While a rock show thundered on the other side of downtown Friday night, pop music had its moment at "American Idols Live" in the BOK Center.
Fans packed the arena to cheer for their favorite singers from the top 10 finalists of America's most popular TV show's eighth season.
Winner and Arkansas homeboy Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert closed the show and drew the biggest cheers — but their sets could not have been more different.
Allen played stripped-down, soulful versions of pop and rock favorites, while Lambert played a sexed-up set of metal-infused, artsy glam rock.
Allen — sporting jeans and a plaid shirt — opted for a set that included Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," the Killers' "All These Things I've Done" and the Beatles' "Hey Jude."
Lambert, decked out in a spiked black leather jacket and sparkly belt buckle, slithered through a set that included Tears for Fears' "Mad World," Muse's "Starlight" and a medley of David Bowie hits.
The fans loved it all, whether they were sporting yellow "I love Kris Allen" T-shirts or shorts with "Adamgasm" on the rear. Some fans found a happy compromise with "We (heart) Kradam" shirts.
Allison Iraheta and Danny Gokey caused plenty of frenzy among the crowd, too.
Gokey closed the set with two emotional Rascal Flatts covers — a smart choice for an Oklahoma audience, since Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney went to high school in Picher. He also added some salsa dancing flair to his cover of Santana's "Maria Maria."
Iraheta,
She also joined Lambert for a duet on Foghat's "Slow Ride," which provided the show's raciest moment: An excited fan tossed her lacy red bra on stage.
The other five finalists — Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai, Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Megan Joy and Michael Sarver — treated the show's die-hard fans to a set that included everything from Willie Nelson to Beyonce.
Teens and their parents lined up outside the BOK Center hours before the show in July heat just to catch a glimpse of the "Idols," hoping to snag autographs and pictures of their favorites. Once inside the arena, they screamed until they were hoarse and never put the cell phone cameras away.
A year ago, Kris Allen was studying business at college in Conway, Ark. — loving music but thinking it would always be a side gig.
On Saturday, he heads home to headline an arena performance in North Little Rock. He and his fellow idols are a little sleep-deprived and homesick, but they're all thrilled to be living their dream: getting paid to sing.
"I never really expected this to happen. That's why I was going to college," Allen said in a preshow interview.
He has several dozen cities and tour stops to go, but wherever the next few months take him, he'll be thrilled to be there.
"I have no reason to complain," he said.
Cary Aspinwall 581-8477
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