03
Aug
2009
Adam Lambert rocks the Bank Atlantic Center
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Category: Entertainment
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Courtesy of poptower.com
I’m 40 years old and a Glambert. I admit it.
What can I say, American Idol is a guilty pleasure and has been for a few years now. My husband and I both love the show, and are fans of Chris Daughtry, David Cook and now–Adam Lambert.
So it was a perfect foray back to the land of the living for me to attend the American Idol show at the Bank Atlantic Center this past week. Being that I had a baby 3 weeks ago, it was my first night out on my own and what a night it was…
Now don’t get me wrong–I think all of the singers this year were really talented in their own ways…but no one can come close to Adam Lambert as far as his voice–or his performance.
I’ll start by saying I wasn’t a huge fan of Megan Joy or Anoop Desai on the show…but they both sounded excellent live. Whatever coaching these kids have had has really paid off, because they’ve improved tremendously since their performances on the show.
Lil Rounds looked fantastic, and did a terrific performance of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”.
I even enjoyed Scott Macintyre, who I thought was quite bland on the show. But his energy level was excellent and he sounded terrific. Although…I have to say that for me, the show felt like it began once Matt Giraud came out. He was better than ever once he came out singing the Fray’s “You Found Me” and his signature song, “Georgia”. His piano playing was incredible, and he really engaged the audience like a pro.
Danny Gokey–who was an early favorite of mine–also stood out during the show. You just can’t help feeling the warm fuzzies when he talks to the crowd–he knows how to make you feel that he’s speaking just to you–and I enjoyed his songs. Even his dancing was much better (Paula, have you been coaching Danny on that?)
Allison Iraheta was one of the only Idols that I felt was a bit unpolished, for some reason. She had her hair in her face for most of her songs, and her movements were choppy and amateur. Don’t get me wrong, she certainly has a helluva set of pipes–but her best moment was her duet with Adam for “Slow Ride”–although to be honest, I wasn’t listening much to her at that point (sorry Allison!)…
Because as good as the other singers were…the arena virtually exploded once Adam Lambert stepped onstage. He opened with Led Zeppelin’s ”Whole Lotta Love” and the crowd went wild. The applause and screams were absolutely deafening once he finished the song…and none of the other performers elicited this kind of response–not even Kris–um-what’s his name? Oh right, ALLEN.
And of course…Adam’s shining moment–and the obvious audience favorite–was “Mad World”. I loved the song back in the 80’s when Tears for Fears sang it, but Adam’s version is so chillingly haunting, and just brings tears to my eyes each time I hear him sing it. To listen to it live was such a privilege, truly.
Lambert gyrated his hips a la Elvis during a rendition of David Bowie’s “Fame”, and it was clear that the young girls in the audience didn’t give a hoot about his sexual orientation (even a teenage girl next to me said it best–”he’s gay, but he’s hot”. I have to agree.
Smokin’ hot, as far as I’m concerned–when it comes to the vocal range he has, the showmanship and the stage presence. And okay…he’s easy on the eyes too. He’s most definitely the complete package, and I can’t wait to hear the album he releases in the fall.
And to be honest, the energy level dropped a few octaves once Adam left the stage, and Kris came on. A pity, really, because Kris is talented–he can play several instruments, and he can carry a tune. But he simply can’t compare to the mega-star prowess of Mr. Lambert. (Many even people left the arena after Adam was finished with his set.)
We saw it happen with Chris Daughtry (Taylor who?) and I believe we’ll see it happen again with Adam, and even more so. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t win the Idol title–his talent will take him beyond boundaries…and I’m just thrilled I was there to see him–and more importantly hear him–at the start of his magical journey.