<p>Teri you could go in my place, I’m a huge Lee fan!</p>
<p>I agree that last night turned out as predicted. Next week it will probably be Casey, but on AI you can never be sure of anything.</p>
<p>I was not sad to see Mike go, he came accross as arrogant from day 1 “I don’t want the contestant shirt, I want the artist” “I want to have the big parade”, etc. The other dudes seemed more humble about it, and they deserve the welcome home parades. It should be interesting since they are all blue collar, it brings a new light to Idol.</p>
<p>Lee mania has hit Chicagoland. Lee’s hometown is the Northwest Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect, IL and his parents now live in the adjoining village of Arlington Heights. 30000 tickets have been distributed for his mini concert tonight at Arlington Park. The concert sold out in 12 minutes. His schedule includes:</p>
<p>Guest appearance this a.m. on Fox News Chicago</p>
<p>A couple of Chicago radio appearances.</p>
<p>A visit to the AT&T store in Skokie.</p>
<p>Throw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field for the Cubs vs. Pirates game.</p>
<p>Will be visiting one of his old high schools - either Prospect High School in Mount Prospect or Forest View Alternative School in Arlington Heights.</p>
<p>A parade in downtown Mount Prospect ending at the paint store where he worked.</p>
<p>Mini concert for 30,000 at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights. (One of the premier thouroghbred tracks in the U.S. - the home to the Arlington Million and a past host of the Breeder’s Cup.)</p>
<p>I really considered going to the parade today, but got side-tracked with a project with our painter. I may have made a wise decision. I just got off the phone with one of our patient’s spouse in Mt. Prospect, who I’ve been seeing since last summer, and he stated the concert was initially supposed to be held in a park that backs up to their house, but it started to get sort of out of control, so they decided to move it to Arlington Park. I wonder if Mt. Prospect is fully prepared for the crowd that they’re getting right now. I know the track can handle it, but because the concert sold out so quickly, many more people are heading for the parade to see Lee.</p>
<p>If there are any Lee fans out there, I would love for someone to tell me what his appeal is. He sings off key most of the time, seems to have no ability to devise interesting arrangements of songs (as Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and David Cooke did) and has zero personality. I don’t always care for the winners or runners-up of Idol, but it seems to me until now they all have been able to sing well and all have had at least a little charisma. So the thought that Lee could win or come in second, as he seems likely to do, is really puzzling to me. Thoughts?</p>
<p>MommaJ, you just expressed what I have been thinking. Is the appeal that gruffy voice? I find him to be off key a lot, and don’t think that he has a fantastic voice at all. I can’t say that he has no personality. To me he seems like a hardworking guy who week after week has been worried that he would be voted out. His personality is certainly not entertaining, but seems genuine and sort of sweet.</p>
<p>David Cook 2.0. Minus the combover.</p>
<p>American Idol fans like a nice young man. Somebody who could be their grandson.</p>
<p>It’s the gruffy voice; a David Clayton-Thomas, Darius Rucker appeal. Plus, he has a good look. There are people who just don’t like the super-trained-musical-theater-type voice for their pop listening pleasure. </p>
<p>This is coming from a super-trained-classical singer.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I really think this matters to a lot of people. Then there are also a lot of people, like my own dear H, who can’t tell if notes are off-pitch. </p>
<p>My friend went to Crystal’s parade yesterday, and said she was embarassed that very few people came. She was able to get many close-up pictures of Crystal. The minor league ball game sold out, but they come close to selling out at most of their regular games.</p>
<p>This morning, the newspapers reported that attendance for Lee’s concert at Arlington Park was 41,369. Instead of the 3 song mini-set he was scheduled to play, he instead performed 10 songs and played for an hour.</p>
<p>I arrived at Arlington Park Racetrack at 11am or so by Metra train. I’ve been through this drill to see both Cigar and Secretariat (!) so I know where to stake out. Plus the stage was already set up. I was on a bench with a super nice mother and over 21 daughter. All agreed we would stand on the bench when Lee came on. We ate and laughed, watched the nine races and reveled in the great weather. </p>
<p>Mt Prospect has been selling “Vote for Lee” t-shirts in peacock turquoise (or lime green) gobs of people were wearing them. Money going to local school. Black shirts, “believe” with a round picture of Lee in the middle of the word were being sold at the track. Quite something seeing a giant crowd in those colors and all the feather boas, homemade signs, planes pulling banners, etc. Keep in mind, he was arriving via parade. And “arriving at 6:30” didn’t mean the concert would begin at six thirty either.</p>
<pre><code>The track bugler did some kind of Aaron Copland introduction, what was that about. Then we heard from the Mt Prospect mayor, Arlington Hts mayor, his hs principal introduced his parents, the track president, key to city, proclamation, blah, blah, blah.
</code></pre>
<p>Let the guy sing.</p>
<pre><code>It was very interesting seeing all the behind the scenes American Idol crew set up
</code></pre>
<p>shots, cue Lee etc. He sang not three (as announced) but ten songs. Some of his own songs and several he performed on Idol, including the Boxer. Clearly he wanted to do more but there must have been issues about getting the crowd of 41,309 or so out.</p>
<pre><code>I wish you were there.
This is my first season following Idol. Hoping for a Lee/Crystal dead heat. Leaning toward Lee today.
</code></pre>
<p>So, the numbers are in. Lee’s concert drew nearly 50,000 people. Crystal’s drew 4,000. I haven’t come across the numbers for Casey’s yet.</p>
<p>^^Interesting. I wonder what the audience ratio of women/men was at each concert?</p>
<p>CIA: you may wanna take into consideration the population number in each town. MAybe Crystals town os of 1000?</p>
<p>“American Idol fans like a nice young man. Somebody who could be their grandson.”</p>
<p>But it’s not grandparents who vote, it’s 13 year old girls with unlimited messaging plans for their cell phones. And I guess they just go for Lee’s blank and unthreatening demeanor, his mumblemouth and that tuneless “gruff” voice. But someday when they grow up they will look back in horror at what they have done!</p>
<p>Lee is certainly not a David Cook 2.0–Cook has a great and versatile voice and on Idol he arranged his own numbers in creative and appealing ways. </p>
<p>Tonight I watched an episode of Idol Rewind that focused on Chris Daughtry and showed excerpts from many of his performances. I never really cared for his voice, but I have to admit that had he competed this year, he (as well as his co-contestants Elliott Yamin, and, though it pains me to say it, Taylor Hicks) would have wiped the floor with the rest of the 2010 male talent. Lee also suffers greatly by comparison to the four finalists of the last two years (the two Davids, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert). </p>
<p>I guess I just hate to see mediocrity rewarded.</p>
<p>Pageturner, I did, but then I discovered Crystal actually had her concert in Toledo, population 350k.</p>
<p>MommaJ: They also liked Taylor Hicks in the past, and now he is the big AI joke. So yes, I agree, we will look in horror later. I don’t care who wins this year, but I have to say I kind of like Casey, don’t know why, maybe because there is some mistery around him, little sleeziness, you knopw? and he does have a voice, but his song choices were weird, I think is because he has not been exposed to a giant range of music, like David Cook had, or Lambert.</p>
<p>Everyone connected with Arlington Park Racetrack (Lee’s concert) did a fantastic job, pulling off this concert on short notice while gearing up for a Triple Crown weekend, no less. I know they have concerts every Friday but not for so many fans!
The Preakness is in Maryland of course, but increases attendance all around.</p>
<p>CIA:That was Multitasker’s statement, not mine. ;)</p>
<p>Also, I wonder what the gender ratio is of the voters? Are there actual statistics?</p>