Concert Review

Here is a preview of the American Idol tour 09 from nationalpost.com:

American Idols Live! Tour 2009
GM Place, Vancouver
07/08/2009

By Graeme McRanor, Canwest News Service

Here's a tip: Exclamation marks should always be used sparingly, and should not be used to describe a concert tour.

Oh, sure, you could place one informally, say, at the end of "That sucked!" or "A marvelous evening of music!" as you leave the venue.

But in the name itself? Never.

Especially when said tour is called American Idols Live! and features a veritable who's who of the televised version's top 10 from Season 8.

Seriously, who are these people?

Okay, there's Kris Allen, the winner.

And Adam Lambert, who conspiracy theorists claim should have won. (He's gay, in case you didn't hear!)

Then, like the original theme from Gilligan's Island, there's the rest: Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai, Danny Gokey, Lil Rounds, Matt Giraud, Megan Joy, Michael Sarver and Scott MacIntyre, arguably the most famous blind man in North America and unwitting recipient of Ryan Seacrest's ill-advised and unannounced high-five, probably the most awkward skin slip in television history.

Of course, as Lambert told me earlier in the day, the tour is more musical showcase than concert. Still, it's kind of like watching Stars on Ice, minus the stars.

Harsh? Well, as Simon (Cowell) says, it's a tough business.

Touring on television ratings is like signing a book deal because you're Joe the Plummer: Opportunistic.

While there's talent (and various record deals) in this bunch, there's little original material in the vaults so it's unrealistic to fill GM Place after a gazillion people watched them all perform covers ad nauseam on television.

Right? Well, kind of.

At 3 p.m., four hours before the concert's slated start time, at least a hundred female tweens armed with signs and flanked by moms percolated behind barriers outside of GM Place, hoping for a glimpse of an Idol or, better yet, an autograph.

And while I still firmly believe that placing on a popular talent show doesn't necessarily give you credentials to tour North America, clearly, on this day in Vancouver, I was in the minority.

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