Idols Live! brings Cook, Johns, KLC to faithful fans

Bill Olive: For the Chronicle
David Cook performs Sunday night in Houston.


There were no especially revelatory moments or unexpected breakouts during Sunday's American Idols Live! (punctuation included) tour stop at Toyota Center.

Jason Castro is still a bemused goof. Brooke White is all sunshine and smiles. Michael Johns and Carly Smithson were eliminated much too early. David Archuleta is, well, gosh ...

The group finale number -- Rihanna's Don't Stop the Music -- was cheesy fun. And David Cook is still the much-deserved champ.

But there were small surprises during the fun, frisky three-hour show, which has been nicely streamlined since the first few clunky outings. Each singer, counted down 10-1, got a mini-set of tunes to show their stuff.

Chikezie and impossibly cute Ramiele Malubay -- remember them? -- were engaging and unhampered by the nerves that marred their TV performances. Third-place finisher Syesha Mercado managed a bubbly sexuality, even as she struggled with notes. And Kristy Lee Cook is just bland enough to -- mark my words -- become a country superstar. (Plus, God Bless the USA still works like a calculated charm.)

Teams Cook and Archuleta were well-repped via homemade signs and T-shirts. But there was also a lot of Lone Star love for Castro -- and a pair of girls wielding an "I miss Jordin" sign.

Cook's closing set was further proof that he has the raw talent to become a post-Idol rock star. His gravelly voice was layered with emotion during searing takes on Lionel Richie's Hello, Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing and a fantastic Billie Jean.

"This is very poetic," the Houston-born Cook said as looked around the arena of cheering fans.

"I left here I'm 1983, and this is my first trip back. It's a nice way to come back."

His heartfelt Time of My Life is the best coronation song since Fantasia's season-three I Believe. Both work because the singer transcends the hokey nature of the lyrics and makes them relatable and real.

Cook dedicated the Foo Fighters' My Hero to his brother Adam, and it was a punchy, powerful moment. If he can bring that same epic quality to his upcoming album, Daughtry is in for some serious competition.

Archuleta charmed the young girls, but he's taken to replacing a real musical identity with vocal showboating. He stretched out notes throughout his tunes, most notably during Josh Groban's interminable When You Say You Love Me and Robbie Williams Angels. His take veered too far from the lovely original, which soars on a simple vocal arrangement.

His Stand By Me/Beautiful Girls mashup was cute, and Archuleta does have a lovely voice. But he was awkward between songs, breaking up almost every spoken sentence with a high-pitched "woooh!"

And though it was likely due to contract and fairness issues, it was a shame Archie didn't get to sing Crush, his first official single, currently at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It would have been nice to hear him behind something modern instead of making like a mini-Clay Aiken.

Mercado earned big applause after tackling demanding tunes from Alicia Keys (If I Ain't Got You) and Beyoncé (Listen). But she fell far short of the originals. She looked great, though, and fared better with Rihanna's slinky Umbrella (ella-ella).

Castro's sharp set was a reminder of what made his so charming during the first few weeks of Idol competition. He plucked his ukulele during Somewhere Over the Rainbow and energized the crowd with a terrific take on Gnarls Barkley's oft-covered Crazy.

"When you haven't been here in a few months, you don't get a lot of sleep when you have a lot of friends in Texas," Castro, a former Texas A&M student, said behind a sly smile.

White thankfully didn't flub any words during her trio of tunes. Her biggest mistake was an ill-fitting take on Feist's 1234. But she made up for it with a lovely Let it Be and a luminous version of Coldplay's Yellow.

Smithson's zippy song choices (Evanescence's Bring Me to Life, Heart's Crazy on You, Cyndi Lauper's I Drove all Night) were good matches for her rock-belter vibe. She tempers her slight edge with a sweetness that works well onstage. With a bit more confidence, she could still make the great record that has eluded her for so long.

Johns' soaring, soulful voice should have given him at least a top-3 finish. (Sorry, Syesha.) There was a clear surge in energy when he took the stage for a smart set that included We Are the Champions, Dolly Parton's It's All Wrong but it's All Right and Dream On.

Like Cook (and, to a lesser extent, KLC), Johns possesses a keen sense of self that, with the right songs, could translate into real-world success.

Review of Houston Concert

"Daughtry is in for some serious competition" - HE GOT THAT RIGHT!!

Love the article - thank you for posting this.

Wow. Thank you mujerfeliz for posting that. It's a great review. And it jives with my experience at Staples in LA. Mr. Bill Olive is one reviewer who seemed to have been at the same concert as everyone else LOL! Take that Miami guy!! Things can turn around so quickly in Cookie-land. Nice when someone puts us on a high!

I'm so happy that Scott is now happy. Wonder why that is....

This is a really well-written and thoughtful review, thanks for posting!

GREAT review! Thanks for bringing that over.



This reviewer could've been lurking on David DASH Cook.org. He used everyone's favourite word on here: EPIC!!

I feel like this guy and I really did see the same concert even though we were in different cities. I loved that review.

Jeannine

I do love reading a glowing review to help counter some of the rubbish reviews such as that Miami guy. Further proof that not all men are subhuman scum incapable of recognizing real talent when it's staring them right in the face. Yay! We're not all scum.

LOL! kisses and hugs.

I just got through read this. Very interesting and great at the same time. It was very interesting what he said about Kristy. Believe it or not, her single isn't doing too badly. He totally gets Cookie.

thanks for this article! DC and CD... both great!!!

Got that right! I'm on a high right now after reading this!!! Watch Out World! Here Comes Mr. Cook's SOLO Career!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!