The lights began dancing and the American Idol theme rumbled through the The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor in Ontario on Friday night, as the top 10 “American Idol” finalists appeared on stage.
It was a sold-out homecoming performance for “Idol” finalists and Oakland County teens Jena Irene, Malaya Watson and Sam Woolf. Fans, family and friends greeted the performers with a thunderous welcome, and they were rewarded with two hours of rock, folk and country songs, beginning with “Counting Stars,” by OneRepublic.
Irene of Farmington Hills, Southfield’s Watson and Woolf, who was born in West Bloomfield, were joined by Caleb Johnson, Alex Preston, Jessica Meuse, CJ Harris, Dexter Roberts, Majesty Rose and MK Nobilette. The top 10 finalists performed “Idol” fan favorites they sang during Season 13 of the Fox competition show. Posters with supportive messages were sprinkled through the audience.
Twins Madison and Brooke Odum of Howell sang along to every song. As loyal “American Idol” fans, the 12-year-olds were thrilled to see the singers in person.
“This is awesome,” said Madison Odum. “Sam is so cute, and we love Jena. I wish we could meet her.”
Irene, who came in second in the competition, chose as one of her solos the Elvis Presley hit “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” which brought her great acclaim on the “Idol” program. Irene’s version of “My Body” by Young the Giant included a lively drum-battle with Alex Preston. Irene said she was excited to learn how to play a kettle drum and was surprised by the energy it requires.
The audience erupted with cheers and screams during The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” her duet with “Idol” winner and new best friend, Johnson, who ultimately won the TV competition.
“Being on stage without the stress of the competition and the cameras is such an awesome feeling,” Irene said in an off-stage interview. “I am completely OK with being my complete self and having everyone rage with me.”
The youngest contestant in “Idol” history to make it to the final top 10, Watson, accompanied herself on the piano for her solo, “When I Was Your Man,” by Bruno Mars. Watson later joined Rose and Nobilette to perform “Wake Me Up,” by Avicci, and sang back-up in several numbers. The 16-year-old earlier described the tour experience as, “Like a dream in the making.”
Woolf’s solos included “Sail Away,” by David Gray and “Lego House” by Ed Sheeran. Screams from young girls declaring their love for Woolf erupted as Woolf performed “Let Her Go” by Passenger, with Preston. Woolf and Preston played acoustic guitars, but switched to drums as they were joined by Harris for “Pompeii” by Bastille. The trio was joined by the other Idols and drove home the first act with a rendition of Pharrell’s “Happy” that had the crowd on their feet and dancing.
Rocker Johnson owned the second act, performing four solos and bringing his trademark energy to Led Zepplin’s “Dazed and Confused,” which ignited the crowd. Johnson also sang Backstreet Boys’ “As Long as You Love Me,” “Family Tree” by Kings of Leon and Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.”
The “Idol” singers’ strong talent and energy impressed the audience, but the pace was slowed by long pauses between songs while the technical crew changed equipment.
After multiple costume changes, Irene introduced her new single “We Are One,” co-written by season eight “American Idol” contestant Felicia Barton. Glow sticks appeared in the audience, in salute to Irene.
Then the “Idols” closed the concert with “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, which left the audience standing, crowding the stage and applauding for more.
Windsor was the second stop on the American Idol Live! summer tour, which kicked off June 24 in Binghamton, N.Y. It’s scheduled to stop in 40 cities across the country, including The Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant, on Aug. 7. The Wednesday show scheduled for Albany, N.Y. was canceled, according to Ticketmaster, but no official reason was given for the cancellation.
