by Levi Gilbert

Kris Allen performed in front of millions of viewers weekly on American Idol, and his calm demeanor always seemed to shine through. Hours before he was to perform in front of his home state at a sold-out Verizon Arena on July 25, the calmness was a little less steady.

“I’m scared,” Allen said.  “We’ve been to big arenas across the country and people have been going nuts, but I don’t think it’s going to be anything compared to tonight.

“I’m trying so hard to not let this whole experience become a blur. It’s hard to not let it blur when you’re doing the same show every night.

It’s almost become a job, but tonight I’m sure it’s going to be completely different.”
Allen was greeted on stage with two minutes of non-stop, thunderous cheers and applause from his fellow Arkansans. It was a moment that is sure to never blur.

“I couldn’t have a better state to call home,” Allen told the crowd during his set.

Arkansas is proud of its Idol, and Allen is proud of his state.

“Central Arkansas is my home,” Allen said before the show. “It’s crazy to see the support that Arkansans have given me. I know that no matter what happens, my home state will always look out for me. I will always appreciate that.”

North Little Rock marked the 14th performance for the American Idols Live! tour, and Allen wasn’t the only Top 10 Idol excited about the stop.

“This place should be sold out,” Michael Sarver said. “You can’t do a city proud anymore than Kris has done. There’s nothing like looking out into the crowd and seeing your fans. It’s very special.

“The fans here are crazy, crazy, crazy about some Kris, and he absolutely deserves it – not just as an artist, but also as a person. I’m going to go out in the crowd after my set and enjoy the ‘Kris’ moment. I’m extremely proud of him.”

Sarver wasn’t the only Idol showing pride for Allen’s remarkable run on Idol.

“Kris is awesome,” Anoop Desai said. “From the time we were in the Top 13, he was the person I really bonded with. He’s a down to earth guy. We have a similar sense of humor about things, and I’m so proud of him.”
Allen’s humility and genuine personality not only shown through TV sets, but was also reflected upon his fellow contestants.

“The thing I love about Kris is that he is exactly the same person on camera as he is off camera,” Scott MacIntyre said. “I really respect that about him. I strive to do the same thing, and it’s not always easy. America picked a great guy.”

Allison Iraheta may have summed up Kris best.

“Kris is just good people,” Iraheta said.

Allen performed five songs during his set, including The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” which was full of audience participation.

“I had all of my say in picking my set,” Allen said. “I got to do ‘Heartless’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine,’ which were songs I did on the show. I love those two songs. ‘Bright Lights’ and ‘Hey Jude’ were songs I wanted to do on the show, but they didn’t get cleared. Since I couldn’t do them on the show, I thought I should do them on the tour. ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ by The Killers is just a crowd pleaser. It’s like a stadium anthem, and it’s nice.”

When not on tour, Allen’s off-days are spent in Los Angeles working on his upcoming album, which is set for release later this fall.

“I am doing a lot of writing, and we’re starting to record,” Allen said. “The album is going really well. We’re trying to get the pieces together, and we’re on a fast course right now. It’s coming soon.”

The Idols tour wraps up in Manchester, N.H., on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Allen will begin promoting his new album immediately after the tour.

“[Katy and I] will rent an apartment in Los Angeles after the tour,” Allen said. “We’ll have a home out there, and that will be nice. We’re thinking about building a house in Arkansas because it’s our home. I’ve been here all my life. Our friends and family are here. This is the place we call home.”

Allen promised to return to Arkansas to perform when he begins his solo tour next year.

“I played at Juanita’s for about once a month for a long time,” Allen said. “It was always a pretty good turnout, but this is going to be Verizon Arena. I’ve been to this place a lot and never thought I would be singing in this place.

“It’s a good feeling. A lot of dreams are coming true.”

Kris Allen Q&A

After his performance in Arkansas, Kris Allen and the American Idol tour headed to Memphis and then on to Florida. 501 LIFE caught up with Allen on the road to get his thoughts on the Arkansas concert.

What was going through your mind as you came on stage at Verizon Arena? I was trying to stay cool because I have never been a part of something that big. The support that was given to me in that moment was something unreal. I was just trying real hard to keep it together because it was one of the most overwhelming things that I have been through in my life.

How did the crowd’s energy affect your performance? That was the best crowd yet. As a performer you feed off the crowd’s energy and they had the best energy by far compared to the other shows. It makes you want to do your best and give them the best show they’ve seen when they are feeling you and are having a good time with you.

What was your best moment during your set? Well, the best part was all the love before the set, but my favorite song that night was ‘Hey Jude’ because the whole place was singing along.

What did the other contestants say to you about the crowd? Everyone came off stage and was telling me the energy in that place was better than they’d ever seen. They came off smiling and saying that the crowd was wild. I think most of them went in the back of the arena and watched the ovation the crowd gave me and were very touched. Some brought to tears.

The crowd gave you a two-minute ovation before you sang one note – did you expect that kind of support? I expected some support…..but nothing like that. Arkansans surprise me every time. We definitely know how to get behind our own people.

You said you couldn’t have a better state to call home – what do you love about Arkansas being your home state? I love the people, the nature, and the Hogs.

What was it like to call the Hogs with thousands of crazy fans? I had to do that. When you get the chance you might as well go with it. I have been to many Razorback games but to actually lead it in front of that many people was way cool.

The other contestants really went out of their way to make the NLR show about you – what did that mean to you? We all look out for each other and that night was no different than any other. They wanted that night to be about me and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate those guys.

What did Katy and your family say to you after? I remember my dad coming up to me and telling me that he was so proud of me, with tears in his eyes of course. I think they were all in a little bit of an awe of how amazing the reception was that night.

Did you get to spend any time with your family before/after the concert? There was like an hour that I got to spend after the show with them. My family is huge so it was a little chaotic and we had to leave that night so that was a little rough but it was great to spend that time with my family and friends. I miss those people a whole lot.