Kris Allen plays Ain't No Sunshine under the cloudy Little Rock sky.
My first thought when I see Kris Allen is … poor thing. I mean, I think it’s difficult for him to deal with all of this. And watching his family backstage before his show in Little Rock, Lauren Clark said his mother just looked worried the whole time.
I would be, too.
Mass hysteria. Over her son. Who knows what could happen?
But all paranoia aside, the show went quite well. I managed to take a few pictures when I wasn’t melting onto my camera in the muggy afternoon heat.
He sang three songs that he has performed on the show, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Falling Slowly” and “She Works Hard for the Money.”
All were well received, of course.
It was also revealed that “Apologize” by One Republic will be the song Allen sings next week on Idol. (No word on whether or not Timbaland will be there to sing the “eh”s in the background.)
Arkansas hearts Kris Allen.
Oh, and he was given the keys to the cities of Jacksonville and Little Rock. And today is now officially Kris Allen Day in Little Rock.
Before the concert, that was proclaimed by Michael Keck with an official reference to the city of Little Rock’s affinity for eating ice for lunch. Yeah, they went there. (Full text of the proclamation is below.)
Actually, Simon Cowell would have had plenty of opportunities to roll his eyes at the number of ice-eating references that went on here in Arkansas.
You’ve made us all so very indignant, Mr. Cowell.
I hope you’re happy.
I saw the signs.
update:
The unofficial text from the Kris Allen Day proclamation: (Read today at the Riverfest Amphitheatre before the concert)
Know Ye All People
By These Presents
Greetings:
WHEREAS, Kristopher Neil “Kris” Allen is a native of Central Arkansas having grown up in Jacksonville and attended the University of Central Arkansas, and
WHEREAS, at an early age Kris discovered he had a musical talent for singing, and taught himself to play guitar at age 13 (and is also proficient with the piano, viola, and ukulele, and in 2007, Kris self-produced an album Brand New Shoes with college friends and bandmates Michael Holmes on drums and Chase Erwin on bass, and
WHEREAS, Kris also has shared his musical gifts as worship leader at New Life Church and the Chi Alpha Campus Ministries at UCA and has done missionary work around the world, including Burma, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Spain, and Thailand, and
WHEREAS, Kris auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in Louisville, Kentucky, and was selected to become a semi-finalist and finalist, and
WHEREAS, Kris has consistently impressed the judges and fans of American Idol with his performances of songs including “A Song for You,” “I Want You Back,” “Everything,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Remember the Time,” “To Make You Feel My Love,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “All She Wants to Do Is Dance,” “Falling Slowly,” “She Works Hard for the Money,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Renegade,” and “Come Together,” and
WHEREAS, Kris has shown he is a man of character, faith, talent, and humility, traits that he has shown for years to his friends and family including his new wife Katy, and
WHEREAS, Kris is one of the final three contestants on American Idol Season 8 and has come home to Central Arkansas to share his talents with his legions of Metro Little Rock fans.
NOW, BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that I, Mark Stodola, Mayor of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, do hereby declare Friday, May 8, 2009, as
“Kris Allen Day”
in the City of Little Rock and urge the citizens of Little Rock to join me in celebrating his talents and representation of Central Arkansas.