Guest Blogger @dbenamifan: 8/25 American Idol Live tour total experience plus photos! [St. Louis, MO]

by DBF

Please respect copyright on all photos. Do not republish without expressed consent from the Photographer.

Find more photos on Flickr. Published with permission.

By Billy | @dbenamifan on Twitter

I’m letting you all know, that this is very long, so here we go.

On August 25th, 2010 I woke up and headed for Scottrade Center. We got there, and saw buses, so we sat by them. Turns out, it wasn’t the actual buses for the contestants. A man came out of the buses, and oh you’re a fan of Miss. Didi? I said, YES! He said, she’s such a sweetheart, and a good kid, too. I asked him when they’d be coming out, he said kid, they won’t be getting her until about 1 or 2. We got there at 10:30, just to be safe.

We sat by the barricades then, with some other people too. Everyone I met was so nice, and I got some of their twitter names. I think it was about 1:30 that the Idols pulled in. Lee and Tim came out first. It was so cool to meet Lee, he was my favorite, next to Didi. Tim was as nice as can be. We go pictures with both of them and autographs. While they were out, Andrew sneaked out, without all of us fans even noticing, so shocked we were in the presence of Lee DeWyze! Tim took my gift for Didi, and said he’d talk to her. Andrew was nice too, and he took a picture with me and autographed my tour book. A little while later, Aaron Kelly came out. He was so nice, and I really enjoyed meeting him.

The Scottrade guy said that if they hadn’t come out by 3, they probably weren’t. He was really nice, and told us pointers. He told us when they were coming, when they left their hotel, and was just very honest, so we trusted him. It got to be about 3:30, and no sign of anyone, so we went to go get food. Of course, Siobhan came out after we left, and she’s my friend’s favorite too. It wasn’t the guys fault though, because they did have press at 3, and she sneaked out because Tim told her about us. At 5, we headed to the front of the venue, and were scheduled for our pre meet and greet. We knew someone who knew someone, and it was just really exciting. We sat from 10:30 though, hoping we’d just get excessive memories, and get to meet the Idols more than once.

Didi Benami and Siobhan Magnus. When we got to the meet and greet, the Idols were all sitting at a long table. Siobhan and Didi were first, and it was just surreal. I gave Didi the roses I got her, and she seemed so thankful. On my photo she autographed, she said, thanks for the gorgeous roses Billy! It made my life. I asked for a hug, and she gave me one, even though she wasn’t supposed to. I continued down the line, still in shock I had just met Didi Benami.

I waved at the contestants, and I stopped at Crystal to give her some sunflowers, to thank her for the tickets, that I had won off her website! She was very thankful. While standing there waiting to be escorted out, I waved at Didi, and she waved back at me. I was trying to tell her that the present was from me, but she couldn’t hear me. When the guard made me leave with the rest of the group, I heard her say awwww. It was just an awesome time. I went to the box office, and my tickets weren’t there. They weren’t until 20 minutes before the show. I was so upset, thinking we weren’t going to get them, but still excited for the concert, and that I had met Didi Benami! When I got handed the tickets, there were two after party passes! It was so amazing.

After the show, we headed there, and I talked to Didi for about 10 or 15 minutes, which was so much better than before. We talked two different times, three counting the before meet and greet! I told her how I loved “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted,” and how I don’t think she should have got voted off. She told me, you take what life gives you, and I’m happy with what it gave me. I said, I’m so glad you made it on tour. She was excited too, obviously. She told me how she liked my gifts, and how my book was so amazing. She said that she could never make something like that, and it’s so cool that I did, just for her.

I mentioned that I missed school to try and meet her today, and she told me that she skipped high school a lot too. Then she said, wait I shouldn’t have said that! It was really funny. She also was like, wait are you skipping tomorrow, or did you skip today? I said, today, but I should skip tomorrow too, make it a holiday the day after I meet you. We were laughing, and carrying on. I asked her if she sang “No One” for group week, since I had never seen it on TV, just listed on Wikipedia. She said, yeah. I asked her if she was in a group with anyone we would know, and she said no. It was a complete mess, and laughed. She told me about how she loved the bracelets I got her. I told her they were from a store in our mall, that’s like an energy muse, which is what you like, right? She said, yes. Siobhan came over and said, Didi is obsessed with that place! Didi told me about how she loves how the jewelry puts off positive energy, and love. I agreed with her, because obviously, the jewelry is working for her.

Didi and I!

No photos available right now.

Please verify your settings, clear your RSS cache on the Slickr Flickr Admin page and check your Flickr feed

She said she’s going to put an album out hopefully, by this time next year. I asked her how the fans would be able to buy it, if it wasn’t in stores. She told me that she’d make a website or something. She said she will tell us when and where to get it, whenever the time is due. Through this whole thing, she was telling me how sweet I was, and just kept reaching over and hugging me. Not to sound creepy, but she smelled SO good! I told her how pretty she was, and she said oh, thank you! All in all, I probably got about seven or eight hugs! It was so fantastic!

She had family there, so I said my goodbyes, and she told me how amazing it was to meet me, and that she loved her presents, and thanked me for supporting her from the beginning. It was the best day of my life. Meeting Katie, and her remembering my name, when I hadn’t even talked to her earlier, but from my guess, Didi was talking about me? How amazing is that?! And, Crystal telling me my poster was awesome, and how she’s so glad I could come out tonight. Lee telling me thank you for the letter I wrote him, and him just being so nice of a person! Tim saying he gave my present to Didi, and congratulated me on meeting her. Aaron being so happy with me liking his set! Big Mike telling me my shirt was awesome! Talking to Didi Benami and hugging her! It was just fantastic. I left with a smile on my face, that’s for sure!

Didi Benami.

Photo video of Didi in St Louis by Billy:

The Show

Now on to the actual concert, itself. Didi was amazing as usual. “Lay It On Me was amazing.” I loved the changes she made, and how her positive energy really had the crowd in awe. “Terrified” was of course amazing, and her set was over too quick.

Andrew rocked it, and got the crowd dancing. I loved both of his songs. Katie was after Andrew, and her songs were better than anything she did on the show. I loved it, and I’m really interested to see what she puts out after the show now. Tim was actually good. I didn’t like him on the show, but his set was enjoyable. Siobhan’s was good, I liked “Paint It Black” the best, but she’s still just a little too wild for me, but it’d be a lie to say she’s not talented. Aaron’s was one of my favorites. He rocked “Walkin’ In Memphis,” and his other two songs too. Mike’s talented, and his set wasn’t bad but…

Moving on, Casey was awesome. He can really play that guitar of his, that’s for sure. The duet was whatever, I was excited about Crystal and Lee! Crystal was so awesome! I loved her “What’s Up,” and “Piece of My Heart.” All were fantastic though. She’s even better live, they all are tough.

Lee DeWyze.

Lee was amazing. I loved all his songs. Didi, Lee, Crystal, and Katie were my favorites of the night. The Climb was awesome too, because Didi had some solos! I loved it. My Life Would Suck Without You was pretty good, and I enjoyed seeing Didi on stage again! That’s everything I think. It was so amazing, and I really loved it. Meeting Didi was so awesome, and I’m so grateful for everything that happened that day. It’s not a push to say best day of my life.

Didi Benami.

Please respect copyright on all photos. Do not republish without expressed consent from the Photographer.

Find more photos on Flickr. Published with permission.

BuzzFeed

New Buzz Aubrey Plaza Gets All Dark And Twisty In New Music Video	133 Clicks Joan Rivers Smokes From A Bong, Gets Stoned On TV	New Buzz Puppets Party Hard	263 Clicks Lana Del Rey Makes Up For "SNL" Disaster With Pitch-Perfect Letterman Performance
Add To Your Site