#IdolTweethearts: The Art of Being An American Idol Fan

By Meg Hodson

American Idol and FOX covered my expenses for a trip behind-the-scenes to Hollywood Week of Season XIV. All opinions, photos, and gushy thoughts remain my own.

I've been a fan of music for a long time. My memories of music go back to sharing my Carpenters' record in preschool and playing it on the turntable in class.  Elton John was one of my other favorites as a young child. In grade school, teen pop stars like Shaun Cassidy and Andy Gibb made me giddy with excitement. Duran Duran was my ultimate band in high school and I attended more concerts than I can count in college. 

You get the idea....I love music! That love has continued until today. I am such a F-A-N. Just for fun, I pulled up the definition of "fan" from Wikipedia:

"A fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person who is enthusiastically devoted to something, such as a band, a sports team, a book or entertainer."

It's pretty great when you can say you are a true fan of someone or something. In the past year, I have had the amazing pleasure of being part of the IdolTweethearts. American Idol sent myself and some other influential ladies almost a year ago to experience Hollywood Week for Season XIII.  I have always been a big fan of American Idol, so combining that with a little behind-the-scenes access seemed like the perfect combination. And it was (you can read some of my posts from the past year here).

Do you know how I know I am still a true fan? One of those exciting trip opportunities came a few weeks ago when myself and 2 other IdolTweethearts were asked to return for Hollywood Week for Season XIV. I jumped up and down; I heard myself say "eek!" out loud. Yep, a big fan.

As I entered the stunning and ornate Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, I felt the zsa-zsa-zsu. What's that, you ask? Well, Carrie Bradshaw said it best: it's that "butterflies in your stomach" feeling when you love someone or something. Between the twinkling lights on stage and buzz of producers, it's almost other-worldly as I take it all in. 

What makes American Idol unique for fans is you are reborn every year. With a new set of contestants, a new set of singers with dreams, you have a new group to become attached to. There is a new Idol just for you.

Oh yes, and then there are the judges. When Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick, Jr., and Ryan Seacrest enter the room, I take pause. I still get a little starstruck. Okay, a lot.  I suppose I am getting a bit more comfortable with each successive trip. But I'd like to think I will still have that zsa-zsa-zsu forever.

 

The Idol Tour Hits Portland!

By Meg Hodson

I have fond memories of attending concerts, dating back to grade school. My parents were cool. I got to see stellar acts like The Captain & Tennille, Neil Diamond, and Andy Gibb.  I vividly remember my first concert by myself, The Stray Cats at the Paramount Theater in Portland, Oregon (now the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall) in junior high. INXS opened up for them. I was in concert heaven. 

This eventually led to a high school and college concert career. I went to so many concerts, I honestly can't remember the exact number. Music inspires me and going to a concert by a favorite band is thrilling.

I have had the BEST time this past year with American Idol. Deep down, in all I do on social media, I am a true fan. I respect, admire, and am in awe of the process of being a performer. So, getting to go behind the scenes to watch the process and meet the people involved has truly been a a gift. 

As you might expect, then, I was excited to be attending the Idol Live 2014 tour stop in Portland, Oregon last week. I had lived and breathed the lives of these top ten singers during season 13 of American Idol as one of the IdolTweethearts. I was excited to finally see them L-I-V-E. 

The show was top notch. While it took me a little while to get used to the fact that there wasn't a live band, the singing was definitely live and they sounded amazing. It was a nice balance of group numbers, duets (with an amazing one by Caleb and Jena singing "Gimme Shelter"), and solo performances by the top ten. 

After the concert, we got the chance to meet and chat with the top ten. While these are performers on their way to being monumental entertainers, it's easy to forget they are human. Meeting them was a nice reminder that they are just that. 

If you like what you're reading, I invite you to follow my blog.  Cheers!

6 Ways To Get Your American Idol Fix This Summer

By Meg Hodson

Hey Idol fans! I know it's sometimes rough to have your favorite show go on "summer vacation". But don't fear, there is plenty of American Idol fodder to keep you happy this summer.

1.  The Idol Summer Tour.  The annual Idol Tour kicks off this week.  Your top ten are coming to a city near you.  There's nothing better than a live show, right?  Click here to see all the stops along the way.

2.  Caleb Johnson's New Album Due In August.  I've definitely been getting my fix by blasting "As Long As You Love Me" over and over.  But I'm looking forward to even more new music from your season 13 American Idol, Caleb Johnson.  You can even pre-order it on iTunes.

3.  Auditions.  Have you got what it takes to be on the show?  American Idol is switching things up a bit for next season with city auditions, bus tour auditions, as well as online auditions.  Follow the hashtag #TheNextIdol to submit your audition or to get peeks of auditions submitted by potential contestants.  

4.  Reliving Old Memories.  It's fun to rekindle your favorite memories, right?  Well, as one of the #IdolTweethearts, I will definitely be doing that this summer!  Myself and the other IdolTweethearts are having fun looking back on the blog posts we wrote throughout the season and the amazing photos from our trips that we took.

5.  They're Tweeting!  American Idol has always been active on Twitter and they continue to share all things Idol on their profile.  Be sure to follow along and keep track of the latest news.  

6.  You Know The Old Saying..... Absence makes the heart grow fonder?  I think this is true most of the time.  And let's face it, could we really have American Idol on all year?  It's sorta like when my kids tell me that they wish everyday was Christmas.  No you don't.  It wouldn't be special if that was the case.  I know the excitement I get when we get close to the season premiere.  It will be here before you can say "This is American Idol".

 

American Idol: Why Aren't You Watching?

By Meg Hodson

I am one of the IdolTweethearts.  Maybe you've been following some of our fun this season, or maybe your haven't heard of us.  Myself and a handful of other influential women in blogging and social media gained exclusive access behind-the-scenes for season 13.  It's been a fun whirlwind, to say the least.

American Idol has gone through a lot of changes this season.  Jennifer Lopez returned as a judge and Harry Connick, Jr. was added, too.  They added Rush Week on the road to the top 13 and some contestants were eliminated before even getting the chance to sing.  There's a new stage, enhanced voting, and a conscious effort to be social media friendly.  

I had the honor of sitting down to lunch with David Hill, head producer for American Idol, and Trish Kenane, also an Idol producer, to chat about the changes and the new season.  I also got a true sense of their passion and commitment to the show.  My husband chuckles when I say how down to earth and passionate they are about American Idol; they truly are committed to this show, ratings aside.

I also think with reality t.v., there will always be a host of critics and self-proclaimed experts out there to either praise or criticize a given show.  The case is no different with American Idol.  Now, I won't give myself the moniker of being an American Idol expert.  But with my experiences this season, I will say I have a distinct appreciation for the show and it's process.  I would also venture to say I have approached the show this season as a fan with a zoom lens.  

I think the show is doing a lot of things right, even with the growing pains.  Unfortunately, for a lot of fans who may have grown frustrated with the show and not watching, they are missing out.  Furthermore, for the casual viewer who only began watching this season yet became nonplus about the show's evolution are also missing out.  A colleague of my husband's told him she started watching because of me this season, but grew quite disgruntled over Rush Week and the Top 30 elimination.  

I'm not saying that viewers are unfounded in their opinions in why they choose to watch or not watch.  But let's face it, sometimes we need to give things a second chance.  And American Idol, in my opinion, is an institution to not cast away lightly.  Sure, they have a bar that they set high that they need to maintain.  But I feel they are hitting that on many levels. In no particular order, here are the reasons why I think you should be watching American Idol:

1.  The Auditions.  I judge a lot of things in life by whether I have a "warm, fuzzy feeling".  When the season started, I definitely had that feeling.  I saw the season premiere a total of 3 times:  at my sneak peek trip to Hollywood week, at the pre-screening the day before the t.v. premiere, and the actual t.v. broadcast.  I watched it for the 3rd time as if I hadn't seen it previously.  The judges were entertaining, with Harry Connick, Jr. delivering a breath of fresh air and humor.  The auditions were low on silliness, high on talent. People fell in love with Idol all over again.  There was nothing not to love.

2.  The Judges.  All t.v. shows crave chemistry.  You can have a perfect set of actors yet your show will flop if there is no marriage of characters.  Well, American Idol has found a nice balance with Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr.  They are all artists & performers from three distinct backgrounds. They have diverse critique methods and they play off of each other well.  Their humor is genuine.  

3.  The Talent.  Let's get past who's been cut and stop crying about it.  While many of your favorites may have been eliminated, I can't think of a season where I haven't had a favorite cut.  Need I remind everyone of Daughtry in Season 5?  How did that happen?  I still watched after that because I loved the singing and the performances.  That still holds true this season.  While some of my favorites didn't make it into the Top 30, there is still amazing talent.  I did not have my eye on Caleb prior to the Top 30 and it wasn't until the Top 13 that he became one of my favorites.  I ask you to remind yourself that you are watching a singing competition; it ebbs and flows and stars are born right before your eyes.  American Idol has a reputation for this!  Stay tuned.

4.  Social Media.  American Idol has quietly been connected with fans on social media in seasons past. They've got Facebook and Twitter pages.  They've expanded to have Instagrams and Vines.  Ryan Seacrest has quietly tweeted on stage from time to time.  But this year has been a concentrated push to engage.  Some aspects of their social media push, like the forced selfies from Ryan Seacrest, are a bit tiresome and unauthentic. But that aside, they are more engaged then they ever have been on social media.  With new additions like the #IdolBlitz Twitter and Facebook chats and Google voting, fans have more ways to connect.  Quietly on the radar are the IdolTweethearts, of which I am a part.  American Idol, to me, is a trendsetter in this respect.  They understand that influential women in social media are the new paparazzi. We're the new press, but we're also fans.  I can't think of another show that has taken on such a project.  

Are you still along for the American Idol ride?  I hope you are.  If you've slacked in your viewing, I invite you to come back.  At the end of the day, the show is about the singing.  You will get your fill.

  

If you like what you're reading, I invite you to follow my blog.  Cheers!