American Idol Live Tour’s 17th stop- 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, MD.
UPDATE: The weather was almost 100 degrees today in Baltimore. Fans still went out and endured the heat!
Idol Chatter of USA Today are covering the stop.
Photography by Neon Limelight | and USA Today | © All Rights Reserved.
Neon Limelight by Story Gilmore/Stacey Johnson | USA Today by Joe Brier
From USA Today’s Idol Chatter:
Eating like an Idol:
An hour before showtime, the Idols are sitting down to dinner in catering, chatting with the crew and each other. Casey and Crystal are deep in conversation.
The menu for tonight includes salad, curried chicken, rice, roasted green beans, roast beef, fried tofu, cookies and brownies. In case anyone wants breakfast for dinner, the selection of cereal includes shredded wheat, Frosted Mini Wheats, Apple Whirls, Honey Bunches of Oats, Honey Nut Cheerios, Reese’s Puffs and Frosted Flakes.
White Christmas lights wind along the buffet line, and a fountain, green plants and roses lend a relaxing ambiance.
Every day at 4 p.m., Cookie Kyle, one of the caterers, roams the venue with cookies, wearing a “Cookie Kyle” t-shirt that Siobhan made him.
K.M. and H.B.
Showtime in Baltimore: First up, Didi Benami
It’s showtime at the 1st Mariner Arena. The top tiers are sparsely populated, with only a few glow sticks glimmering from the darkness. But the bottom tier is ready to go–during the intro sequence, the highest-decibel shrieks are for Tim, Casey and Lee.
Didi plays her two-song set and finishes by thanking the crowd for braving the heat.
“I know it’s super hot outside, so I’m happy to be in the air conditioning with you all,” she says.
K.M. via Idol chatter
Sidebits: Neil Wilson, hair stylist to the Idols
Neil Wilson, hairstylist for the tour, says it takes about two hours to get everyone’s hair done each night. Didi’s take the longest because of her extensions.
His first Idol client was Kelly Clarkson (he styled her hair for press appearances). And he’s done the last five Idol tours.
“It’s amazing,” he says, while gathering styling products for mid-show touch-ups. “Every year I’m shocked at the the closeness and the talent.”
K.M.
In hair and makeup with the girls
Earlier backstage, the Idols were all in different stages of hair, makeup and wardrobe.
“I was going to do yoga but I had no time today,” Didi says of the blue yoga mat spread out backstage. While she tries to do yoga as often as possible, Didi says it’s hard to find the time, especially while traveling on the tour buses.
Didi was in hair as Siobhan sat in makeup, dressed in her pink and black punk number, complete with a tutu-esque skirt, leather and spikes. Siobhan says that her fashion sense is influenced by her mom.
“My mom, she always said, ‘Leather and lace.’ ”
Siobhan also notes Courtney Love, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Debbie Harry and Bjork as other influences. They’re all “stand-out, crazy women who didn’t give a hoot,” she says.
Katie, who was next in the makeup chair, cites Kim Kardashian (“I’m not full-figured but I do have hips”) and Katy Perry (“Even though I can’t pull off anything [she] wears”) as her personal fashion icons.
H.B. via Idol Chatter
ABOUT THE VENUE:
1st Mariner Arena (formerly known as the Baltimore Arena and as the Baltimore Civic Center), is an arena located in Baltimore, Maryland. 1st Mariner Bank Arena is located about a block away from the Baltimore Convention Center on the corner of Baltimore Street and Hopkins Place; it is also only a short distance from the Inner Harbor. It seats up to approximately 14,000 people though this number varies depending on the type of event. (WIKI)
Watch out for photos and videos later. Thank you for your patience! 🙂
