Interesting BOI Article

Beavers On Idol
Beyond Idols
by Cindy Wagner (2004/10/08)
Having now seen four American Idol alumni headlining their own non-Idol concerts, I am pleased to report: It is not a competition. Not anymore.

Kimberley Locke
Kimberley Locke is the latest to venture out on her first solo tour. She hit Alexandria, Virginia's revered Birchmere Music Hall on a Monday night in early October. It was also very early in her tour, and she showed some signs of needing more preparation, fussing with the audio engineers during the show, glancing at her set list taped to the floor, and (most unforgivably) forgetting the names of her band members when she paused to introduce them.

Despite these stumbles, K-Lo was fetching, coquettish, and rock solid in her vocals. After her opening number Wrong, the current single off her album, she spotted one of her smitten admirers who came bearing a bouquet of two dozen white roses. (Hint to anyone wanting to be noticed in a dark concert hall: Wear a white shirt.) "I want them right now!" she demanded with an endearing twinkle. The love-struck fellow obliged and was rewarded with a generous smooch. (Another lucky gentleman, presenting red roses, was similarly rewarded later.)

With the theme of the night revolving around an ex-boyfriend and love affairs gone awry (as in You've Changed, the next single from her "One Love" album), it was inevitable that Kimberley would cover her own idol, Judy Garland, on The Man That Got Away. She definitely had the technical power to wrench the emotions out of the song, but for my money, a pretty 26-year-old with admirers showering her with roses can't convincingly conjure the underlying despair in that song.

K-Lo's fusion of R&B and pop power fit perfectly in the Birchmere's relaxed and intimate setting. She was more impressive, expressive, and persuasive on the numbers from her own album (I Could was a standout) than she was on the covers, which included a tribute to her favorite divas, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, and Chaka Khan.

She also included songs that paid tribute to her Idol experience, such as the beloved Over the Rainbow and Band of Gold, which she explained was what she sang while auditioning alongside Frenchie Davis. "I was scared to death!" she confided. But she made few other references to the Idol experience. When she said she planned to take her bouquets home with her the next day, fans in the audience pointed out that it was her new house. "You know my life!" she cried with mock dismay. "The price of fame!" She then thanked her fans for making that new house possible.

Ruben Studdard
Back in March, Ruben Studdard, too, found the perfect venue for his "Soulful" tour in his swing through Washington, D.C. - the historic Warner Theatre, recently renovated and a true gem. This is an urban niche, and Ruben's set had the feel of a joyous downtown gospel revival. Even the Friday-night audience came dressed for church and ready to receive a spiritual uplifting from the Velvet Teddy Bear.

Ruben responded by turning up the heat the moment the lights hit him. There is a special glow that separates the true stars from the glitter. There was no doubt of this performer's star power and command of the audience: We were in the Church of Ruben, and we believed. His set seamlessly, joyously, blended album support, idol tributes, spiritual inspirations, and, in between songs, an affection for his audience that just can't be faked. He sheepishly described his winner's anthem Flying Without Wings as "cheesy," but defended it proudly and performed it as an earnest thank-you to his adoring fans.

One advantage that Ruben had over Kimberley was the support of a band he'd been working with for much longer. This allowed him to relax and connect easily with the audience. (With dimples you could spot from Row R, that wasn't hard.)

Ruben's appearance in Washington came exactly one week after Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson stormed through another part of town, the huge MCI Center, for their co-headlining "Independent Tour"- clearly named to declare this pair's intention to move beyond American Idol, whatever its connotations.

Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson has become a true star in the beyond-Idol world, having succeeded in the realms of radio, music video, and movie soundtracks. In concert, she came completely prepared vocally, and she enthralled a packed arena with a presence that seemed bigger than life and yet familiar and approachable. She rocked the joint on Miss Independent, which could be the national anthem for Idol survivors. And even fans who were there to see Clay were mesmerized by Kelly's Beautiful Disaster, which she turned into a haunting torch song - a far different and infinitely more satisfying interpretation than the version on her album, "Thankful."

Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken isn't just the Idol class president - he is in a class all by himself. Though I love all four, Clay deserves special recognition not just because of his prowess as singer on a stage, but because of the qualities he brings to the world stage as human being: an unremitting positive spirit and fierce conviction that everyone should be treated fairly.

On the Washington stop early in the Independent Tour, Clay was battling a sore throat that prevented him from speaking with fans during the meet-and-greet before the show. And yet earlier in the day he had gone to Capitol Hill to press for support for one of his many youth initiatives.

Did this illness and extra exertion affect his performance? Sure it did. He tripped on a step as he popped on stage during his entrance with Kyrie. His voice cracked disastrously on the acoustic introduction to When Doves Cry. But in both cases, he laughed at himself and moved on, endearing himself further to an audience already enamored. By the time he got to what was the surprise sensation of the tour, the dance sequence for When Doves Cry, Clay had warmed up to a white-hot revelation.

Clay Aiken wouldn't let anything stop him from giving his whole heart and soul to the audience that wanted to see him, that had paid to see him, and that had voted for him a year earlier, thereby not just predicting his future success, but creating it.

He also showcased his band, his backup singers, and the not-yet-released album of Kimberley Locke, for which he recorded the duet Without You. After singing it with a backup singer, Quiana Parler, during the Independent Tour, Clay continued performing the song on his Summer tour, choosing audience members to sing with him. Each night that he paid tribute to his fellow Idol survivor, he demonstrated a graciousness that will stand him in good stead as he negotiates his way through a world of celebrity not known for nice manners. (K-Lo, I should note, never mentioned either Clay or Ruben, with whom she is performing in November in Atlantic City.)

Between his Spring and Summer tours, Clay returned to Washington, D.C., several times for non-tour events, such as the White House Correspondents' dinner. In May was the America's Promise to Our Youth gala, where Clay oversaw the distribution of several scholarships from his Bubel/Aiken Foundation in the company of Washington luminaries such as Hillary Rodham Clinton and Colin Powell. Here, Clay performed Measure of a Man as a solo and Bridge Over Troubled Water backed by the show choir of the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts. I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of Clay rehearsing with the talented Duke Ellington teens and was impressed with his rapport with them, chatting and giving each one attention and a handshake or hug. Crew members reported that he'd flubbed some lines of Bridge during the rehearsal, but no flaws showed during the performance.

Another stop in Washington was for the Independence Day celebration to be aired on Public Television. He arrived a day early and spent a hot afternoon at the pre-rehearsal rehearsal to work on the Star Spangled Banner, Measure of a Man, and God Bless the U.S.A. and to practice the brief scripted segue between the latter two songs. A small but loving group of fans were on hand to cheer him on, but Clay was focused strictly on preparing for what was clearly an important event for him. On his second run-through of Measure of a Man to let the engineers check sound levels, Clay hummed almost the entire song, sending chills over the sweltering audience. Washington fans could almost forgive him for not including the nation's capital on his Summer tour.

Summary
Kimberley, Kelly, Ruben, and Clay are all finding their own post-Idol niches, so they are no longer competing with each other. That said, I think Clay's niche may be larger and more complex than the others', as his ambitions and talents seem at this point uncontainable. Already there is a book, a Christmas album, and more television appearances in his immediate future, and more concerts in which to renew his love affair with live audiences.
For the long-term future, I feel safe forecasting success of varying degrees for these brightest of the Idol alumni. Maybe it's partly wishful thinking, but I could easily see Clay Aiken becoming a beloved American institution, idolized for a humanity that goes beyond Idol talent.
Till then, I'll see you in Charlotte.

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