FYI: This is really long!

So my mom got tickets to the dress rehearsal last week for American34 Idol, but we weren’t able to make it to the show. She got an email again and got tickets to the dress rehearsal this week for the guys. We were very excited and definitely wanted to go. I’ve gotten tickets to the main show several times throughout the years, but I’ve never actually been able to go to a show. We didn’t care if it was just a rehearsal, we were just happy to go. We left early to get some coffee, a snack, and print out our tickets so we could head out on our way.

We pulled in to The Grove parking lot (3rd Level, space 437 to be exact) around 12:15ish. After parking and walking about a half mile to stand in line, we noticed a camera man and a girl walking with him. Found out they were actually from GSN – Game Show Network. They were interviewing people in line about GSN and what game shows we watch and what hosts we like. They were really cool. Mom and I took like 3 minutes trying to remember Donny Osmond’s name… duh! He was the host of Pyramid, and we always liked watching that.

We stood around texting and talking, and about 12:40pm I see this really nice GTO (I believe that’s what it was) pull out of the  CBS parking lot and kind of stop right in front of us. I looked up and saw the guy trying to pull out into traffic. I was admiring his car and also noticing that he was talking on his little hands-free device, and thought “wow, that guy looks familiar”. I finally realized it was actually Tom Bergeron, host of Dancing with the Stars. So, first of all, he drives a really nice car. Secondly, he follows the law, because he was using his little hands-free device. Lastly, the guy is just cool. That was neat seeing him. I’ve been to a taping of DWTS, and Tom is just hilarious.

About 1:00pm, a lady named April came by and started counting up everyone. We got numbers 32 and 33. When we first drove by before parking, there were only about 10 people in line, so 20 more showed up by the time we parked and walked, but it was okay. We felt confident that we’d get in.

We all got in a single-file line with our driver’s licenses out, ready for security. Went by the first guy that checked our licenses as if they were passports and we’re trying to board a plane. I understand being safe, but it’s a TV taping, people… Do you really have to make sure every hair on our head is exactly the same as our photo? My hair has grown about 6 inches, haven’t put blonde streaks in it for a long time, and my bangs were cut… Thankfully I still got in.

We walked down a ways to get to the second set of security. Funny enough, they let us bring in our snacks and water bottle for the time being. Other things I’ve gone to they make us throw away our stuff right as we go through security. So we see this cool guy who’s kind of playing the part of a California Cowboy: he’s got the boots goin on, the belt, the huge belt buckle, then he’s got shades on and a gray Ivy hat on (if you don’t know what that is, google it, you’ll know it).

So we go through security, let them steal our phones, and sit for a bit while we see girls swarm to the bathrooms before the show. I never realize how addicted I am to my cell phone until I have to give it up or I forget it as I leave the house. It’s like forgetting to put clothes on or missing your arm. Soon after that we were able to go in. The studio is super small; they definitely make it seem larger on TV. If you’re there on a Thursday night, you really are in for a great treat because there is NO bad seat in the house and you are seriously THIS CLOSE to the performers. That place is tiny. It’s like having a concert in your bathroom… Okay the stage is bigger than that, but you get my drift.

We got the fortunate pleasure of getting to sit where the family usually sits during the LIVE shows. We were in the second row to the right. You can actually see us in a couple of the recaps for the evening (show on 3/10/10). We sat for a while just chilling and relaxing, listening to the stage manager from time to time. Eventually the guys showed up in the Red Room upstairs and people waved and screamed at them. A few of them waved as they passed by and sat down on those really cool-looking sofas. We got to sit like 3 feet away from Ricky Minor, and that was cool. He was messing around on the instruments, so that was a lot of fun. I grew up with my brother being in several bands, or just jamming with his friends; we used to have a Jam Room in our house even with drums and different instruments, so it was cool sitting right there.

Okay, so now to some more cool stuff. Both Lee and Tim had to make sure their standing mics were the right height for them, so they walked down the stairs for a quick sec to check that out, then they headed back upstairs. It’s funny because a lot of people go to these shows and get crazy and “oh my gosh!!” and for me, it’s just the opposite. It just further reminds me that these are just normal, everyday people, just like you and me; however, they get to be on TV every week. So for me, it’s just a fun experience and fun to get to go and be a part of it.

So the one and only Mr. Ryan Seacrest showed up and that was cool. I actually haven’t seen him in person since he hosted his own TV show way back in the day. My mom and I went to it when Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken were actually promoting their summer tour and they came on the show and also did a mini concert outside in the middle of The Kodak Theater. Ryan is probably my brother’s height which is about 5’8ish. Super cool guy and really nice. The girls also came out and sat next to us, well about 2 feet away in their normal seating. Ryan talked to them a little bit and then went around just saying Hi to everyone. He even squatted down right in front of our section to say hello. That was cool of him. He was completely chill and relaxed and just messing around the entire time.

Okay, all the guys finally came downstairs and stood in a line. The only bad part of sitting where we were was that we pretty much stared at behinds the whole time. I know, I know, some of you are thinking “Yeah, but Lee’s HOT and so is Casey and…” blah blah blah. Sorry, to disappoint you, but I like staring at faces… haha All the guys were wearing jeans though, I did notice that.

After practicing the opener, the guys jammed back up stairs and came down one by one for their turn to sing. Here was the order:

1.       Lee – “Fireflies” by Owl City
I got a lot of tweets asking me to see how he looks in person, is he just as cute, yada yada yada. Okay, this guy is the spitting image of Jeremy Camp. If you don’t know who he is, look him up, and you will see Lee. He wasn’t playing to the audience, really didn’t talk much, he was just kind of in the “zone”. He fiddled with mic stand a bit here and there, and when it was his turn to sing, he was on it. He sounded really great LIVE, better than TV. I was really impressed actually… I think the guy is cool and has a great-sounding voice, but I’m not like crazy over him, ya know? I had a clear favorite last year, since auditions. Anyone who knows me or knows “how” they followed me knows who that person is. But he just came out of the gate running and never missed a beat. I’m missing that feeling this year. No one has really “wowed” me yet, but at least for Lee, he was very very good and his voice is very strong. I really liked his song choice actually, even though it’s not the typical “rock” song that people may expect him to do. I thought his voice sounded great on this song, so I hope he keeps it up for the real show.

2.       Alex – “Trouble” by Ray LaMontagne
You can tell just by the way Alex walks that he’s like a nervous guy; not very confident, not very self-assured, but I really don’t care, I love him. He’s like that guy in high school that’s really not comfortable being around people, but once you get to know him, you’re like “how could people think you’re crazy? You’re awesome!” Yeah, he’s like that guy. Okay, so I don’t know him personally, but that’s what I’d assume he’d be. I loved this song for him; it was perfect. He has the right vibrato for it, the right sound, the right everything, just no confidence. I think if he got some confidence, he’d have no problem getting that record deal.

3.       Tim – “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
I don’t care if this guy is an underdog, he’s amazing. I heard he was singing this and it reverted my brain back to when Jason Castro sang this in Season 7. It was simple, straight to the point, him just singing the song. That’s what Tim did. The lights went down, and it was just him and his guitar. How can someone not like this kid? He’s got a grin that goes on for miles, he really shouldn’t have been here in the first place, but he got handed a huge blessing, and here he is. People like him. If you didn’t like his version of the song, you’re crazy. There was only one note I didn’t quite care for when he was singing it, so I’m hoping he changes that up a bit when he sings for the LIVE performance, but other than that, this guy is going somewhere.

4.       Andrew – “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera
Okay, Mr. Hype. Not only was I getting tweets about Lee, I was getting tweets about Andrew. If I was a judge on stage right now, I’d probably get booed. I loved Andrew in Hollywood week; he was one of the very few that really stood out to me. Loved his “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul, loved his sound, he was amazing. I really like that he enjoys taking primarily female songs and making them his own, but whenever a guy sings a girl’s song, of course it’s going to sound different, cuz it’s a male voice on it. I’d be impressed if he chose a very famous guy’s song and did his own take on it. Taking a female song, to me, is a cop out, and to do it every week. Lee did “Fireflies”…. Why can’t Andrew take on something like that? Now, I know he’s trying, and you can see it, but there’s already like an arrogance about him that I felt just sitting there in the audience, and I got to tell you, I’m not digging it. These people haven’t “made it” yet. They’re on American Idol, yes a big platform, but they aren’t music stars yet, so my advice would be to hold down your conceit and just sing, cuz you still need people to like you. With all of that said, I did like the ending of the song when he finally started to sing the “I’m a genie in a bottle, baby” and all of that. I thought that sounded really good, but even hearing him LIVE, I wasn’t feeling it. There, boo me.

5.       Casey – “You’ll Think of Me” by Keith Urban
Oh wow… Casey Casey Casey. Everyone is lovin on Casey. Everyone thinks Casey is the best thing since sliced bread. He’s so gorgeous. Look at his long hair. Everyone get on the Casey train. ~Please read all of that with my sincerest sarcasm. Okay, people rarely ever talk about his singing ability, they just talk about his “hunkness” and that’s all I hear. So let’s start with that. He’s not a bad looking guy. He’s super skinny. He’s super tall. He looks really good in blue. But I’m not a fan of long hair on guys. If it takes them longer or the same amount of time it takes for me to do my hair, then it’s a no. Now we’ll move on to what’s important; the singing. I think this could possibly be the absolute best song he’s ever chosen. Again, not a rock kind of song, just a very simple, lovely, country song. I can see the judges having a little bit of an issue with this just because it seems really safe, but I was actually really happy to hear him sing just your basic country song. It worked well with his vibrato that seems to just resound in the studio and then I feel like it’s just a vibrato that I’m hearing for 1½ minutes instead of a song. I heard a lot less of that this time, so I was happy. He does seem like a really nice guy in person and had a great smile and seemed friendly, and him and Lee were upstairs almost the whole time just looking over the couches and waving, so there’s some fun to him. Not completely sold on him, but I really liked the song he chose. One thing that happened at the LIVE show that was cool is he told the MC that he great aunt and great uncle were there at the show and that his mom flew out last week to see him and flew in Tuesday night to be at the Wednesday show, and they switched it up last week and put the guys on Tuesday night, so she actually flew in and he had already performed! She was very sad! But she will return next week to watch him on the show!

6.       Aaron – “Already There” by Lonestar
Okay, so when Lonestar first became popular in country music, they were my absolute favorite band. They were great, loved their music, and loved them. Now, I’ve always had a soft spot for Aaron since his audition. He’s such a sweet kid, had it a little hard growing up, but didn’t let that stop him, and he seems really genuine. He’s like Season 9’s version of David Archuleta; just a good, sweet kid. He has such a strong voice, and a strong country voice, at such a young age. My mom and I were watching him while he was hanging upstairs and when he finally came down she leaned over and said “I finally figured out who he reminds me of”. I was looking at him and I’m thinking to myself, he doesn’t look like anyone I know, but then she leaned back and said “He’s like a young George Strait.” My mom was totally right. He has this grin that lights up a room and makes you want to watch what he’s about to do. Now I know a lot of you aren’t completely sold on this kid, but watching him LIVE, he brings you into his world and his emotion, much like what Archie could do. You just felt like you were there and you knew where he was coming from. He sang the first part of the song and then was stopped by the stage manager because they were having technical difficulties, but as he started to sing the song again, you could hear he had more confidence and started even stronger. That was great for him. I loved his song choice, I loved the way he performed it, and I loved his innocence when he was all done and just looked at everyone and smiled. The girls were kind of teasing him about the way he was standing and moving cuz he’s little and thin and any slight movement, he looks like he’s swaying like way too much, but he’s just adorable and I just didn’t care. He thought it was funny they were teasing him, and I think that’s a good way to think about things. Know that it’s a competition and you need to do your best, but at the same time, don’t let things get to you. Life is already hard enough, and then you’re throwing American Idol on top of it. But I think he did great, so I’m really hoping he makes it through.

7.       Todrick – “Somebody to Love” by Queen
Ummmmmm… Well… Okay, lets start off with something positive. The band sounded great! Wow! What you couldn’t see on TV was that his jeans actually had faces on them; that was pretty cool. I’m not gonna lie, I think is voice sounded pretty good… but the thing that bugs me about Todrick is that his performance is so overboard and so Broadway that I almost have to laugh, and I hate laughing at singers because they really are trying hard and trying to do their best, but at the same time, you have to know how something looks. It didn’t look pretty. It was almost kind of sad because during rehearsals, he bent down on one side of the stage and continued singing, and the people just weren’t feeling it. They weren’t clapping. They were smiling. They looked like they were in a dentist’s chair getting their teeth drilled. That’s how you can tell a performance really isn’t from the heart and just put on because you’re kneeling down by people who aren’t even enjoying hearing you. It’s all just an act, and that’s fine if you’re on Broadway; it’s not fine if you are trying to gain fans and get votes; now you just look silly. I don’t think he sang it bad, I just thought it was a bit laughable.

8.       Big Mike – “This Woman’s Work” by Maxwell
Yea! On to Big Mike! This guy is like a huge Teddy Bear. His smile also lights up the room; you just feel his presence as soon as he walks in. He was really the only contestant who waved at the crowd and said “how’s it goin?” and he turned around and looked at us and was flashing the peace sign and making everyone feel good. We loved it. They were getting ready to have him start, with Ryan messing around once again in the background, and Big Mike and Tim were joking around. Tim was upstairs looking over the railing doing some kind of weird sound, and Big Mike did it back to him. Then suddenly Big Mike started to softly sing “Uh huh….” I and a lady next to me gasped and covered our mouths because we knew what song he was going to sing. We looked at each other and started laughing. I told her I loved this guy, but singing a Maxwell song is really hard, so I was hoping he could pull it off! She was a big fan too so we were both keeping our fingers crossed for him. Ryan started to joke around that he hears the American Idol theme song in his sleep and wakes up to it. He was making people laugh, but then we all got serious for Big Mike. The lights dimmed, the music started, and then he opened his mouth. This guy is brilliant. He knows his voice. He knows what songs are best suited for his voice. He made the best decision on the right night. It was unbelievable. If he makes the tour, which he will, I’m hoping this song is a part of his set list.

So there you have it. The girls left. The guys left. Then the coordinator came over to us and told us we could leave. We knew we could get in the standby line outside to see if we could get into the LIVE show, so we stood right by the coordinator because some girls were trying to shove their way through. I grabbed my mom’s jacket and held on tight because we didn’t want to get trampled over. Mom ran over to April (the lady from before) and was first in the standby line. YES! I had to stop to get my phone from security then ran down the little hill. April was laughing at me cuz she said we still had like an hour to wait. Dad stayed home today and we were planning on leaving after the show, but really, when do you get a chance like this? Plus we were first, so no harm in waiting. Glad I got my phone too because we were able to make calls and catch people up on what was going on. We chatted with April about Starbucks for almost 20 minutes because all 3 of us wanted coffee really bad. A guy, probably a PA, walked by with some and it was all downhill from there. We all had “attack” in our eyes, so thankfully he walked away quickly. I also asked her about how she got her job and how it all worked. We had a great conversation about that, so I’m glad we were in front. Gives me a little more insight into the whole process of television production.

April told us that they usually can fit in about 10 standby people, and at the most they were able to take in 20 one time, but she wasn’t sure this time. We heard 14 people from her walkie talkie, and she did a head count. She took us in and the 2 girls behind us and everyone else waited. Before I reached security I got a tweet from someone still in the standby line saying they were number 16 and hoped to get in! Wow how people find you fast! Tossed my phone back to the security guard and got our seats, across from Simon, about 10 feet away. Our heads would be to the cameras the whole time, except a few shots where you see us from the front.

We kind of felt like Simon was staring at us the whole time. He likes to stare at the audience while he listens to the singing. Its weird but cool at the same time. The MC picked on me several times. He asked everyone if they were excited to be LIVE on TV and I was the only one that clapped. I felt like a dork, and he totally called me out on it! He asked me my name, what I do, where I’m from, what I’m taking in school, and if I was excited to be there. Every once in a while he would chat back and forth with other people sitting actually near the stage and eventually gave some guy named Jake a brand new AT&T phone. Where mine was, I have no clue.

I thought a couple of the guys were better in the rehearsal than the LIVE show. I was happy to see Simon stand up for Aaron because you can’t toss out every song just cuz he’s a kid. But I thought he was very mature in his answer that he was trying to tell the story of the song, not try to act like he lived that song, he was just the narrator. What a smart answer; loved him for that. But I got to say, Big Mike made me a bit teary-eyed. I could feel his passion and emotion for that song, his wife was there, it was just right. And the funny part was that even though Kara said she was crying, and she sounded like she was crying, there were actually no tears. So that was a bit odd.

All in all, it was a great day. We had great seats both times. We saw ourselves on TV a few times. I have a much bigger appreciation for many of the guys. Lacey is super duper skinny in person. Simon is awesome. Ryan is a nut and I love him. Big Mike and Aaron are starting to be my frontrunners this season. And both mom and I were saying this was probably the best experience we’ve ever had seeing a TV taping. It was relaxing, we had a great time, and it was just a lot of fun. The worst part of the night was walking out and having my feet kill me. It was windy and kind of cold, but I didn’t care. I took off my shoes and walked all the way back to our parking structure barefoot on the cold Los Angeles ground. I realized when I got home that I actually had a blister on my heel and it was cut. Thank you shoes. It was so very painful, I can’t even describe it. Thank God I’m a country girl at heart and couldn’t care less if I was walking barefoot. I was just glad to be out of those shoe.

Good luck to the guys and girls! This might actually be a season worth watching now that I’ve seen them LIVE.