Idol Thoughts, June 12: Bo Bice in Concert

This past weekend, Bo Bice was the headliner at the Coors Light Balloon Festival in Jamesville, NY, an annual event that draws upwards of 20,000 people each year. While the weather was overcast and temperature cool, Bo and his band heated up the crowd with a rapid-fire succession of tunes starting with an energetic “Vehicle” and ending with a straight-out hard rockin’ “Freebird.” In between, he treated the audience to several of his own songs, including “Cinnamon and Novocain,” “Valley of Angels,” and “Sinner in a Sin,” a few tunes from his CD (“Remember Me,” “U Make Me Better,” and “The Real Thing”), and covers of “Whippin’ Post” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” Bo also had a chance to play guitar, kickin’ butt on “Freebird” and toning it down nicely on acoustic for “Sinner in a Sin.” What can I say? Bo Bice totally rocks.

Vocally, Bo was solid throughout. The acoustics for this show, at least from where I was standing 20 feet from the stage, were decent, and his band was really tight. Bass player John Cooper and drummer Shane Sexton have been with him for twelve years, and I have to say, they’ve come a long, long way. The rest of the band includes guitarist Kris Bell, keyboard player Thomas Lee, and guitarist Heath Clark, all of whom are excellent musicians and complement Bo very nicely.

The last time I saw Bo Bice, he was only three weeks or so post-surgery, and while he put on a hell of a show, he was certainly not 100 percent. Since then, he’s recovered from surgery, put on a little weight, and is definitely moving around a lot better! He was playful on the stage and interacted with his audience as though he were hosting a huge family reunion. I loved the interaction with his band and his obvious pride in having his "boys" up there with him. Bo’s the star, but he’s never forgotten where he came from or how he got there.

But there’s something else different about post-Idol Bo that really struck me. Bo is free! He can sing what he wants, say what he wants, and has complete control over his environment. It’s his show now. Sure, he’s supposed to be promoting the CD, but he’s also promoting Bo Bice, and his show has a real personal feeling to it that was missing from his Idol tour performance. He looks as though he is having fun and that positive energy ripples through the crowd.

I smiled the entire time he was onstage, thinking about how amazing it is that he's living his dream and how far he’s come in the year that has passed since the season four finale. It hasn’t been an easy year, that’s for sure, but in a way, the struggles he has endured have made his success that much sweeter. Sure, it might have been easier had he won Idol. I don’t think his CD would have been that much different, and he would have benefited from having the full-thrust of the Idol machine behind him. He would be playing bigger venues, and probably wouldn’t have had to work quite as hard.

But Bo is doing this the old-fashioned way, winning over fans one show at a time, and sealing the deal with those of us who have supported him from the start. Idol gave him his start, but after that, it has become his job to build on his existing fanbase and prove his legitimacy as an artist by getting out there night after night and doing his thing. Judging from the enthusiasm of the crowd at this event, I think he’s doing just that. In the end, his success is going to mean more to him because he’s had to really work hard for it. And that, my friends, is really what it’s all about.

After five seasons of this show, there are lots of former Idols out there trying to make their mark in the industry. Only a select few are able to really capitalize on the experience and take it to the next level. Bo’s doing that. As for me, I felt a strange sense of pride, and at one point it was so overwhelming that I actually teared up. Watching him do “Whippin’ Post,” I remembered the first time I saw him do it and how exciting that was. Now, a year later, here he is. Amazing!

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent American Idol articles on Foxes On Idol:

Donna Reynolds is a freelance writer based in Syracuse, New York. While entertainment sustains her emotionally, she earns her daily bread by writing and editing web copy. Check out her new website at www.idolthoughts.net. Donna loves mail, so shoot her an email at foxydonna@earthlink.net.

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