Thursday, December 31, 2009

Kris Allen's Las Vegas interview on New Year’s Eve

American Idol winner Kris Allen hits the stage tonight for Billboard’s New Year’s Eve Live! on Fox, joining Sean Kingston and his American Idol alumnus Allison Iraheta.

Kris speaks about Idol, Vegas, New Years Eve, the new album and more.

Don Chareunsy: Have you been to Las Vegas before?

Kris Allen: I’ve never been to Las Vegas before, man. What a time to come, right? New Year’s Eve!

DC: Will you get a chance to see or do anything aside from perform during your first visit?

KA: I’m really excited about seeing Love. I’ve never seen a Cirque du Soleil show before.

DC: Congratulations on your first album and hit single “Live Like We’re Dying.” What has been the highlight since winning American Idol back in May?

KA: Thanks, man. Thanks a lot. The tour after American Idol was really cool, going to some 50 cities with the other singers. It was a total blast to be on the bus together. We had a lot of fun.

DC: And the best city?

KA: My hometown. They had a very nice welcoming for me in my hometown.

DC: What was your favorite song to perform on the show?

KA: Probably “Ain’t No Sunshine.” I had a good time arranging the song, and it was really fun to perform.

DC: I read in your bio that you were a fan of Garth Brooks growing up listening to your dad’s records. You should check out his show at the Wynn. Who are your favorite artists today?

KA: Man, don’t tell me that, but I’m coming back to Las Vegas. I’ll get to see him. I like a lot of current artists. Switchfoot. The Fray. Maroon 5. I like John Mayer. I’m going to see Maroon 5 on New Year’s Eve.

DC: If there’s one thing you could add to your must-see list in Las Vegas, what would it be?

KA: To be honest, the Garth Brooks show. I saw an ad in the airport and said that I have to see that. He’s awesome.

DC: Are you excited about performing in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve? And tonight, too?

KA: Yeah, man, the show tonight at B.B. King’s Blues Club was booked a week ago. And then live TV. I’ve performed on live TV, but this is New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas!

DC: Your first big gig of the New Year on live TV. No pressure.

KA: Yeah, man, thanks, no pressure at all!

DC: What is your New Year’s resolution?

KA: Hmmm … focus more on music. I’m not really a New Year’s resolution kind of guy.

Kris will be at B.B. King’s Blues Club in The Mirage tonight at midnight. Admission is $30, and doors open at 11 p.m.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Kris Allen sings "Live Like We're Dying" LIVE at Kissmas 2009!

American Idol winner Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" Live at Kiss 95.1's Kissmas Office Party 2009


Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Kris Allen experiences Gibson's Dusk Tiger guitar.

Short video of American Idol winner Kris Allen playing a Gibson Dusk Tiger guitar.


American Idol winner Kris Allen rings in new year on Fox special

As the seconds ticked down on New Year’s Eve 2008, Kris Allen was hosting a party at which someone’s pants caught fire.

Any blowout involving scorched trousers is a memorable one, but the reigning “American Idol” winner has upped the ante with his plans this year.

Allen and fellow “Idol” finalist Allison Iraheta are among the performers singing live from the Las Vegas Strip as part of “Billboard’s New Year’s Eve Live”

Host Carmen Electra will be joined by Eva Longoria Parker and Kim Kardashian, among others, during the 90-minute broadcast.

It’ll be the first time Allen has visited Sin City, and despite his musical background, it’ll be the first time he’s ever performed on New Year’s Eve. It’s certainly a step up from the gathering on the roof deck of his house, where last year’s flammable soiree took place. Given the legendary reputation of Vegas as the party capital of the planet, the 24-year-old musician holds high expectations.

“I’m excited about it,” Allen said during a recent conference call with reporters. “I’ve never actually been to Vegas. This is going to be fun for me. I heard it’ll be the best time I’ll ever have.”

His New Year’s Eve plans traditionally have been more quiet. “I usually go to my mom’s house, and she always makes cabbage and black-eyed peas or something like that,” Allen said. “She always makes those things for some reason. It’s supposed to be good luck for the rest of the year.”

Does the Arkansas nice guy fear he’ll be out of his element?

“We’ll see what happens. I’m going to have a good time, I can promise you that, and it doesn’t matter where I’m at. I’m going to have a good time.”

The married musician knocked around his hometown of Conway, Ark., before running the season eight Idol gauntlet, eventually besting outrageous third rail Adam Lambert.

Last month, Lambert ruffled feathers with his performance on the “American Music Awards” broadcast when he kissed a male keyboardist, grinded a dancer’s head against his crotch and grabbed the unmentionables of another. The fallout included canceled performances and criticism from conservative groups, but Allen doesn’t think the controversy will derail his one-time competitor’s career.

“Anybody that knows him is not surprised at all,” he said. “(And) obviously, it hasn’t hurt him.”

Allen has been busy post-“Idol.” There have been countless performances, press conferences and the release of his debut album on 19 Recordings/Jive Records.

“I feel like I’ve started to really learn a lot of stuff,” he said. “When you go through all this, I feel like I’ve started to learn exactly who I want to be as an artist and all of that. It (American Idol) has opened more doors to new music for me. I’ve been listening to new stuff that I wasn’t listening to back then.”

To term it a whirlwind seven months later might be an understatement, but the more pressing issues demanding Allen’s attention include choosing a set list for his New Year’s Eve performance and deciding how to spend 2010.

“For me, it’s just work harder on music stuff, just writing and performing and all that,” he said. “That’s my resolution.”

Monday, December 28, 2009

Toronto Star's 10 most important works of the decade: No. 4, American Idol

We asked our critics and our readers to vote for the 10 most important works of the decade. We count down to No. 1 as we approach Dec. 31.

I asked Kris Allen, the 2009 American Idol, why people like the show so much.

"I think the beauty about American Idol is that it takes people that they can relate to, that maybe acts like a friend of theirs, or has the same job or something like that, and makes them into rock stars or country stars or pop stars," said the 24-year-old from Conway, Ark.

The man's bang on. The rags-to-riches story, after all, is a persistent cultural cliché. But instead of commoners rising to royalty, we have a farm girl from Oklahoma becoming a country mega-star (Carrie Underwood), or the girl from a small Texas town who used to sing in bars and now sells millions of pop records (Kelly Clarkson), or the Arkansas church music director who got to play on the same New York stage The Beatles once rocked (Allen).

You don't even have to win the reality singing competition to become famous: think Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, rocker Chris Daughtry, Broadway lead Constantine Maroulis or glam pop-rock sensation Adam Lambert.

Idol contestants come in all shapes, sizes, races, sexual orientations, ages (from 16 to 30), abilities (contestant Scott MacIntyre was blind); they're from small towns and big cities; they're a little bit country or a little bit rock 'n' roll, and everything in between.

Of course, the same could be said of plenty of U.S. reality shows that don't pull anywhere near Idol's viewership.

Its ratings are down, as are most network TV shows', but Idol still beats the competition every Tuesday and Wednesday that it airs. Just under 29 million watched Allen win over Lambert on the May finale.

But Idol's not just about numbers. It has become part of the zeitgeist since it debuted in June 2002 as a spinoff of the British show Pop Idol.

Idol's genius, in an era in which we simultaneously adulate and denigrate our celebrities, lies in combining the mythology of the American dream with a healthy dose of schadenfreude.

It starts with the audition shows, when just enough delusional, tone-deaf applicants are mixed in with the true talents to give the viewers something to laugh at.

As some are knocked down, others get built up.

By the time contestants have made it through the pressure cooker of Hollywood Week, when a couple of hundred wannabes are cut to 36 semi-finalists or less, viewers are finding their favourites: the people they'll cheer on and vote for.

And therein lies one of Idol's main attractions: viewers' ability not only to watch stars being born but to take an active part in the transition.

Throw renditions of hit songs into the mix, and the interplay between contestants, judges and host Ryan Seacrest, and you've got a hit.

Challenges lie ahead, however. The show has already lost popular judge Paula Abdul although replacement Ellen DeGeneres should maintain viewers' interest.

But will it survive the reputed departure of the most popular judge, bitingly honest Brit Simon Cowell?

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Kris Allen to Reunite With Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert in NYC

Kris Allen will be hitting New York City's stage with his fellow "American Idol" alum, Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert. The revelation was made as Ryan Seacrest's "Ryan, Rock My Town" contest unveiled the Big Apple as the city with the most demand for the reunion concert.

NYC came up first, beating Allen's hometown Little Rock. The city that never sleeps took the lead of the online voting in mid-November with over 7,000 demands. The details on when and where the concert will be held are yet to be disclosed, but are promised to be announced soon by Ryan Seacrest.

This free gig will be the first reunion concert for Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta and post 2009 Idol Summer Tour, which was wrapped on September 15 at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH. All three singers have all come out with their own debut album. Adam released "For Your Entertainment" on November 23, Allison debuted "Just Like You" on December 1, and Kris put out "Kris Allen" on November 17.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Kris Allen interviews with Kiss FM (Video)

American Idol Kris Allen interviews with KISSFM before the Kissmas Office Party 2009!


Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Kris Allen Answers Fan Questions

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen answers fan questions submitted from Kris Allen's street team members.


Kris Allen Interview with The Rhode Show

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen interview with The Rhode Show from November 16th, 2009 the day before the release of the album. Kris discusses the new album and his favorite song on the Album "Red Guitar".



Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Kris Allen sings 'Live Like We're Dying' Live with Regis & Kelly

American Idol champ Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" at Live with Regis & Kelly, Wednesday Nov 18 2009



Friday, December 18, 2009

Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta say: Paula Abdul will be missed

Kris Allen American Idol Season 8 winner reckons that American Idol won't be the same without Paula Abdul

The judge, who announced her exit from the show in September, will be replaced by chat show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Kris, 24, said: "Paula is the one we get to know the best - she is a sweetheart, and I think the show will definitely miss her."

He went on: "People tuned in to watch what Paula was going to do, but she was just a nice person to have on there.

"Ellen's going to be, I don't know of one person that doesn't like Ellen."

Finalist Allison Iraheta added: "We're all going to miss her. I'm pretty happy that we got the chance to work with her."

The duo, who will be performing in Las Vegas for Billboard's New Year's Eve Live, are excited to see what new judge Ellen will contribute to the show. We'll see how that goes. I really want to see what she has to bring to the table," Allison said.

Kris also talked about the appeal of American Idol, which started in 2002.

"A person can come from nothing to a lot of fame, and that's the beauty of it. American Idol takes people who are a friend of their's, or has the same job or something like that, and makes them into rock stars, country stars or pop stars," he added.

:: The new season of American Idol kicks off on January 12.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Bring Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta to YOUR Town!

Does your city always get skipped during major concert tours!? Here's your chance to bring a one of a kind lineup directly to your city or town!

Ryan has American Idol’s Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta ready to perform live for the city with the most DEMANDS.

To submit your vote for Kris, Adam and Allison to come to your town, click on the banner! Don't forget to send all your friends and family to the Kris Allen Blog to vote - the town or city with the most votes wins the free concert! One vote per person.


Ryan, Rock My Town

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" Live! at Jingle Ball 107.9

American Idol winner Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" Live! at Jingle Ball 107.9 Sacramento.