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Hey, I got to see the show in Columbus tonight, so here are some of my opinions on the extravaganza. I'll start with the performers, then add on some other observations at the end. Being a Cook fan, thought I'd share a couple great moments he provided tonight.

Chikieze - Awesome energy. I Believe To My Soul thundered like crazy and he maintained the frenetic pace throughout. He was the perfect opener. Only demerit - during the closing Don't Stop The Music, were bright yellow shoes really necessary?

Ramiele - Amateur. She just didn't do much, for me, or for much of the crowd. They were polite to her, but really her final song was the only one to really kick her into gear. I'd have to rate her the weakest of the night. I Want You Back? My mom went and asked if she was sick, because she kept grabbing her stomach, it was her dancing moves. One plus - killer ass boots.

Michael Johns - The fans loooove him. I took my mom to the show since she wanted to see him in person, and she whipped out her cell phone to get pictures that will never turn out just to say he was in the same room with her. He projects his voice way better than I expected, he was in top flight form and rocked the house. We Are The Champions got everyone up and they stayed up for his whole set. Dream On was on par with the original.

Kristie Lee Cook - Okay, the first song (Squeeze the Love?) was passable. God Bless The USA - if you previously loved it, you would here. If you thought it was pandering pablum, it still is. And Cowgirls was a weak song choice the crowd didn't really get. She's very personable, I don't dislike her, but no way is she better than 9th on the night.

Carly Smithson - If it weren't for David Cook, Carly would be THE performer of the night. WOW. Evanesence's opening song was really good, but Crazy On You was a moment. She was halfway through it when I wondered how the lighting guys got all those lights coming from all angels, then I realized it was thousands of camera flashes for Crazy On You. She looked stunning, with longer hair. Every stilted concern about her performing ability is gone, she owned that stage.

Brooke White - My mom said Brooke was a PTA mom pretending to be a singer. I liked her okay, but I wasn't crazy about the final song, Yellow. Let It Be was a crowd favorite. The barefoot queen looked spectacular, but the intermission would have been better if it was Carly sending the fans out instead.

In The Name Of Love, the group performance with the bottom six, was better than I anticipated. They introduced Michael Johns specifically unlike the others during it.

Jason Casto - Unlike Brooke, mom was pleasantly shocked by Castro, who she never really cared much for. I thought his version of Crazy was an eye opener, full throated singing and clear as can be. He got girls screaming. Daydream wasn't the best ending song, but Over The Rainbow was lovely. But bright red shoes? What?

Syesha Mercado - Hooooooottttiiiieeeee. Mmmmmmmm. I'm recently divorced, sue me for looking! She starts with the lousy song, Umbrella, but performs it well. Alicia Keys was second, but the stunner was her final song, which got a standing O. She was tremendous. Extra plus - her final group song outfit was, um, well proportioned, and came from the junior;s section, I think.

David Archuleta - Started with Angels, which was okay. He was decent on Apologize, but falsettoed the chorus and he sounds better singing it in head voice. The crowd thought he was done after Stand By Me, which was very very well done, if you like the Beautiful Girls speed up thing. Was was very touching on When You Say You Love Me.

David Cook - Still the star of the show. Hello was good, but he didn't mention Columbus during the song, just sang the lyrics. Instead he paid attention to where he was, and in introducing Time Of My Life, he threw us an "O-H". (Any Buckeye knows you respond, "I-O". He smiled with the response we gave back. Time Of My Life sounded like the single version. While I am no big fan of I Don't Want To Miss A Thing, his vocal was seeringly awesome, completely stunning. When it ended, he ran to one end of the stage to get his guitar, but his guitar tech wasn't there. He turned, and cracked up laughing when his "new" tech, Michael Johns, came out and presented him the guitar for My Hero. They laughed again, and he threw out another "O-H" ("I-O) then dedicated the song to Adam. He leaves the stage then returns bathed in red light and smoke, for a stunning Billie Jean that stunned the crowd. As it ended he pointed to the AC on his guitar and thanked the crowd.

Don't Stop The Music was well choreographed and they sounded great singing it.

Random thoughts -

I saw a fight of sorts! An usher was yelling at a prick face to face when the jackass wanted to pull up a folding chair and sit himself down in the full handicapped section in front of me instead of going to his actual seat.

Special appreciation to the little black dress that didn't entirely cover the hot blonde on the floor seats, providing a great intermission view for me in the clubhouse seats.

Two little boys did an "air guitar" contest promoting Guitar Hero at intermission, and one boy was sooooooo cute, really responsive, and doing twirls and spins. Great kid.

However, the rest of the Guitar Hero ad, with two dorks playing it to Walk This Way, was unbearably long and insipid.

I love the Schott and the free parking, but damn, it gets hot as hell in there. And they have the smallest chairs of any arena in the world. I had to stand up when told by the performers as my knees were getting numb.

Good sound quality as usual, really the only technical glitch was when starting up the background for Ramiele, they hadn't removed her "#9" finish screen.

Michael

Some radio station here gave a "gossip" type off the cuff remark this morning from a field reporter last night about a possible incident with Johns, so there may be something to that. Sad. I think it was Ramiele, maybe Kristie, who thanked the fans who waited for hours in the autograph lines. I wasn't that dedicated.

I kinda indicated it already, but I already knew I will be buying a ticket for Cook's first tour. (David Cook, that is.) If given the chance to tour solo, or with someone else I don't hate, Carly is getting my money too. I was that impressed. I'm still in awe of her performance last night.

If it matters, Cook only wore a white shirt, no jacket, until the group song. He had the rear pocket chain, and what looked like part of a scarf hangin off him. Johns had a scarf too. Why is that a fashion accessory - in 91 degree July?

I will say, Johns has some rabid women fans. When we walked in, there was a blow up picture of the idols, and you could get your picture taken in front of it. Some 50ish woman posed licking Michael John's ear. Great that her 8 year old granddaughter gets a keepsake of that moment!

I wondered, and discovered, that there was people of all ages there. I saw as many moms as I did grandmoms and daughters. I would guess it was a female majority, but not too dramatic. The only fans I got mad at were these four crusty old, I mean ancient, women, who waited til Hello started, making sure Archulets was done, then left to get a head start and walked out on Cook. Those bitches. Actually, more like thou bitches. There was no one favorite, the cheering increased throughout, although there was a dropoff a bit from Johns to Kristie. She is in a lousy spot, following Johns, every night, but one thing I did like was her spirit.

Apparently cameras were allowable, I assumed not or I would have taken one. Bummed now I didn't. I can't afford to have mine taken away.

Michael