In Concert News (Page 2)

Elliott Yamin tightly hugged his willowy girlfriend, Jamie, clapped brother Scott on the back and took a swig from a bottle of diet Mountain Dew.

His band -- actually Taylor Hicks' Little Memphis Blues Orchestra -- had just cruised onstage to ear-splitting screams, easing into the seductive strains of Bill Withers' "Use Me."

Yamin peeked at the crowd of about 4,200, already on its feet awaiting his grand entrance, flashed his trademark grin and casually ambled out to his homecoming, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

In his first local appearance since July's stop with fellow American Idols, the Virginia native and third-place Idol finisher quickly fell into a groove.

"It was so comfortable -- almost too comfortable," he was overheard saying backstage.

Endless ripples of excitement raced through an audience filled with families -- many with little kids who wouldn't know Elliott Yamin from T.S. Eliot -- as "Use Me" segued into Bad Company's "Ready for Love."

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An all-ages crowd of about 500 gathered at Foster Field in West Texas to see and hear finalists from American Idol on Tuesday, the San Angelo Standard-Times reports.

Some danced, some sang along. Some nabbed autographs from their favorite performers. Others just sat in the stands and enjoyed the performance.

Bob King and his wife, Barbara, were given tickets up front as a present for their 47th anniversary, but traded tickets with a couple of kids from the stands so they could enjoy the show from good seats without the extra noise.

"The performers are good, and I enjoy watching the young kids enjoy it,'' said Barbara, excited to see her favorite pick from the show last season, Kevin Covais.

"I wanted him to win. He's a nice kid."

The audience also loved William Hung, the season three reject who became an unexpected fan favorite, and Justin Guarini, the first American Idol runner-up.

Brenna Gethers, a popular American Idol finalist, said before the show, "I'm looking forward to bringing some good music to Texas," and she delivered. Her a cappella version of Selena's "I Could Fall In Love" was a hit with the audience.

Performers included Anthony Federov, Olivia Mojica, Lindsey Cardinale, Will Makar and Melissa McGhee. But Perhaps the most popular Idol Tuesday night was season two winner Ruben Studdard (pictured) who noted that this was his first visit to West Texas.

Pearl Hardin won her tickets by being the 24th caller at a local radio station Tuesday morning. She and her 14-year-old daughter, Brittney, said they were excited about seeing Studdard.

Rebecca Baxter brought her 10-year-old daughter, Allison. The Baxters recently moved to San Angelo from Tampa, Fla.

"At least San Angelo is big enough to bring in some big name entertainment. Hopefully it will kick-start bringing some other shows here," Baxter said.

Barbara King agreed.

"I just don't think there's enough entertainment like this in San Angelo, so we go to whatever comes. We've got to back the city," she said.

The wonderful Kellie Picker seems to be gaining credibility these days, as she is set to storm the most hallowed bastion of country music, the Grand Ole Opry, on October 27, playing on a bill that includes Glen Campbell and bluegrass great Del McCoury.

A North Carolina native, Pickler was a finalist on last season's American Idol. The previous season's champion, Carrie Underwood, is currently one of country music's brightest stars. Carrie performed, and was well received, on the Opry, so the precedent is there for Kellie.

Underwood, by the way, returns to the Opry stage herself on November 7. Pickler's debut album is due to be released later that month. Good to see these country cuties making names for themselves!

I've worked stressful jobs in the past where the days passed by in a never-ending quest to get the work done for the boss and client. However, I was compensated monetarily for the work-related stress, lack of sleep, and churning stomach.

Fast forward to the past two weeks and picture this: "What?!? You got free tickets for the Jimmy Kimmel Live show in L.A. on September 26 and you want me to go? You're nuts! Wait, how many songs is he going to be singing in that outdoor mini-concert? Three to five? Say 15 minutes worth of hearing Clay Aiken sing? I'll think about it..."

And think about it I did, after receiving the invitation from a fellow Clay Aiken fan living in the midwest.

Having not seen Clay in concert since last November, I really wanted to go. But flying to Los Angeles for a 15-minute concert? I shelved the idea for about a week, and had almost talked myself out of it when the marvelous news flashed across the message boards that the Jimmy Kimmel Live show wasn't to be Clay's only appearance in the City of Angels that day!

Was he going to be on a daytime talk show? Perhaps filming a music video for the new CD? What? Soon the beans were spilled and the glorious news came that Clay would be doing a CD signing event at the Virgin Megastore across the street from the Kimmel show. Now the pot was sweetened, and I once again decided to really attempt this mad Day of Clay.

Thus began a flurry of long-distance phone calls, airline reservations, begging for a couch to sleep on from old friends -- anything to lower the cost and not end up in divorce court with non-Clayfan husband. Finally the reservations were made, and after only 3.5 hours of sleep I hopped on the early flight to L.A. Monday morning.

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Free is a very good word!

I was abroad when tickets for Carrie Underwood at the Clark County Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Wash., went on sale in mid-July, and missed out on great, up-close and personal seats.

But I procrastinated on a ticket purchase due to post-vacation catch-up, and by the time that the concert was just a week away, I still had nobody to go with, so I decided to peruse Ticketmaster and see what was left.

A decent ticket was $91, and that was a bit rich for what I knew to be a one hour set. I had no interest in any of the other acts, so it wasn't worth it to me to spend that much. Then, my local venue sent me an e-alert offering free lawn seats.

Since I hadn't come up with anything decent on Ticketmaster, I decided to go for the gratis lawn seats, and hopefully meet somebody wanting to unload better ones at the venue.

Imagine my surprise when I was told that the venue offered free upgrades to those that came when it opened. This was sounding better all the time! I hauled up the freeway for 45 minutes, and was offered a center section ticket in Row T!

In line, I met up with a fellow Clay Aiken fan, and we promised to meet up when I returned for Carrie's evening show. Later that afternoon, she called to tell me that she and her husband had just WON fifth row seats from a local country station, and would I want to join them so I could photograph?

Well, I didn't have to be asked twice, so from originally sitting on the lawn, I ended up just 15 feet from the stage! Unfortunately, the Security Guard right in front was none too pleased with my long telephoto lens, so I was forced to shoot with a 50mm lens.

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The 15th annual Cumberland County, N.C., Fair kicked off last Thursday, with the sweet taste of cotton candy on the midway and the even weeter sounds of Carrie Underwood at the Crown Coliseum.

Fair fans flocked to tilt-a-whirls and bumper cars and tossed rings to win stuffed bears and live rabbits. They were rocked by “Pharaoh’s Fury” and dropped by the “1001 Nights” ride. They ate cake, hot dogs and even exotic alligator tail.

Inside the Coliseum, the 23-year-old Carrie crooned to “We’re Young and Beautiful” and a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”

With her hair in a loose ponytail and dressed in blue jeans and knee-high boots, the American Idol winner waited until later in her set to sing her hit, “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”

According to the Fayetteville Observer, fans ate it up. Nicole Steele, Teresa McGuire and Leah Fantauzzo -- students from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro -- cheered as they showed off the sorority letters on their T-shirts -- Sigma Sigma Sigma.

Underwood, as many fans may know, was a member of the same sorority, at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.

Before Carrie took the stage, 8-year-old Hannah Pritchard and her 6-year-old brother, Harrison, warmed up nearby concert goers with an all-Carrie serenade. Both hope to audition for American Idol when they are older. Hannah says she'd sing Underwood’s music.

“She’s a really big fan of me,” Hannah said.

“No, you’re a really big fan of her,” parents Pam and Byron Pritchard corrected, laughing.

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The American Idol tour may be winding down - but it's not too late to catch up with many of the performers.

Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee may be taking many of the headlines, but as images below prove, other Idols have been enjoying (and sleeping during) their time in the spotlight, as well.

Fans may still be upset that Chris Daughtry was voted off the show so early - but those that have seen the rocker in person are rather pleased.

During her recent impressions of the tour, Kellie Picker left out the part about jumping aboard a police horse. But we caught her!

Life as an American Idol is tiring. Just ask - or look at - Paris Bennett and Lisa Tucker.

A quote from Kellie Pickler, just before the latest American Idols Live! parade of fleetingly famous finalists paused for intermission last weekend at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, added a trademark, down-home spin to a line virtually every performer uttered:

"It's amazing how much your life can change in a year! One day I'm a roller-skating waitress at a Sonic Drive-In," K-Pick said. "Now people are interested in me!"

What may also be the case, according to the Orange County Register, is a return to relative obscurity. As terrific as their show (see pics below) was this weekend, they may not have staying power.

After all, by this time next year, Kellie and most of this season's Idols will have been replaced by a new batch of vocalists, commanding a corner of our shrinking attention spans, simply because we just rooted and voted for them on Season 6 of American Idol.

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Maybe the two concerts she did in Syracuse, N.Y., last September with the American Idol crew had singer Carrie Underwood feeling at home Monday when she performed at the New York State Fair's grandstand.

Or maybe it was the summer out on tour headlining, or opening for megastar Kenny Chesney, helped the American Idol champion grow more comfortable.

For whatever reason, she was certainly having a good time on stage this week, the Syracuse Post-Standard reports.

"I am chatty tonight!" Underwood said midway through her show.

The happy crowd of American Idol fans, which you can spot by the way they hold up their posters of love or wave whenever they think their hero might be looking in their direction, was given a lesson by Carrie regarding the importance of education. Underwood talked about important it was that she went back to get her degree after her narrow Idol win over Bo Bice.

Then she admitted being a bona fide Star Trekkie.

Musically, as well as in terms of her stage presence, Underwood has certainly grown. As she started with the powerful "We're Young and Beautiful," it was easy to tell that the native of Checotah, Okla., has gotten a lot out of the past 12 months as a country music star.

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The public just can't seem to get enough American Idol.

Just when you think folks might have had their fill, and the show might be heading for a downturn, it posts its biggest numbers ever.

"Right before the fifth season started in January, the producers and Fox executives believed American Idol was due for a cooling period. "They and most critics just couldn't believe it could continue its phenomenal climb in ratings," says Susan Young, a MediaNews TV critic. "When the premiere clocked more than 35 million viewers, it rocked even the true believers."

Over the years, the American Idol phenomenon has moved beyond the small screen to the Billboard record charts and the concert stage.

Most notably, Kelly Clarkson, the first-ever champion (right), is now one of the biggest-selling recording artists around and a formidable draw at major performing venues. She attracted huge crowds across the nation during her "Addicted" tour this summer.

Other idols, including Fantasia Barrino (the Season 3 winner) and Carrie Underwood (the Season 4 champ), also have jumped to the big leagues both musically and in Fantasia's case, a hit TV biographical movie.

While Season 6 is right around the corner, those who want to relive Season 5 may find the American Idols Live tour just what the doctor ordered -- it rolls into the Bay Area tonight after hitting Sacramento last night. Catch Taylor Hicks and company live before the tour ends!