Concert review | "Idol" Top 10 give fans a fun, fresh show

Concert Review |

If the number of earsplitting screams and shrieks erupting from every mention of his name or glimpse of his face on the JumboTron was any indication, glam rocker Adam Lambert was the superstar of the "American Idols Live!" 2009 summer tour's concert Tuesday night at the Tacoma Dome.

But the rapturous response to Lambert, runner-up in this year's version of the guilty-pleasure TV talent marathon "American Idol," did not convey the whole story of a show that's better paced, better designed, better backed up and, overall, better sung than last year's Idol blowout in Tacoma.

Kris Allen, the winner of the 2009 "Idol" crown, also got plenty of well-deserved love from the crowd of roughly 10,000 — which brought folks from every age group.

No matter how much the crowd loved them, there's no way of knowing at this point where Allen, Lambert or any of these ebullient young singers will end up after time discos on, and the next crew of "Idol" finalists take their places. Yet despite the sabotage of a terribly sludgy sound mix (ranging from the abysmal to the semi-tolerable), the show was a lot of fun.

Fortunately, in this second stop on the nationwide tour (which opened Sunday night in Portland), the excited performers made up in puppyish enthusiasm and smart, often contemporary song choices what they lost in sonic coherence. They also confirmed that the highly partisan "Idol" voters largely got the Top 10 ranking right.

As per usual, the individual sets (with several group numbers spliced in) unfolded in the order of who got booted off the TV contest first.

Likable No. 10 contestant Michael Sarver opened with passable renditions of Gavin DeGraw's hit, "I Just Want a Girl" and (somewhat surprisingly) Ne-Yo's "Closer." And the former Jasper, Texas, working stiff set two precedents carried on by his cohorts. He yelled out "Whazzup, Tacoma?" And he seemed amazed and thrilled to be playing for 10,000 cheering people in a stadium.

Next up was Megan Joy, whose on-screen quirkiness has been glammed up for the stage via lots of makeup, cascading blond tresses a la Jessica Simpson and a tight fuchsia mini-dress. Sex-kitten look aside, she worked the stage awkwardly in matching high-heel boots, with forgettable copycat versions of Corinne Bailey Rae and Amy Winehouse tunes.

A poised, good-natured Scott MacIntyre nudged the energy up a half-notch with some rollicking piano on Keane's "Bend and Break," a sincere take on Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles," and some wry jokes about, well, his blindness.

But it took a shot of dynamism from dolled-up Lil Rounds and a bit of heartthrob swoonery from Anoop Desai to get the joint jumpin'.

Rounds' raw, belting vocal talent comes through much more in her live renditions of neo-soul hits by Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige than her pinched TV turns. And her future may well lie in such infectious dance anthems as Beyoncé's "Single Ladies," which she dispatched with gusto as the words flashed karaoke-style behind her.

That set the table for preppy crooner Desai. In a double-breasted, velvet-collared blazer and jeans, he made hearts throb with Willie Nelson's "You Were Always On My Mind," sustaining notes and delivering the heartfelt lyric like a seasoned pro. And props to anyone who can make Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" sound both racy and wholesome.

Then, one of the nicest surprises: piano man Matt Giraud's set. Opening with a brave, sizzling cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle," Giraud came on like a young, jazzier Jerry Lee Lewis, then followed up with a "Georgia" rich in bluesy keyboard stylings — and devoid of the pitchiness and vocal overkill of Giraud's TV turns. All that singing obviously paid off for the guy, who exhibited an ease onstage few of his comrades matched.

Still finding her sea legs in that respect is Allison Iraheta, No. 4 in the competition, and the first up after intermission. Put your bet on this blazing 17-year-old rock wunderkind as one of the most likely to succeed in the group. Garbed in black leather and spandex, her copper-toned hair flying, Iraheta worked her brass lungs and blues chops to ace Janis Joplin's "Cry"; she had the sass for Pink's "So What"; and she ripped right into Heart's "Barracuda." With the right material of her own, Iraheta could be the Joan Jett or Chrissy Hynde of her generation.

Danny Gokey, the husky-voiced second runner-up who's inspired both ardor and disdain among "Idol" watchers, kept people on their feet and dancing. Sporting yet another pair of cool designer specs, he paid worthy homage to Michael Jackson with a blazing version of "PYT (Pretty Young Thing)." And he showed off his salsa flair on Santana's "Maria, Maria" and his soul-country credentials on Rascal Flatt's "What Hurts the Most."

Ah, if only Gokey had left it there instead of ending the set with a "follow your dreams" sermon and the saccharin power-ballad, "My Wish." It's Soul Man Gokey versus Preacher Gokey.

The much-anticipated Lambert set began with the aptly titled "Whole Lotta Love" and moved on to Muse's "Starlight," then the haunting Tears for Fears ballad "Mad World" and a David Bowie medley that drove the Adam-worshippers to even louder screams of passion.

It's not overstating the case to suggest that Lambert really does have the makings of a revivalist, glam-metal rock avatar. The whisper-to-a-scream voice, the pouty sexiness, the elaborate makeup and Lizard King costuming, the androgynous sex appeal — it's all there, just like on the tube, but with wildly pulsating video and more smoke.

By the end of his set, though, Lambert's shtick felt a bit too predictable in its conscious excessiveness. And though no entertainer in their right mind would want to follow his act, the casually attired (plaid shirt, jeans) Allen did so with amazing grace.

Even in a venue that might easily dwarf his more intimate musical approach, Allen rocked the hall with his passionate, "Idol"-winning take on Kanye West's "Heartless," wisely expanded live to include the show's excellent backup band. (Special props to Tim Stewart, a guitarist who can sound like Jimmy Page one minute, Santana the next.)

Yes, he had to perform that tuneless "No Boundaries" ode — another icky "Idol" coronation number.

But he survived that. And he demonstrated a musical creativity and versatility unique among his "Idol" peers, by singing a magnetic "Ain't No Sunshine" at the piano, strapping on an electric guitar for a lively romp through Matchbox Twenty's "Bright Lights," and closing with a brilliant singalong choice: "Hey Jude."

It was followed by the best of the show's ensemble numbers, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin,' " in a finale that left an exhausted but cheering crowd satisfied.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com