For one night, I was 12 again.

If you are not into American Idol or under the age of 13, feel free to skip this blog and come back in a couple days. Because yes, I did indeed go to the American Idol concert. For one night, I was no longer an adult. I was a 12 year old tween with a crush on the winner.

First off, let me say that I am fully aware that I am opening myself up to ridicule from my friends and peers. I mean, seriously. Who by CHOICE, pays hard-earned money on a concert like that unless they are a 12 year old girl or their parents. I'm not above poking a little fun at myself either. I know that everyone I tell is probably thinking, "Um...last time I checked, Sarah was 30. But whatever..." So I share this blog with a smile and I know how silly I must sound.

BUT

The concert was actually a lot of fun. I originally was supposed to go with my sister Liz because we both were/are huge David Cook (the winner) fans. But the week before the concert Liz had to sadly bow out because of another obligation. So I invited my friend Amy. She was such a blast to go with! She had followed the season and was a Jason Castro fan.

Our seats were in booneyville. Really. We were in the top balcony, furthest row up. Our backs were literally touching the cement wall. The stage seemed so far away. But we had resigned ourselves to that fact and were just there to enjoy the performances and the music, even if the Idols did look like ants.

Before the concert started, a host guy came out with the sponsor of the concert: a huge frosted Pop-Tart mascot. I am not even kidding. There was a guy (or girl) inside a Pop-Tart costume. They came skipping out waving at everyone and running up and down the center aisles. The fact that Pop-Tarts were the official sponsor of the show again reminded me of the target demographic for the night. But I digress.

Chikezie was up first. He had great energy. I don't remember any of his songs, but oh well. I just like saying his name. Chikezie.

Ramiele was next. Probably my least favorite performer. She had just an ok voice and absolutely no stage presence.

Michael Johns was a big hit. All the ladies went crazy. He sang some Queen songs and had a great sense of humor.

Kristy Lee Cook. Meh. Didn't care too much for her. And she shook her booty a little too much for a family show.

Carly Smithson! LOVE her. She has this husky Amy-Lee-from-Evanescence voice and she opened her act with "Bring Me To Life" which was perfect. That chick can sing! She was so fun to watch and listen to.

Brooke White. I was actually impressed with Brooke. I didn't care for her too much on the show but at the concert, she did well. She played on the piano and jammed on her guitar. I really liked it when she sang Coldplay's "Yellow".

After that, it was intermission. And this is where it gets exciting. So there Amy and I are...up in the top balcony with the tumbleweed drifting by. And Amy saw three seats open near the stage. She quickly took a picture and then we left our seats. We walked down to that section, whipped out her camera to see where the seats were, and then TOTALLY WENT AND SAT THERE. Holy crap, you guys. We were so close to the stage. No ushers checked our tickets and none of the people around us said anything. And we just pretended like we belonged. WOOT!

So needless to say, the second half of the concert was amazing. Jason Castro came out and Amy took 1.2 billion pictures. He sang the Iz version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". He is super shy and soft spoken, but he did well. Yes, he still has the dreads.

Then, it was Syesha Mercado's turn. SHE BROUGHT IT. She was a highlight of the whole night. She has a strong set of pipes. She would belt out these notes and hold them forever and the crowd went crazy. Loved her. The guy behind Amy (probably our age) in a green shirt kept saying, "Mmmmhmmm, bring it, girl."

Then, the floor opened and David Archuleta rose slowly upward playing a piano. All the 12 year olds went flippin' NUTS!! (and some of their moms too, which was a bit unnerving) When David came over to our side of the stage, I noticed, "Wow, he's really short." But as a singer, he was spot-on. He is only 17 and has the voice and stage presence of a...um...30 year old. Moving on.

And then came the one I was most excited for: DAVID COOK! This time, all the older ladies in the crowd lost it (and by older, I mean 18 years old and up). Because he was the American Idol winner, he got to sing 5 songs instead of 3 like everyone else. And he rocked!! He sang a couple songs from the show and then a couple new ones. Here's a quick 40 second video of him playing and singing "Billie Jean".


David Cook



It was so strange seeing him live. These were all people I had watched on TV. And now they were so close. Surreal? Anyway, after David finished his set, all 10 finalists came out and did a closing number "Don't Stop The Music". It was so fun. Everyone was on their feet clapping, screaming, singing along. Here's another quick video (55 seconds) of that song.

Top 10 American Idols



So yes, it was a fabulous night. I still can't believe we snagged those seats. That just made the experience so much better. I don't know if I'll ever go to a concert like that again, so I'm glad I went.

David Cook - call me.