Idol Chatter & Voice Views

American Idol’s season nine summer tour kicked off Thursday night in Detroit.

And it didn’t exactly start with a bang, according to Adam Graham, a columnist for the Detroit News.

Graham reports that the parking lot at the venue was far emptier than normal and that the “entire upper deck was curtained off, a surefire sign of a dud concert.”

His words, not mine.

The problem, according to the concert review, is the lack of a star performer — someone of the Adam Lambert ilk.

But anyone who watched season nine already knew that.

And, as a couple of colleagues here at The York Dispatch already pointed out, Detroit isn’t exactly the most prosperous city in which to kick off a national tour.

Anyway, Graham provides a thorough rundown of the concert here, spilling some of the tightly held secrets about what the Idols would be singing on tour.

And you can see 11 photos from the concert here, also courtesy of the Detroit News.

Graham labeled Aaron Kelly as the evening’s most pleasant surprise. He labels Siobhan Magnus as providing the night’s oddest performance, which included a cover of No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs” (apparently to match the stockings she was wearing).

Hey, I still have hopes of a viable music career for Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox. Crystal’s the better singer and songwriter of the two; Lee has the edge in commercial appeal.

The rest of the cast? Hey, maybe they’ll surprise us with their post-Idol music.

Remember, the Idols are heading this way with shows planned for July 11 (in Philly), July 15 (in Hershey), July 23 (in the D.C. area) and July 24 (in Baltimore). Go to LiveNation.com for ticket information.