American Idols Live at D.C.'s Verizon Center: Kris Allen and Adam Lambert both shine

IF YOU WATCHED "American Idol" this year, you know that the TV singing competition came down to a one-on-one between two guys: Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. Both brought, as competition judge Randy Jackson might say, mad skills (dawg) to the proceedings, but only one could be crowned the winner.

It was Allen. And if you think many of Lambert's fans don't still insist their guy got shafted, just do a Google search or two. There's passion there. And maybe just a hint of crazy for flavor.

So, one might ask, what happens when you put both men on a stage and let the fans vote with their voices? That's exactly what was on the menu at the American Idols Live show Tuesday night at the Verizon Center.

The shocking results: People, um, kinda like both of them. And for good reason. But there was a lot to enjoy in an evening that drew in an audience from tweens to bluehairs and everything in between.

The Idols stage show is, unsurprisingly, a lot like the "Idol" broadcast — but only if you remove the judges, delete Ryan Seacrest, pump up the volume and give the contestants another month's worth of on-stage seasoning. What you get is a show that's not only more vibrant than the TV show, but — for all its obvious and necessary staging — more indicative of the contestants' personalities.

Read the full Express Night Out review