Idol singers bring home pop, pizazz

Hoop earrings, sparkly eye shadow and ponytails might as well have been mandatory at Friday night's "American Idols Live" concert at the Tacoma Dome.

For almost three full hours, more than 10,000 fans were on their feet, screaming — no, squealing — as the top 10 contestants from season six of "American Idol" crooned, shimmied and strutted like the newly anointed rock stars they are.

Judging only by the decibel level and pitch of the crowd's screams, most people present were girls age 11-14.

"Oh my God, he's perfect. The clothes, the singing, the beatboxing, the looks. Everything," said Tacoma's Ashley Linder, 14, about Blake Lewis, the 26-year-old runner-up Idol from Bothell. "And the 12-year age difference? I could deal with it."

In between sets, the crowd was invited to text-message to a digital message board on either side of the stage. "Marry me, Sanjaya!" pleaded one, referring to the area's other Idol, Sanjaya Malakar, 17, of Federal Way.

The entire show had a sweet, innocent air about it. The female contestants, not yet inured to the pelvic-thrusting sexiness sported by many mainstream pop stars, seemed almost self-conscious, as if performing in front of their collective fathers. Similarly, the male contestants seemed genuinely shocked by the hordes of girls who — sometimes with tears streaming down their faces — professed their undying love.

The concert was more than just idle worship: The 10 performers are quite talented vocalists.

While the entire affair felt like both a high-budget high-school talent show and a low-budget Super Bowl halftime show, a few of the performances — spanning both genre and era — were enough to knock you on your heels.

Melinda Doolittle, Haley Scarnato and Gina Glocksen performed a rousing rendition of "Lady Marmalade," all feathers and sequins and Doolittle's soulful Tina Turner-esque voice. LaKisha Jones was a dead ringer for one of The Supremes, and "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks brought home a classic ballad in her finale performance of "This is my Now."

In a three-minute solo, Lewis demonstrated "looping" — "It's when you beat-box, and then sing over it," he explained to the audience — that was both entertaining and unbelievable.

"How does he do that?" someone screamed from the back of the arena.

Kirkland dentist Tom Nelson rented a limousine for the occasion, treating his staff to a night on the town.

"He was Blake's dentist," explained Lisa Meyer, who went to school with Lewis at Inglemoor High School. "And now we have his picture up in the office. We're huge fans."

Bothell's Charlie Brister didn't fit the majority demographic, but claimed to be a "No. 1 Sanjaya fan."

"He's got such moxie," said Brister, 52, who came to the concert with his 22-year-old daughter. "He stood up to the most horrible things said to him, and every week he'd just come back with such aplomb."

Malakar, who was maligned by "Idol" fans during the season for his weak performances, certainly performed with aplomb. In one set, he rose like a phoenix out of a steaming hole at center stage to perform a Michael Jackson cover — skinny white pants, sneakers and all.

Later, he joked that "it takes more than a pretty voice to get to 'American Idol,' obviously."

The crowd went wild.

Haley Edwards: 206-464-2745 or hedwards@seattletimes.com