Cool hair beats out singing

This reunion of Idol contestants left at least one fan ho-humming.

By SEAN DALY
Published July 8, 2007

TAMPA - They came for the goofy hair, the killer legs and the creepiest bald dome since Nosferatu roamed the night. They came to see the goth chick, the pretty-boy Timberfake and the 17-year-old champ with the megawatt smile. They came, alas, for the beat-boxing.

What's debatable, however, is how many of the 12, 420 fans at the St. Pete Times Forum Saturday actually came to the American Idols Live! concert for the singing. Those who wanted to hear good music no doubt left flatter than Sanjaya's high notes. But those who showed up simply for love of the No. 1 show - such as the shrieking Fanjayas and their thirst for wide-grinning mediocrity - had a better chance of going home somewhat satisfied.

With the exception of Lakisha Jones, who just about blew a hole in the arena roof with a jaw-dropping I Will Always Love You, the other Season Sixers who made this year's concert cut all sounded weaker in a live setting. This included R&B cutie Melinda Doolittle, who tore off a good but not great You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman, and show winner Jordin Sparks, who was incandescent on the small screen but lost a little star power live.

We'll give a bit of a pass to Blake Lewis, the beat-boxer who finished second to Sparks, who was hampered by horrific tech glitches, most notably during a cover of Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved. But the hip-hop fan generated tween shrieks nonetheless, mainly because he has really cool hair and killed with his robo-take on Bon Jovi's You Give Love a Bad Name.

This past season of American Idol was almost exclusively about silly gimmicks and accessories and the weakest of narrative threads. About talent? Not so much. Viewers were obsessed not with who was best but with who blew the worst. I'll be the first one to admit my favorite plot line was how short Haley Scarnato could hem her skirts before the FCC stepped in. But I watched every minute. I did.

Unfortunately, watching every minute of the live show was brutal. This was only the second night of the tour, and you could almost see such also-rans as Gina Glocksen and Chris Sligh counting off their clunky dance steps. The show had a sloppy, Amateur-Hour look and pace. And that energy-sucking intermission during the two-hour show didn't help, either.

Now I could be a real creep and focus only on the bad parts, like when all the men formed a "band, " playing instruments about as convincingly as the Monkees, and then performed Hey Jude, which was one of the worst things I've ever heard at the Forum.

But instead of being negative, I'll focus on what I enjoyed. For instance, Scarnato still can't sing a lick, but she showed magnetism (and a Wild West dominatrix getup) during Martina McBride's When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues. Smooth-pated military man Phil Stacey deserved and received robust applause for his Blaze of Glory. And it was kind of cute to hear the Tiger Beat screams for smirky Chris Richardson. I might have been the only one in the venue who wanted to see him fall off the stage. (Kidding, ladies. Just kidding.)

Although he's taken a ton of hits, Sanjaya Malakar is a legit showman, a crowd favorite who makes up for his inability to carry a tune with hammy gusto. With his hair slicked back, he had me singing along to his thrusty take on Michael Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel. The kid should head to Vegas. After all, Wayne Newton hasn't been able to sing for years, and he still rules.

But the best part? Whenever Lakisha was onstage. For Lady Marmadale, she sprawled cheekily on a long white couch. For a tribute to '60s R&B, she dueted with Doolittle, and the two brought grit and sass to a show desperate for it.

All season long I voted for (and crushed on) Sparks, who closed the show. And although her I (Who Have Nothing) was likable, and her signature A Broken Wing had oomph, the 17-year-old's career path will no doubt go through the Disney Channel rather than the Billboard charts. She just doesn't hold a concert stage. Sorry, but it's true. Alas, I voted for the wrong person. Forgive me, KiKi.

Sean Daly can be reached at sdaly@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8467. His Pop Life blog is at blogs.tampabay.com/popmusic.

[Last modified July 8, 2007, 00:46:39]