Cleveland Rocks! The top ten American Idol finalists rolled into town as part of their nationwide tour. They are two-thirds of the way through the tour which has had them criss-crossing the country. "Its been go! go! go!" said Adam Lambert, the Season 8 runner up.
Lambert says, he and the rest of the top ten have also been putting in long hours working on their solo albums. "I signed with RCA and started working on the album a month before the tour started, so working a little double duty" said Lambert.
But he says he wouldn't have it any other way, "This is what I wanted for years and worked for so I'll sleep later."
Michael Sarver says, "The best part of the tour is the fans. You get off the bus and they scream. It makes my heart skip a beat every time." Sarver, who is working on a country album, says it takes some time getting use to the rock star lifestyle. "The idea that someone wants an autograph is odd but I appreciate it."
The youngest performer on tour, 17-year-old Allison Iraheta agrees, "No it doesn't seem natural at all. I can't believe I'm here. "
Anoop Desai says they are so busy they barely get to see family and friends right now, "The hardest part for me is not seeing them for extended periods of time." But he says the fans and shows are exciting, "I think every night is a new show and new experience."
All of the top ten said they felt sad to learn that Paula Abdul will be leaving the show. Adam Lambert says, "I think she's the coolest lady in the world. She makes you feel safe and gives you positive reinforcement at a time when you're dealing with a lot of criticism."
Scott MacIntyre agrees, but feels confident that she will land on her feet. He says he's "grateful" he got to work with her and thinks the entire American Idol experience is a dream come true. "I do pinch myself... it's amazing," he says.
Scott is currently writing and recording all original songs. He's also been asked to produce and write for other artists, and to pen a book.
"I really feel like you're the only one who can limit yourself as far as reach those dreams and accomplishing your goals," MacIntyre says.
He says they are all having so much fun right now that they can't even think about the tour ending and going their separate ways, " It's a very sad thought. We'll have to call each other and have reunions every week and every month."
I noticed green highlights in Adam's jet black hair and wondered if they were new. They were actually there on the show. It was just some of the lighting, you couldn't really see them.
How is it at this point? It's crazy. Crazy.
Crazy how? Well, it runs the gamut from being overwhelming to being complete and 100 percent beautifully satisfying, to being a little stressful and nerve-wracking. I kind of bounce back and forth between all those emotions.
Is it better now than, say, those last weeks of the show? … I wouldn't say better. It's just different.
You were the guy there, with the cover of Entertainment Weekly … I know, it was wild, wasn't it? … It's not better or worse, it's just different. It's evolved into something else. That was a television show, and, you know, the thing that's so beautiful about that show is that it creates a platform for possible future artists. And I'm so grateful for that experience, because I think that's what it's done [for Adam]. I'm working on an album that's out in November, and I wouldn't have gotten that opportunity had it not been for "American Idol."
What's the album going to be like? Good. (laughs) I really like it. I think it's great. I'm working with great producers. I'm co-writing a lot of the material. I, uh — it's great. It's catchy. It blends — it's definitely pop-rock with electronic production. … It has a lot of good beats. It'll get you dancing. It'll get you singing along. It'll get in your head.