Attending American Idol live in Hollywood

My daughter Kylie and I left Fort Walton late Monday afternoon on March 16, arriving in Hollywood at 11 p.m.

The next day, we were dropped off at CBS Studios at 1 p.m., for the American Idol Live Show. We were No. 40 and 41 in line.

Camaraderie was high in line and new friends were made from San Diego, who had connections to Adam Lambert. One woman was his choir teacher at the high school he attended.

Kylie had made a sign, too, for Matt Giraud, who is from our hometown of Ypsilanti, which said "Giraud Squad," the name of his fan group on AmericanIdol.com.

Though we had vouchers, admittance was not guaranteed; special groups and celebrities could take precedence and seating was limited. Several people were taken to the front. The line was cut off two people behind us. 

Once at the front, Kylie was asked if she wanted to be in the mosh pit. My 14-year-old daughter had a momentary look of fear and excitement then said, "Yes!"

We made it through security, checked our cell phones and took seats on benches outside.

Kylie could not take the "Giraud Squad" sign into the pit, so I took it. A man saw the sign, came over to me and asked if I liked that guy. I told him he was my favorite and he is from my hometown. He said he was Dan Giraud, Matt's dad.

Dan said this was his first time at the show and he was excited. He told me he thought Matt was going last, the "pimp spot," the slot that is speculated the producers choose to get the most attention to the singer based on the theory that the last performance is the one you remember most.

After wishing him good luck for Matt to make it into the top 10 and go on tour, he thanked me and moved on into the crowd.

When we were finally called to go inside I couldn't believe how small the studio was. It looks huge on television, but it must be the camera angles.

My seat was four rows up and behind Simon.

Corey, the pre-show emcee, came out and got the crowd loose, went over how the show runs and told us to cheer on our favorites and not be afraid to disagree with the judge's comments if our favorite was knocked down.

When Ryan Seacrest and the judges entered the studio, I think Ryan smiled at me but maybe he was just reading my sign.

I called out to Paula and she waved. She is beautiful; the cameras do not do her justice.

Simon got a lot of love from the audience. I think he has his own fan club.

The stage manager counted down the time and Ryan started the show. From that point on, it was a bit of a blur. I was mesmerized by the production end of the show; people scurrying like ants, moving equipment around, calling out commands and Ryan manages to stay calm during it all.

The contestants and judges were introduced, a commercial break was given, more scurrying and then it was time for the contestants to sing.

The highlights:

Allison Iraheta sang "Blame It on Your Heart." She was dynamite, filled with high energy and she belted the song. She is a force to be reckoned with.

Kris Allen sang a sweet ballad, "To Make You Feel My Love." It was a pretty song and he received loud cheers from the crowd.

When Adam Lambert came on stage, the young girls screamed. When he started singing "Ring of Fire," they quickly went from exhilaration to bewilderment. His performance of the country classic went to the edge (some feel it went over) singing a slowed down, psychedelic interpretation. The older crowd seemed to like it but I think he lost not only the young girls' votes for this performance but the true country music fans. He is definitely entertaining and has a huge range.

Anoop Desai also chose more of a ballad, "Always on My Mind," and redeemed himself from the prior week.

Megan Joy was sick but a real trooper. She performed "Walkin' After Midnight." I thought she did very well, even visibly ill.

Matt Giraud sang last. The piano was rolled out and Matt entered the stage, looking the part of a professional, dressed in a sharp, dark suit and tie. When he sang "So Small," the crowd was fully engaged, even though we had sat through 10 other performances. Matt took on Carrie Underwood and made it his own. Simon said he thought he gave one of the best performances of the night. I see this contest heading toward the top three of Adam, Allison and Matt.

While Ryan gave the recap, the Idols came back.

Then Corey came out to tell us that Carrie Underwood was there to sing a duet with Randy Travis.

The icing on the cake was seeing Carrie, hair bobbed, in her strapless red dress, and Randy, looking dapper as they took the stools to debut their new song, "I Told You So." It was a beautiful song and they were great together.

As we made our way outside, Dan Giraud was in front of me. I tapped him on the shoulder and told him to tell Matt he was wonderful tonight. The proud dad had a huge smile on his face and said, "I will!"

My daughter and I both agreed it was one of the best nights ever.

Rhonda Cloutier lives in Santa Rosa Beach. You can reach her at IdolBeat@gmail.com.