Last Tuesday, we had the opportunity to check out the AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! tour when it hit the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Every year, the top ten finalists of the reality show go on a nationwide tour as a way of saying thank you to the fans who got them to where they are now. This year was no different as performers such as Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez, and Colton Dixon took the stage on a 45-city tour that began July 6th in Detroit. Check out our full concert review and video recap below:
Like many of you, we've been American Idol fans since the very beginning. Each summer, we make sure to catch the summer tour when it rolls into our home state of New Jersey. In fact, these are some of our most treasured memories. Well, last week we upheld that tradition and drove out to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ to see the finalists sing their hearts out.
The night started off with the top ten finalists (minus winner Phillip Phillips) performing "Sing" by My Chemical Romance. The crowd went crazy when the Idols took the stage. Those contestants we voted hours for each week were finally right there in front of us. You could practically feel the excitement oozing from the audience. Each of the finalists sounded great and you could tell just how far they've come since their days on the hit show. Also, can we just state how stunning they all looked in person? Goodness gracious.
After the group number, DeAndre Brackensick sang Stevie Wonder's "Master Blaster" for the Jersey crowd. We have to be honest, he wasn't one of our favorite contestants this past season, but damn he knows how to groove. His stage presence was electrifying, winning us over with each note he sang. Brackensick, we are now a fan.
Next up to the stage was Hollie Cavanagh and Skylar Laine singing country superstar Carrie Underwood's hit "Undo It". These girls shined brightly, getting the crowd on their feet. Plus, we love that they performed an Underwood number. She's a prime example that this show can make dreams a reality.
One of our favorite contestants last season was Heejun Han. He was hilarious and helped make the season as entertaining as it was. Han took the stage to perform "Green Light" by John Legend, which showed off his great vocal chops. He proved exactly why he deserved to make it as far as he did on American Idol.
Following Han's solo was another highlight of the night. Han, Brackensick, and Jessica Sanchez came out full swag to perform LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem". They were even shuffling in their zebra print outfits. It's safe to say everyone in the audience was jamming out to this number.
Then, all the guys (minus Phillip), performed Neon Trees' "Everybody Talks". Once again they proved themselves as more than just reality TV stars, commanding the crowd in the process.
Elise Testone came out afterwards to sing two songs. First up was her rendition of Led Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love", which she sang on American Idol. After that, Brackensick and Van Pelt joined her on stage to sing Adele's "Rumor Has It". Testone had a mishap when she dropped the mic during her set, but she handled it like a true professional, quickly regaining her composure. She rocked out on stage like the star that she is. We have to point out that this was her hometown show, so the crowd went extra crazy for her.
Up next was fan favorite Colton Dixon for three solo performances. In our opinion, that wasn't nearly enough. We could tell by the audience reaction, they felt the same way. He sang Billy Joel's "Piano Man", like he did on the show and the Switchfoot hit "Meant to Live". Dixon even sang an original song titled "Never Gone", which is off his debut album coming out later this year. It was clear after watching him sing that he was born to do this. We see nothing but success in his future.
After Dixon, there was another group number. The Idols (minus Phillips) performed a mashup of "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars and "What Makes You Beautiful" by our personal favorites, One Direction. We're loving these song choices at the AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! tour. This number was so much fun and the finalists even broke out some cute, bright neon, summery outfits for this. A short intermission followed.
When the show resumed, Jessica Sanchez came out looking absolutely flawless. This girl is FIERCE. How is she only 17 years old?! It's crazy how powerful her voice is. Sanchez sang Beyone's "Best Thing I Never Had", Prince's "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore" and Tina Turner's "Proud Mary". Ledet and Brackensick joined her on the last two numbers. They grooved and jammed, leaving in the audience in true awe of their talent.
Country girl, Skylar Laine was up next. Let us tell you, she knows how to rock out. Laine was jumping up and down and going crazy as she sang Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead" and The Faces' " Stay With Me". She reminds us so much of a young Reba McEntire, with her strong vocals and spitfire attitude.
Then, Hollie Cavanagh came out on stage to sing Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" (with Van Pelt and Testone singing backup) and Demi Lovato's "Give Your Heart a Break". For someone so small, Cavanagh has such a poweful voice. She also looked adorable in her dress. Cavanagh was one of our favorites last season and she did not disappoint live.
To end the night, the girls sang Pink's "Raise Your Glass", which then followed with the guys singing The Wanted's "Glad You Came". The girls then joined the guys at the end of "Glad You Came". This was the perfect way to close out the show, since both songs are crowd pleasers. We love how at the very end of The Wanted hit they changed the lyrics to "WE'RE glad you came." So cute! Each contestant took one final bow, before the lights came on, ending the night.
We had a blast at the AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! tour. Thanks to one of the sponsors, Chips Ahoy, we left the venue with vanilla ice cream and a chocolate chip cookie in hand. Yum! After the concert, we even got to meet a bunch of the Idols such as Van Pelt, Han, and Dixon outside of the Prudential Center. Thank you so much to all the Idols contestants for making it a night we'll never forget and to 19 Entertainment for giving us the opportunity to attend the show and cover it for our awesome readers.
Did you attend a show? There's only six concerts left, so if they're still coming to your area, GO GO GO! We guarentee you won't regret it. Check out the tour dates here! Also, make sure to check out our video footage from the Idol tour below:
