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Funny Business
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This week I got to do something unusual. I went to a big event as a fan, not a reporter. But, naturally, I feel compelled to report on it anyhow. Maybe it's like being a cop, you're never really off duty.
The image you see is a ticket a friend gave me for last night's "American Idol" performances by the two finalists, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. Fox [NWS
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] staged the live event at the 7,000-seat Nokia theater, a stone's throw from the Staples Center, where the Lakers were playing the Nuggets. A good night for AEG Entertainment, which owns both venues.
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CNBC.com American Idol Ticket |
If you don't watch "Idol", stop reading. This blogpost is for people who love Idol chatter.
Here is what happened when the cameras weren't rolling, based on notes I jotted down (we weren't allowed to take Blackberries or other mobile devices inside).
First impression: everyone here was old, like me. Seriously, more than half the audience was over 40. You don't see them on TV.
Second impression: the crew is amazingly calm and efficient for such a big, live show. They were very busy, but there was no panic. They've been doing this a while.
I was surprised that some of the people in the audience were not "Idol" fans, but still managed to score tickets. The woman next to me turned and asked, "Which one is Adam?" My jaw dropped, thinking of the millions of viewers who would've killed for her seat. Later, when Randy Jackson said, "You could sing the phone book," to one of the singers, the woman next to me laughed like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. She didn't realize the rest of us have heard him say that ten million times, dawg.
There were some empty seats at the Nokia Theater, and seat fillers were brought in. I sat behind the families of Alison Iraheta and Danny Gokey (good seats). Two members of Alison's family didn't arrive until after the first round of songs, forcing the seat fillers to move back out. I thought maybe the seat fillers would be fans who stood in line all day without tickets, hoping for a break. No. These people didn't go crazy like the rest of us. They just...filled seats.
The ratio of women to men was at least five to one. Many of them women, especially the older ones, dressed in a style my daughter calls "Abercrombie Mom" -wearing clothes they should have stopped wearing a few years ago. You see that a lot in LA. I was with a group of five women, all over the age of 45, all dressed appropriately. One woman -the friend who got the tickets for us -brought her 22-year-old son. I teased him about being our token "boy toy". Poor guy. Imagine telling everyone you went to "Idol" with five cougars.
Celebrity sightings: my favorite was Glenn Morshower. Who?? He's the actor who plays Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce on"24"!!! As I passed him I did something I NEVER DO. I reached out and said, "I'm a huge fan." I NEVER DO THIS. He said, "Thank you, sweetie, what's your name?" "I'm Jane." "I'm Glenn." "Nice to meet you, Aar...Glenn." I was disappointed to see that Agent Pierce was not wearing an earpiece, nor did he look beat up like he had the night before on the "24" finale. However, after the show, he provided guidance to our 22-year-old on which Metrolink train to take home to Long Beach. Agent Aaron Pierce, hero to all.
During commercial breaks, the female judges occasionally waved and chatted with a few fans. Paula got her hair fluffed. Simon and Randy talked to each other. Ryan usually rushed offstage and consulted with the stage manager. Ryan didn't have time to mingle with guests, he had a big ol' show to run. A guy named Cory kept the audience pumped up and occupied during commercial breaks. Sometimes he gave away merchandise. He told one fan, "You look great for 55." Thanks, Cory.
Former contestant Matt Giraud looked bored out of his mind the entire show.
There was a guy in the audience who desperately wanted to get noticed. I began watching him during every break. He was sitting byDanny Gokey's family, and I'm wondering if I've seen him before as one of "Danny's Friends". Throughout the show, he would stand up and try to get the attention of the judges during breaks, wave to the the recently-dismissed contestants, who never responded. He even attempted to hug Ryan as he walked up the aisle. I started referring to him as the "Idol stalker". Finally, when he tried to approach the judges, security told him to go away. He did. Then he tried again. He was sent back again. It was pretty fun to watch.
By the way, security guards were posted on stage during all commercial breaks to keep anyone from rushing Adam and Kris.
During the final break before Kris Allen sang the new song, "No Boundaries", co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi, I watched Allen as he stood in the dark conferring with the band. The stage manager was ticking down the seconds until we came out of the break, but Kris kept talking and consulting. The crew began tugging at his elbow to get him out on stage to sing. "Five, four, three," and he finally pulled away to get into place. He looked worried. Listening to his performance of the song, I can see why.
However, during the recap of the performances at the end of the show, while the TV audience saw a taped montage, I watched Kris and Adam on stage. They had their arms slung around each other, joking with each other, literally patting each other on the back. They truly seem to like each other.
Who will win? Who knows? Adam seems to be the judge's favorite, but Kris had a very vocal, very large fan base inside the Nokia. DialIdol has Kris ahead by one percentage point (DialIdol measures busy signals to contestant call-in numbers. The more busy signals, the more calls, meaning the more votes). But one percentage point makes it too close to call.
I forgot to ask Agent Pierce who he was voting for...
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