In Concert News (Page 3)

Yesterday, we reported that Taylor Hicks (right), Bucky Covington and Elliott Yamin skipped out on their American Idol tour after-party in L.A. to hit up a more serious music scene -- and pick up some industry cred.

The trio snuck away to perform at the notorious Hollywood rock club Viper Room. According to TMZ.com, Taylor jammed with the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, along with members of his own band, playing harmonica while taking shots on stage in front of a sold-out crowd.

This crowd wasn't interested in hearing any pop covers or standards, and Taylor Hicks proved he's more than a gimmick, drawing raves from the audience. Nice!

Elliott and Bucky (below, left) also got in on the action to the delight of the packed house which included tons of screaming fans... ones slightly older than the audience at the Staples Center earlier in the night.

Bucky hung with his wife Crystal, while Yamin was joined by his model girlfriend, Jamie (below, right).

As far as Taylor, when he wasn't on stage or fending off members of his Soul Patrol, he retreated to the confines of the closed-off VIP room.

Our friends at TMZ.com took an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the American Idols Live tour in Los Angeles Saturday. Following their great performance at the Staples Center the star of the most recent season of American Idol took the time to greet lucky fans at an after-party.

The ever-gracious Ace Young (below, left) signed autographs for the throngs of his young female fans, while their moms gawked on the side. Paris Bennett, meanwhile, may have only recently turned 18, but she handled herself like an old pro and stood on a table to handle the crush of the teenage amateur paparazzi that swarmed her. Kellie Pickler, sporting blonde extensions, proved she's just a down home gal at heart, arriving in slippers and sweatpants.

The scene stealer (and, some might say, diva) of the evening? No, it wasn't the lovely Katharine McPhee. The native of nearby Sherman Oaks, Calif., had so many family and friends visit her backstage that she wasn't able to make the party. The star of the night was none other than Chris Daughtry, who arrived with extra security. Despite being shielded by an entourage, he did mingle with fans (below, right).

Interesting, Ed Kowalczyk, the lead singer of Live, who performed with Daughtry on the American Idol finale, was part of Chris' entourage after the L.A. show. Apparently, the star went completely unnoticed by the crowd.

Taylor Hicks, Bucky Covington and Elliott Yamin did not attend the meet and greet. The trio were busy getting across town to the Johnny Depp-owned Viper Room to take the stage with the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, which features members of Hicks' band.

It may be the hottest TV show in the country, with tens of millions of viewers and hundreds of thousands of singles and digital downloads bought before the contestants' albums are even released, but the American Idols Live tour may be losing a bit of steam coming down the home stretch.

Maybe it's just the fickleness of SoCal -- where everyone's a star, not just homegirl Katharine McPhee -- but there are still plenty of tickets available for when the tour rolls down to Tinseltown on Saturday.

In fact, not only are they not sold out, tickets are going for below face value on Craigslist. Ticket holders are selling good floor seats at up to 40 percent below cost, with some tix going for as low as $20. That's a steal for any major artist. People in and around L.A. should take advantage of this chance while they can!