Thursday, May 21, 2009

i know with every fiber of my being that you are going to be iconic*


Hmmm. I was for Adam Lambert all the way. So much so that, when tickets went on sale last Saturday for the kick-off to the 2009 American Idol Concert Tour, that just happens to be in Portland, Oregon, not far from where we live, I hopped online that afternoon and snagged two tickets.

I'm still looking forward to the concert on July 5, although I believe the voters got it wrong, really wrong. Kris Allen is a good performer and a truly humble winner, there's no doubt about that. But when Mike and I see the final ten at the Rose Garden on the first night of their big tour I'm pretty sure we'll witness someone on that stage who is bound for super-stardom.....and that is Adam Lambert.

There are umpteen online articles and commentaries flooding the Web since the final show. This one from - of all places - Malaysia calls it the way I see it too.

AMERICAN IDOL 2009: And the winner is...the biggest upset in history!
By: Suzieana Uda Nagu

LOS ANGELES, Thurs:

AMERICA has spoken and the people have voted in favour of Kris Allen, the guy-next-door crooner from Little Rock, Arkansas to be the eighth American Idol. Yet even before the confetti shower has settled, fans worldwide are already discussing on the Internet whether or not the clean-cut soft rocker deserves the accolade.

Even Allen was shocked when his name — instead of Adam Lambert’s — was announced by host Ryan Seacrest as the winner. His first response: “Adam deserves this”.

If Allen himself doubted the results, then perhaps America did get it wrong this time. There are a million reasons why Lambert should have won the contest.

The San Diego native’s winning streak started the day he sang Bohemian Rhapsody during his audition a few months ago.

Lambert’s almost limitless vocal range and spellbinding performances have been hard to ignore, let alone forget, since then.
Rock and Roll week was predictably a walk in the park for Lambert. His rendition of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love received the approval of those who grew up listening to the band and sent them marching to iTunes to download the remade single.

In the 10 weeks of being on the reality TV series, the veteran theatre actor had always risen to the occasion.

For Country week — in which many contestants stumble and fall — Lambert showed that he was no “one trick pony”.

He picked up from where Rock Star: Supernova contestant Dilana left off and turned Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire into a “sexually charged, Far Eastern inspired number”.

He also sailed through Motown and Rat Pack Standards weeks and even moved mentors Smokey Robinson and Jamie Foxx with his interpretation of Track of My Tears and Feeling Good.

Simply put, Lambert had shown a great body of work throughout the competition and did so without missing a single note.

Although fans have seen their fair share of talented contestants, they have never met one quite as charismatic and enigmatic as Lambert.

On stage, he looks like an edgy superstar with a penchant for black eyeliner and nail polish as well as “jumping off cliffs, creatively speaking”. Off stage and during interviews, he transforms into an eloquent and a well brought up gentleman.

Lambert is refreshing and appeals to the inner rebel of fans young and mature. He shows that it is possible to be both a rock star and a role model — just ask the children from the community theatre group which Lambert attended as a boy.

Lambert revisited the theatre group recently as part of his homecoming to his hometown San Diego.

Footages of Lambert patiently answering questions from preschoolers about “how he got so good at singing and dancing” gave fans a sense of the kind of mentor Lambert could be to young people with artistic aspirations, regardless of what rumours about his sexuality and the incriminating pre-Idol photos circulating the Internet may suggest.

But in the land of reality television shows, not even an early favourite such as Lambert is “safe”.

That American Idol traditionally favours contestants who are “a little abashed, nervous and demonstratively relieved when they survive” — a description one would use on Allen but not Lambert — may have stacked the odds against the self-assured performer.

The result announced on Wednesday night (Los Angeles time) confirmed that while America adored his “theatrics”, it could stomach Lambert’s brand of music up to a point.

America may not be ready for an androgynous rocker to be its Idol but there is a general consensus on the World Wide Web that, win or lose, Lambert will have a long and healthy music career unencumbered by “mountains and hurricanes”.

In the words of judge Paula Abdul, “whatever happens with this Idol journey, I know with every fibre of my being that you are going to be iconic”.

You’re the real Idol, Adam Lambert. Can’t wait to see you at your sell-out tour!








Hey Adam, when you're this beautiful you don't need make up. . .










*
Paula Abdul, quoted in article above, in comments to Adam Lambert

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13 comments:

Wayfaring Wanderer said...

I would have never guessed that you were into AI.

I only like to watch the auditions :)

Hope you have fun at the concert!!

Marie Reed said...

You have tickets!!! You are such a lucky duck! We don't have American Idol here but I really caught the fever of it when te huge Eurovision contest aired here! It's a very similar concept except that it's between singers froom different countries so a lot of patriotism gets mixed up with it too!

Looking to the Stars said...

Have a good time, kiddo :)

Lydia said...

@Wayfaring Wanderer- Oh yeah, into him big time. The concert will be good, I think. And much different from the last one we saw there, which was the Simon & Garfunkel Old Friends reunion tour maybe five years ago. It was wonderful.

@Marie- I remember seeing Kelly Clarkson on TV with the Eurovision winner right after she won the first American Idol. In any case, she was on some program with a guy who had won a big singing contest over there (and it wasn't Britain's Got Talent).

Lydia said...

@Looking to the Stars- It should be a fun and mixed crowd. The Portland crowds tend to be very eclectic in that way.

Rhiannon said...

I liked Kris Allen and hoped he would win. He was the underdog and yet I thought he had that special "something". I also liked Anoop Desai and think he has a great style and talent..was disappointed to see him go.

I think Adam is a great talent with a very "unique" style...but...he was always surrounding himself with other things to "glam" it up all the time..the fireworks and such and well you know all lit up stuff, like he was in a concert of his own or something. I would have preferred to see his talent on his own with just himself and nothing else around him...very "basic"..other than maybe a piano or guitar. This is where the "Basic" talent lies..

I thought Kris was very different than Adam, in many ways..he always did the "unplugged" on his own simple but true and sang great. I loved his version of "Apologize" and had no clue why Simon or one other judge thought it wasn't good...because I thought he did make it his "own" style and also its a very hard song to sing and hit those high notes and then right back down..he isn't yelling when he hits the high notes either. I went on youtube to listen to Kris sing Apologize and "Ain't no sunshine" and Adams "mad world" over again. I didn't like the way Adam did mad world..that's a very very serious song..he made it to "glib"..I thought.

I wanted Kris to win and think that he will grow leaps and bounds. It's about finding a talent where you see there can be versatility and yet find their own style as time goes on and also be very very flexible in different musical styles. I think Kris will be able to do this. He's got a lot of emotion too.

Adam is and will already be a "star"...it was just too much for me and the judges built him up too much like an "icon" already..that bothered me...I thought Simon got Kris all wrong and Kris just kept at what he does best..unplugged and live..with his heart.

But hey Adam is great and will be doing rock concerts most any day now I am sure...and I love rock! I don't care straight or gay...they all did a great job..so much talent many will make it in the music busines...including Anoop.

Can't believe I actually watched AI this time around..I usually don't..very rarely knew what was going on all these years but I saw a lot of basic talent going on here.

Blah blah blah..ha ha..

Enjoy the concert when you go Lydia.

Rhi

Lydia said...

@Rhi- It will be interesting at the concert to see how each is featured and who shines. I read online last night that the vote wasn't even close. Evidently, the evangelical camp that supported both Danny and Kris really came through with high enthusiasm for Kris in the final.

I've watched some years more than others, and have never seen all episodes of one full year of AI. With the concert wrapping up this year I doubt I'll watch the next one. And I'd quit watching altogether if Simon Cowell left!

Anonymous said...

My son and I have become raving lunatic Idol fans...every year I say that's it for me, I will NOT get sucked in next year...but I always do anyway. I love love love Adam and expected him to win, but I do think Kris embodies the original intent of the show...to find undiscovered raw talent, so I'm cool with that. And I'm with you, Idol would not be Idol with Simon and I hope he hangs in there another year or two. Oh, and of course we are going to the concert this year, too! Couldn't miss Adam's rocking duet with Allison!

Lydia said...

@Mibsy- Sounds as if you've been to previous American Idol concerts. This will be our first (undoubtedly last) of theirs. But I, like you, couldn't imagine not seeing Adam at the beginning of his career in this kind of a production. I think it's so cute that you and your son love this show together. Let's be sure to compare notes after the concerts!

j said...

You are right -- that man so does not need makeup!

I don't watch the show, but I have a friend who got completely wrapped up in it and is really incensed at his loss, for reasons I understand completely.

Lydia said...

Yeah, close to perfect face, that one.
I'll probably be AI satiated after the concert. May not watch any of the next season at all.

Lisa Nanette Allender said...

Hi Lydia--just getting caught up with you!(I confess: I've been watching replays of YouTube's "Ring of Fire" featuring Adam Lambert in AI!!!!!!)
Wish he'd won, but I know he'll do great anyway(Collin Kelley believes he'll do even better, given that he(Adam) won't be "tied" to American Idol(like Kris will) with a few yuck-y Kara Dioga-whatever-her-name-is songs....

Lydia said...

@Lisa- I've been doing that too! I thought his interpretation of "Ring of Fire" was brilliant, haunting, intoxicating...oh my, I could go on and on. I think Collin is a wise critic of pop culture. :)

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