AP: ‘Idol’ Finalists Prepare For Tour

BURBANK, Calif. — In a small, unadorned studio far removed from cameras, spotlights and songs ending with an instant review, the top 10 “American Idol” finalists are getting ready for a nationwide tour.

They're working on the intricacies of a group performance of “Don't Stop Believin',” with Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre singing and playing at dual pianos and the other eight, slouching comfortably on leather couches, adding their voices from the sidelines.

With so much behind them, and so much ahead, they manage to come across as friends who've gotten together for nothing more than a casual jam session.

“I'm not feeling the backup vocals,” Danny Gokey offers at one point, after Adam Lambert notes that a transition in the reworked song is sounding awkward.

“I'm open to suggestions. It's very much a collaborative effort,” responds musical director Dave Kochanski.

It's also, at least this morning, a relaxed one. At one point, Gokey delivers a full-blast note and, adding his own color commentary, declares the “crowd is in shock and awe.” Later, the former Milwaukee church music director playfully exhorts the room, “If God's been good to you, I want you to say yeah!”

Kris Allen, the mellow Conway, Ark., contestant who came out on top, said he expects the tour that begins July 5 in Oregon to be a welcome contrast to the weekly show experience.

“The energy is going to be better on tour,” Allen said, and it will be easier to loosen up and feed off the crowd's energy. And, he added, “no one's judging you.”

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