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American Idols Coming to Atlantic City

Despite the cancellation of some tour dates, the Atlantic City American Idols Live! show at the Taj Mahal is still on

By Lori Hoffman
Add Comment Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jul. 7, 2010

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American Idol winner Lee DeWyse.

In 2009, the American Idols Tour, top-lined by winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert, played at Boardwalk Hall, a 12,000-seat venue. This year, the show is taking place at the much smaller Mark G. Etess Arena at the Trump Taj Mahal this Saturday.

It was announced last week that some of the Idol Tour dates have been cancelled, including shows in Toronto and Buffalo. They just weren’t selling enough tickets. This seems to prove that the declining ratings this past season were based on the perception that the Idol contestants beyond the top two, Lee DeWyse and Crystal Bowersox, were not as strong vocally as previous years. It was the voters who determined that Tim Urban would be on the tour rather than the more worthy Lilly Scott.

The reviews so far for the tour have been mixed. Most reviewers have liked DeWyse and Bowersox vocally, but aren’t sure they has enough star power. Adam Graham of the Detroit News noted that, “What was missing from the show was the same thing that was missing from the season: A blockbuster, knock-your-socks-off performer. Idol had one in 2009 with Adam Lambert, an over-the-top house-on-fire with a voice that could rattle the rafters and a sensational sense of style to match. This year’s performers, especially top two contestants Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox, couldn’t compare, and the show — just like the season’s ratings — suffered."

Bowersox might not have Lambert’s stage presence, but she does have a great voice and was the first contestant to have a self-penned song (“Holy Toledo”) played on an episode of American Idol.

In a pre-tour interview with Yahoo.com, Bowersox admitted that Idol fans probably misunderstood her. “I think I was misread the whole time. My whole family is this way. We’re really mellow and when something great happens, we just smile on the inside — all right, cool. The joy is there. We just don’t jump and scream.”

In a recent interview with USA Today, DeWyze talked about the difference between being a contestant and a performer. “I’m emotionally driven when I get up there, always. My music comes from my emotion, always. When I let that out — in a way that I couldn’t, necessarily, on Idol, because you’re given only so much time, and in that little time you want to make an impact — a lot of what I do is just emotion, getting into the music with the band, feeding off the audience. It’s a different ballgame now.”

American Idols Live!
When: Saturday, July 10, 7:30pm
Where: Trump Taj Mahal Mark G. Etess Arena
How much: $76.50, $96.50

Here is a pre-Idol video by Crystal Bowersox of "Piece of My Heart."

Did you see the show? Leave a comment below!

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