VIDEO: Hanging with the Idols at tour rehearsal
In two weeks, the Top 10 contestants of Season 8 of “American Idol” will climb aboard buses for the final rite of an Idol’s passage: the 50-city concert tour set to kick off in Portland, Ore., on July 5. For the Idols, the tour represents not only a chance to play rock star before packed arenas, but the biggest paydays of their young careers, with checks reportedly over $100,000 coming their way for the four months of labor.
But before the road, there are songs to arrange, dance moves to choreograph, wardrobes to fit, and a few last moments of peace before the storm begins anew.
Last week, a giddy first-day-of-school feeling reigned over lunch at the “Idols’” Burbank rehearsal space, where the 10 convened for their first group rehearsal. Over beef kabobs and chocolate cake, which they enjoyed on Formica tabletops in a fluorescent-lit break room, the mood was cheerful and hyper as this year’s winner, Kris Allen, along with Megan Joy, Matt Giraud, Michael Sarver, Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds chatted, breaking sporadically into Journey’s ubiquitous “Don’t Stop Believing.”
Since these are twentysomethings, one topic of conversation kept coming up: Can one resist the call of Twitter?
Anoop, Matt and Michael are all committed tweeters. Lil, Megan and Kris have thus far held out. Matt told Anoop that he knew they would be friends when he saw Anoop had an iPhone. This year has marked the first year in which, thanks to Twitter, the “Idol” contestants have been able to speak directly to their public. That, however, has presented some challenges.
“I tweeted that I was at Disneyland,” Matt said about a trip a week earlier, “and when I came outside there were six people waiting for me.”
Michael learned his lesson about tweeting a little too soon on his restaurant choices when, several minutes after posting, the restaurant he was dining at was invaded by fans. “Now I wait until I’m leaving,” he said.
For Megan, the pressures of the Twitter revolution and generally developing her online presence loom as nothing but a headache. “I got meganjoy.org,” she said, “But I haven’t done anything with it. I really hate the online stuff. If I Twittered, I am such a perfectionist, I would need to do it all the time.”
Another question put to the table elicited a chorus of groans: What is the dumbest thing you get asked by the media?
“Did America get it right?” murmured Anoop to nods of agreement.
"I think I've been asked the same questions so many times," said Matt Giraud, I don't remember how I felt in the first place."
“What are you going to do after the tour?” Anoop again offered. “They expect you to have your whole career planned already.”
“How did you feel when ...,” said Lil Rounds.
“...when you were voted off,” said others, finishing the thought.
“When Simon called you ...”
Lunch over, they were soon shepherded into rehearsal, where the giggles continued during a run-through of the tour’s finale: Journey’s classic power ballad, which the group sang while being put through their paces by a choreographer and a voice coach.
During one pause, Danny Gokey broke into an impromptu rap, “You know if I’m on my iPhone, I am Matt Giraud.” Matt, using the lull to text or Twitter, glanced up and laughed.
They reached the last lines of the Journey song, when it transitioned into “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,” and then back again to “Don’t Stop Believing’s” final crescendo. Despite the giggles and the jokes, the group delivered the concluding harmony with force, fists raised in the air.
As the rest teased Matt about the weak angle of his extended arm, the perfectionist Adam Lambert stepped forward to confer with the vocal coach. “That transition to ‘nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey,” felt sloppy to me,” he said.
The others, however, revved up for the final leg of their “Idol” journey, seemed to be thinking of little but jumping on that midnight train going — as the song says — anywhere.
VIDEO: After hearing from the Idols about the dumb questions they are asked by the media, we asked them to step up to the plate, take the mike and interview each other. Kris and Adam started it off above. Check out the rest below.
-- Richard Rushfield videos by Richard Rushfield
Why is your article so short?
But thanks Richard for that GREAT idea of letting the idols handle the interviewing. It was great to see them being silly & candid with each other.
Posted by: Arca | June 24, 2009 at 06:54 PM
I think you're missing the Kris interviews Adam video.
Posted by: kelsey | June 24, 2009 at 07:42 PM
Omigod, those videos are absolutely MADE OF WIN! The kids are just so hilarious together. I would seriously pay money to see Adam and Kris interview each other every day! Thanks for getting us the inside scoop Richard!
Posted by: Mel | June 24, 2009 at 07:58 PM
Kris and Adam are too funny. I watched their videos numerous times. I want to go to the spa with Adam and Katy.
Posted by: sidewalkstory | June 25, 2009 at 07:24 AM
Not enough Adam in the article, dammit!
Posted by: Nancy | June 25, 2009 at 09:18 AM
The interviews between Anoop and Matt are awesome. lol. Now I know why Anoop wants Louis Vuitton sunglasses.
Posted by: Lia | June 25, 2009 at 02:45 PM
Kris and Adam's friendship is so endearing. What a great example these two have set - accepting each other's differences and enjoying their friendship immensely. I wish everyone could learn by their example; that it doesn't matter what faith you believe in, or what orientation you were born with, or what differences you may have - what matters in life is finding common ground and acceptance. Bravo guys!!
Posted by: glenda | June 25, 2009 at 10:11 PM
Cool article, good to see all the idols getting coverage. These is a really awesome group. Loved the interviews especially the one where Kris interviews Allison.
Posted by: jackson | July 01, 2009 at 09:30 AM