Anyway, I had SO much fun at the Idol Tour in Indianapolis this weekend! My family and I were so blessed to get to meet all of this year’s contestants except Anoop and Lil. Here are my thoughts concerning them and their amazing performances!

Michael Sarver: Michael was amazing both as a performer and a person. Many people doubted during the season if he really deserved to be in the Top 10. Well, I can 100% tell you that it would have been a shame had he not been there! He is so very down-to-earth. He came out and signed autographs for a very long time dressed simply in sweat pants, a ball cap, and t-shirt. You could walk right by him in Wal-Mart and not even recognize him! He talked to people’s “Moms” on cell phones and made sure everyone got a picture with him. His skills as a performer have also matured greatly. Opening the show, he managed to easily get everyone on their feet, and his performance of “Closer” was better than Ne-Yo’s.

Megan Joy: She was very nice and signed a lot of autographs. Though I wasn’t much for her song choices, she did all right. There was a moment where she almost tripped on stage and fell over, which I admit would’ve been very funny! LOL

Scott MacIntyre: There is no other way to say it. Scott was HILARIOUS! He certainly was the funniest Idol contestant of the bunch hands down! He told some jokes that had everyone roaring with laughter, especially one pertaining to his infamous “high five” with Seacrest. Though a comedian, his talent shined out for all to see when he performed an awesome rendition of “A Thousand Miles”.

Lil Rounds: To be completely honest, Lil didn’t leave much an impression on me. She walked right by a crowd of clamoring fans and walked across the street to apparently get a drink. Then, she walked back by the fans with only a slight wave to acknowledge them. Oh, well . . . maybe she just had an off night. On a positive note, her performance of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” was almost good enough to make me like that song (which I have been resisting for some time)! LOL

Anoop Desai: I was also a bit disappointed in Anoop. Out of all the Idol contestants, he never once came out to mingle with fans. His performances were just okay, with “Mad” being his best one.

Matt Giraud: Matt was excellent! He was actually the very FIRST Idol contestant to come out and greet the fans, and he was very personable. Someone gave him a stuffed Tigger (from Winnie the Pooh), and he got really excited over that. I think they gave him that because he likes Disney movies. Though I wish he would’ve done “So Small”, his performances were fantastic, and I was in awe of his amazing piano skills! The “duel” featuring him and Scott was one of the highlights of the night!

Allison Iraheta: Allison rocked it out! Though her performance of “So What” sounded a bit strained (who could blame her), she hit the ball out of the park with “Cry Baby” and a better version of “Barricuda” than the original! Her greatest performance came later on when she performed “Slow Ride” with Adam! She was just a very nice person and took the time to meet the fans and sign autographs.

DANNY GOKEY: Anybody on here who knows me will know that this was the moment I had been waiting for all night. Out of all the contestants, Danny was out there signing autographs the longest. He even made an effort to come back out and pose with people for pictures (which I was so blessed to get). Everyone was commenting about how nice a guy he was, and I agree wholeheartedly! And his performances . . . WERE AMAZING! His voice is so incredibly powerful it is not even funny. He made the best entrance of the night with “PYT”, and gave a performance of that Michael Jackson song that would’ve made even the King of Pop take his hat off to him! “What Hurts The Most” is my favorite Gokey song, and he performed it BETTER than his recording! You could feel the emotion coming from him and tell that he sings with his heart, which is what allows him to connect with his audience so fantastically! Finally, “My Wish” was such a perfect song for Danny, and he included with it an inspiring message to the crowd that was both poignant and true. I could’ve honestly just seen him perform and be happy, but on to . . . ADAM!

Adam Lambert: Man, when Adam took the stage, the crowd cheered louder than I have EVER heard them before! Even the hype for Archuleta and Cook last season couldn’t compare to be honest. Watching Adam perform was like watching a legend emerge. “Mad World” was just as haunting and beautiful as it was on the show, and I have no doubt that he will be another Michael Jackson/Elvis Presley. Honestly, though, what impressed me most about Adam was how he took the time to greet ALL of his fans, take pictures with them, and sign autographs after the show. All of the fame has definitely not gone to his head. He was just a very nice guy, and my personal opinion of him has skyrocketed.

Kris Allen: Oh, Kris . . . Poor Kris! Don’t get me wrong! He was fantastic, but he had the difficult position of performing AFTER Adam, which was just very hard to do for anyone. His first performance of “Heartless” was his best, and “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Bright Lights” were excellent as well. I still felt a bit like something was lacking with the absence of “No Boundaries”, but I guess you can’t have EVERYTHING you want! Still, he is a VERY nice guy and worthy of the title “American Idol”!

I just had SO much fun, and I am so thankful for the experience! I hope everyone on here will get the chance to see one of these tours at some point! It truly is an experience like no other!

Congrats on Danny signing a record deal…he should and will do Awesome as a Country Music Artist! Now all you gotta do is wait for that album to drop!!!

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/american-idol/american-idol-danny-gokeys-clo-30858.aspx

It seems that by mid September he will have a record deal. I am so happy to hear that! I definitely think he wanted to wait until touring was over before he made a major commitment for his album. Also, it seems pretty much a sure thing that he will go the country route, and (though I wasn’t so sure initially) I have come to believe that is the best possible route for him. Country music is all about the message, and Danny Gokey certainly likes a good message! As Danny said, the country music genre is so varied nowadays that you often times don’t know you are listening to a country song! Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus are both examples of “country” artists whose songs still retain that pop sound and avoid the trademark country “twang”.

I also believe that the country music industry is very open to its singers expressing their faith. After contemporary Christian/Gospel music, I think the country genre is the most Christian-oriented genre out there. The wonderful thing about this is that Danny can sing about his faith, yet he is not restricted to ONLY those types of songs. I am SO looking forward to his album already! I wish he would team up with Rascal Flatts on something! That would be awesome!

I’m so excited! Next weekend I finally get to see him perform live in Indiana! Time seems to moving SO . . . SLOWWWW!!!!!! Anyway, have a good day everyone!

David learned about the release date of his Christmas CD on twitter. He was a bit bemused as the album hasn’t been completed and he wants to go back into the studio and re-record some of the songs because he was sick the first time around. I srsly hope he gets the time to make the album he wants to. In any case, I know that I’ll adore it.

I am also thrilled to hear about his Christmas album! He just keeps putting out new songs and albums for his loyal fans, doesn’t he? You have to admire how he is able to pull this off in the midst of the tour he is on right now as well. Certainly no easy task! Anyway, I totally look forward to it and I would also like to hear of a release date for Kris and Adam’s debut albums. By this time last year, I believe Archie and Cook had their dates set.

galen, I was able to congratulate David within minutes of the announcement. I happened to be within a few feet of his tour bus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last Sunday when the news came over Twitter. My group and I screamed our congratulations as we passed by. I hope he heard us!

Check this out:

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00026312.html

I see where you are going with the Gene Simmons thing…Yeah, that may very well be fun! I also see that I misspelled Keyes, Ugghhh! Old Brains!

MCL, it was good to hear from you as well! I hope everything is going great for you, and I am glad to hear that you have been enjoying your summer. I know I have as well and I am sad at the prospect of it coming to an end soon. I guess that’s what Idol is for! LOL

Vonnie, thank you for responding to me! It’s like I made contact finally! I agree that Jennifer Lopez and Alicia Keyes would be strong potential judge choices, and I would not be disappointed if either of them ended up getting the job. However, I still think Gene Simmons would work out beyond great. You mentioned that problems may arise because of conflict between him and Simon. To be completely honest, I think that is what would make it all the better! Having Simon Cowell and Gene Simmons butt heads on live TV would certainly be entertaining. With no more Simon-Paula conflict on the show, I believe that a Simon-Gene conflict would be the next best thing. Simon, from years of experience knows what he is talking about, and Gene (who has also had years of experience) knows what he is talking about. Therefore, when those two clashed, it would keep America’s attention. However, all that aside, Gene is just a fun guy and he does have a big heart. Just watch how interacts with his wife and kids, and you will realize that. With Paula absent, a big heart is more necessary than ever!

Anyway, it was nice hearing from everyone. Have a great day all!

I have been pre-occupied with life outside the internet bubble. I guess that’s what summer is all about! Thank you for keeping this site alive. I was planning on adding more content throughout the summer, but it just never materialized. I am going for a lovely and sunny walk around the lake and then will and another blog topic about all the Idol hoopla this afternoon. Promise!

Not sure I like the Gene Simmons idea…I think Jennifer Lopez or Alicia Keys would make a nice addititon to the show. I think there would be to much competition with Gene and Simon.

On to “No Boundries” Kris can’t pass the song on to Danny, that is his conciliation prize for winning the show! I’m sure as much as he would like to pass it off, it’s his. Adam, also has no claim to the song, it is only for the winner. I think what I read though was that the song was not very well received on the tour, so the producers changed it. I have yet to hear it played on the radio though, have you heard it?

Have you heard any thing on Danny getting signed or not?

Hope your having a great summer! And, yeah, I agree, hope this site picks up a little more, it’s kindof lonely on here!!!

I have some more information about Idol this coming season. I totally did not foresee this, but with Paula’s exit, Idol producers said that they will seek a FOURTH judge to replace Paula. Throughout the auditions Idol will use guest judges each week. During that time they will be considering possible candidates to be the fourth judge. From what I gathered, I believe that by the time the live episodes of the season air, a fourth judge will be chosen and established.

I was hoping that after the rollercoaster ride that was last season, Season 9 would be a bit more . . . well . . . normal. However, it seems that we are in for another wild ride. As much as I HATE to see Paula go, there is one person who I would be THRILLED to see on the judging panel. That person is Gene Simmons! I wish so badly that he would be a judge. He has the qualifications, the humor, and he knows how to market someone in a way that (let’s be honest) makes money. We watch his reality show a lot on A & E, and I think he would be perfect for the show. He knows the business inside and out, and he will tell it like it is. Does anyone else think he would be perfect as a judge?

Or am I COMPLETELY alone on here? Hello? Anyone there? LOL

Okay . . . well, I guess no one DOES like the song but me! LOL Anyway, moving on . . .

I have some very sad and disheartening news to report. It has been confirmed that Paula Abdul will NOT be returning to Idol next season. Due to contract disputes, she has decided to leave the show. Therefore, we will be back to three judges again–Simon, Randy, and Kara. Somehow I can’t help but feel like this was the plan all along. Bring Kara in, go through a season of chaos with four judges, and then subtley push Paula out. I don’t have an issue with Kara DioGuardi, but Paula is FAR better for the show than Kara is. I will truly miss Paula this season.

MCL, just a suggestion, but maybe you should make a topic about this. It’s definitely important, albeit very sad Idol news. Oh, and happy 40th Anniversary! Congratulations!