Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The American Idol Summer Tour lands in this region next week, with shows in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday and Baltimore, Md., on Wednesday.

But don’t expect to find Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and the other top eight Idols from season eight hanging out at the Inner Harbor.

“Sadly, we don’t get to see hardly anything,” Megan Joy said last week of the cities included on the tour.

When I got a chance to talk to Megan last week, she and the rest of the Idols were preparing for a Friday show in Tulsa, Okla. — fresh off a Thursday night show in Dallas, with a Saturday show in Little Rock, Ark., and a Sunday show in Memphis, Tenn., on the horizon.

Work on show days usually starts between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and stretches until midnight, ending at the buses where the most avid fans gather to meet their Idols, she said.

But Megan, a divorced 23-year-old who was living with her mom prior to Idol, has already enjoyed some tour memories she’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Like the week she recently got to spend on tour with her 2-year-old son, Ryder. Like her hometown concert in Utah on July 14. Like a lucky stroke of scheduling allowed her to spend an off day in Salt Lake, visiting with family and friends before that show.

And then there was that strange night in Los Angeles …

Here’s the Idol Chatter interview with Megan.

Chatter: How would you compare singing on tour to singing on American Idol?

Megan: “It’s night and day for me — well, for all of us — because there’s no pressure. We’re not being judged afterward, to our faces anyway. We’re just having fun. The pressure’s off. The people who come to see us now already like us. It’s just really fun.”

Chatter: From what I understand, you perform “Put Your Records On” and “Tears Dry on Their Own.” Can you explain how those songs were chosen.

Megan: “It was kind of a back-and-forth decision. Since I’m a show-starter, we had to pick something more up tempo to keep the energy high. But I wanted to do an Amy Winehouse song, and that one (’Tears Dry on Their Own’) was just what we ended up with. And we also picked one that I sang on the show. And (’Put Your Records On’) just happened to be the best fit.”

Chatter: After the show, I understand lots of the fans gather around the buses to meet their Idols. What’s that like?

Megan: “It’s insane. It’s incredible. It’s super fun. Everybody’s really excited to meet us and they have us sign things. Sometimes they have gifts for us.”

Chatter: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen out there?

Megan: “I haven’t seen any fans do anything too crazy yet. But I had a crazy show, in L.A. I gave myself a fat lip with a mic during my set. And then immediately afterward I got food poisoning and had to go to the hospital before the show was over. That was kind of a rough night for me. I don’t know what happened. But I was more sick than I can even describe.”

Chatter: What’s in store for you after Idol?

Megan: “I will, for sure, make music. And I will model. And I will see if I can get into acting. That’s more third on the list. Singing — I’ll make music no matter what. And modeling sounds like a blast.”

Chatter: The hot Idol issue of the moment is the Paula Abdul contract drama. What do you think of the prospect of American Idol without Paula Abdul?

Megan: “I think it would be a bummer. I think Paula’s a huge part of the show, and it would never be the same without her. But I also love Paula personally. I think she’s a wonderful person. And if she’s ready to move on, I fully support her.”

Chatter: While we’re on the topic of judges, there seemed to be a little friction between you and the panel when the show ended. There was the run-in between your brother and Kara on your final performance show when your brother made the “broken record” comment after her critique of your song. And then there was the “I Don’t Care” comment from Simon the night you were eliminated. Did that all get ironed out before you left the show?

Megan: “There was never any real problem. Kara was new to the show and trying to get her bearings. And my brother is loud and kind of caught her off guard, and they had words. But immediately following the words, he said, ‘I’m Megan’s brothers.’ And she laughed and said, ‘Oh, OK.’ Later on, she and I laughed about it. And then Simon — Simon’s Simon and that’s who he’s supposed to be on the show. And I’m myself. And even though we exchanged words, there were never hard feelings and right after the show we laughed and hugged.”

Chatter: You just got to perform in your hometown in Utah recently. What was that like?Megan: “That was the best night ever. I had around 200 friends and family that I knew were going to be there, and other people that came. It was pretty much my night. I got to spend a day off in Salt Lake the day before, so I was fortunate.”

Chatter: What’s this whole Idol experience going to mean for you and your son?

Megan: “It’s incredible. It’s changed our lives. I mean, I know my future is super bright and a lot of really awesome things are going to happen to me and for me. But even just from the tour, I’ll be able to buy a house and get some stability going and start my life right and do it completely by myself. And I just can’t imagine a better feeling than knowing that I’ll be able to take care of my son independently.”

Note: A link to ticket information for the upcoming shows appears at right, under the Idols in the area section.

And if you’re going to either concert and would like to share your thoughts, please contact me, either by leaving a message below, by emailing me at [email protected] or by calling 854-1575, ext. 425.