouble.” He later returned for the finale and seemed revitalized.
Elliott’s set is far too short for me, and he is followed by the mechanical Katharine McPhee, who advises the crowd that she can only do two songs, “doctor’s orders.” I don’t know what’s really up with Katharine McPhee, but I have never in my life heard of bronchitis/ laryngitis lasting for almost two months. Now, she has a fractured foot, but we get the same line: Two songs, “doctor’s orders.” Whatever. Her renditions of “Black Horse and Cherry Tree” and the over-sung, tiresome “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” sent me to the ladies room in Richmond and to get a beer in Atlanta. Meeting Katharine in person did absolutely nothing to change my opinion of her. She seemed very bothered to be forced to mingle with the “commoners,” and when my sister wished her a speedy recovery, she couldn’t even muster a smile. Suffice it to say that Katharine looks totally miserable to be saddled with this tour. Glad I’m not a fan.
While paying for my beer, I heard Taylor Hicks making his entrance on “Jailhouse Rock.” I returned in time to hear him butchering “Living for the City” and jumping around on the stage like he was being attacked by fire ants. I still can’t believe this guy won American Idol. His “dance” moves are still spastic, at best, though he now channels Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes instead of Joe Cocker and Michael McDonald. Taylor really needs to get his own schtick, which might carry him a lot further than using those of other artists. I am not at all impressed with Taylor Hicks, and I’m hard pressed to see his name in relation to previous Idol winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, and Carrie Underwood. All four of these Idol winners are great singers who need no gimmicks or antics to carry them.
As for Taylor’s “soul,” all I can say is that Elliott Yamin is the only legitimate soul man on this tour. For those who are ready to tell me I don’t understand soul, let me say this: “Soul” is a feeling; it can’t be bought; it can’t be manufactured; soul music reaches into the very depths of a person and brings back those Sundays when mama made you go to church, no matter how much you tried to play sick. Real soul music gives you chills, not laughter. Growing up black in the south, I was spoon fed soul music. I know of which I speak, so don’t even go there. Real soul singers sing from their hearts; their emotions carry their words, and they can make you cry if they want to. Taylor can certainly make me cry, but not for those reasons. Elliott, on the other hand, not only understands soul, but he lives and breathes it. You can hear that slight gospel sound to his voice, his renditions of classics are extremely moving and powerful, and his emotions come through every single word he sings. He, my friends, is the real deal when it comes to soul music. Soul music may be a dying breed for some, but I have a feeling that Elliott Yamin will bring it back to life. He’s just that good.
As for Taylor, his antics are not going to translate to radio, especially as long as he is given material like “Do I Make You Proud?” (which I have officially renamed “Do I Make You Puke?”). Taylor is extremely talented with his harmonica, but saddling him with such smarminess as “Do I Make You Proud” is not going to help him in the real world. Again, he is certainly no balladeer. Hopefully, the songwriters for The Powers That Be will realize this before it is too late. Even though Taylor won Idol this year, his fans will be up in arms over my criticisms of him. Be happy that he won, and know that everyone is not going to like him as much as you do. Interestingly, most of the people I have questioned about their love of Taylor reveal that he is “funny” or “entertaining” or, in the case of my mother, “reminds me of my [dead] husband.” I love my mother to death and would do anything for her, but when she asked me to vote for Taylor as a favor to her, I told her that it would be easier for me to bring Mt. Everest to her door. Taylor’s performance on the tour satisfied me that I gave her the right answer.
In the group finale, “Living In America” became the “Elliott Yamin Set, Part Deux.” Elliott outshone just about everyone else on this number, and he even treated us to a few funky dance moves. Far and away, the best performers on this tour (in both venues) were Elliott Yamin, Mandisa Hundley, Ace Young, Chris Daughtry, and Lisa Tucker. I guess five out of ten isn’t a bad return on my dollars. If you get an opportunity to get floor seats, take them—you will get more into the performances and will take more away with you. In addition, if you are fortunate enough to get a backstage pass, take it and run. Meeting these performers puts a whole new spin on things (i.e., Chris Daughtry is anything but “arrogant,” as I have often heard him described). I was even fortunate enough to attend Elliott’s private birthday party in Richmond, where we got to see and talk to him “up close and personal.” Even with the dreadful heat, it was time well spent, as we received yet another peek into his down-to-earth nature and pleasant personality. Elliott Yamin so appreciates his fans and loves mingling with them, and if you get the opportunity to meet him, you’ll understand why he will always be MY American Idol. In fact, the reception Elliott received in Richmond was so overwhelming that he was in tears for most of his set. How can you not love this guy? If I were 20 years younger and 60 pounds lighter, I would be all over him.
While the results of American Idol this year were a huge disappointment to me, I, for the most part, enjoyed the tour and all and the extracurricular activities in which I was fortunate to be involved. Go to the tour, have a good time, but don’t expect too much--these performers are still honing their skills; some have big, bright futures ahead while others will be a flash in the pan, if they even make it to the pan.
Shirley has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with an emphasis on Creative Writing, from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix.
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