Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Two dates into the American Idol summer tour, I think I can safely write this.

If you’re on the fence about whether to attend the show in Reading, Pa., in late August, you can probably wait until the day of the show and still snag good seats.

The Oregonian reports “many empty seats” for Sunday’s show in Portland.

The Seattle Times writes that about three-quarters of the seats were filled for Friday’s tour opener. Citing “eyewitness reports,” the Hollywood Reporter says about half the 6,500 seats were filled for that show.

Regardless, it’s pretty clear that the Idols probably won’t be selling out a whole lot of venues on their 30-date jaunt across the country.

That’s a shame for the Idol ladies, who deserve a larger showcase to launch their post-show careers.

If you’re wondering what you’ll hear during the tour, that Hollywood Reporter piece includes a complete set list. If you’d like to see several great pics from the Sunday show, check out that story in the Oregonian.

But I’ve also embedded four videos from Friday’s show below, including Angie Miller’s new song “Put It On Me,” Candice Glover’s new song “In the Middle,” Janelle Arthur’s cover of The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two,” and the show closing medley of “Gone” songs.

I really like Angie’s new tune. Much better, actually, than the new song from Candice, which will join the coronation song “I am Beautiful” on her debut album, set for an October release.

Candice Glover — “In the Middle”

Angie Miller — “Put It On Me”

Janelle Arthur — “Better Dig Two”

Idol cast — “Gone Medley”