It's all about American Idols Live, or The Best Cover Band I've Ever Seen.

    Watching American Idols Live is like watching the most diverse, capable, polished cover band in the world play almost every song you expect a cover band to play.
    It's entertaining. It's easy to sing along.
    But it's still a cover band.
    And boy, do the Idols know it. During interviews earlier in the day, Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, Paris Bennett and Lisa Tucker each mentioned their solo albums, stressing how original they would be. At least three albums -- Taylor Hicks', Katharine McPhee's and Kellie Picker's -- are scheduled for release on the same day in November.
    Still, it was hard to find an empty seat in Louisville's Freedom Hall Friday night when the Idols came to town with their raucous cover band act. Or rather, it was easy to find empty seats, because the people that should have been in them were standing, waving their cell phones as if they were Bics and they'd just heard the opening chords of Free Bird.
    Indeed, it's nice to see mostly talented singers having a good time. All the shaking and quivering you'll notice during the show is absent, because of course, Randy, Paula and Simon are nowhere to be found. That's the biggest difference, Chris and Ace told me: You're only being judged by people who already love you.
    Here's a look at how the Idols handled their moments in the spotlight...

Mandisa
Best song: I'm Every Woman
    The Idols are lucky to have such a solid show-woman to get the night started. Her vocals, movements and even her stage banter seemed genuine, although you know it must be choreographed; the tour kicked off in July and wraps up near the end of September. The Idols perform the same show ever city. In theory, that doesn't leave much room for creativity.
    Still, Mandisa complained that her female busmates spend all their time talking to their boyfriends while she talks to her mother. Clearly, she explained, she needs a man. So she dedicated a song to the apparently surprised drummer, who the singer has her eye on. It is completely possible that Mandisa pulls this stunt in every city, but no matter. It's fun to feel like you're in on the tour bus gossip.

Ace
Best song: Harder to Breathe
    Ace seems like a wonderful, optimistic guy with great energy on stage and vocals that were much more enjoyable in person than on TV. But every word out of Ace's mouth and every look on his face feels contrived. To my surprise, the only moment that made me smack my forehead to keep my eyes from rolling back to far in my head came when Ace dramatically threw off his suit jacket to reveal a T-shirt with a rose on it. The shriek couldn’t have been louder if he’d hand-delivered red roses to every woman in the crowd, but it was so choreographed. And it was during the song Father Figure, which felt weirdly inappropriate.

Lisa
Best song: Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
    To her credit, Lisa was the first one on stage to sing and play an instrument. She played piano and sang during two Elton John covers, which takes gumption. Someone Saved My Life Tonight sounded soulful and uplifting, but Your Song was slowed the pace of the show and wasn't Ms. Tucker's strongest vocal. It was -- what's the phrase? -- "a little pitchy."
    Lisa said her solo album will arrive whenever it's ready -- translation: who knows? --  but in the meantime, she's developing a sitcom that might appear on Nickelodeon.

Paris
Best song: Midnight Train to Georgia
    But, I do not understand how a voice so deep and mature-sounding comes from a girl who just graduated high school and has her initials studded on to the seat of her pants. Paris’ set, which included the Gladys Knight classic and Beyonce’s Crazy in Love, was the most energetic of the night. (Appropriate, perhaps, since she mentioned her recurring ADHD issues and couldn’t wait to get her hands on some seriously sugared fair food, including, but not limited to, caramel apples and fried anything.)   
    Another plus: Paris can dance. She spent a lot of time with her studded rear facing the audience, but she really seemed to enjoy it. More power to her. (By the way, Paris and Lisa mentioned that where one goes, the other goes. Sure enough, Paris is working  a sitcom deal, too, with Disney.)

Bucky
Best song: Drift Away
    You know dirty word that Simon Cowell likes to dangle before spurned Idols every so often? Karaoke? Bucky's performance felt a bit like that, although the audience loved every second of it.   
    Oh, he was energetic and friendly and whatnot, but he seemed quieter and less confident in his interpretations of songs than the others. (Word is that Bucky had a case of strep throat -- if that's the case, it definitely showed.) Plus, Drift Away is material ripe for picking at the Karaoke Cabana after too many Buds, although people are thrilled to sing along.

Kellie
Best song: I'm the Only One
    Of all the singers, Kellie was the most wooden and awkward on stage. (Note the top photo, where the other Idols are happily singing, and she's doing The Robot.) While Ace was practically sending laser beams from his pupils, she didn’t seem to make eye contact with anybody. And her stage banter? Yikes. She pointed out a sign that said “Pickler for President” and proudly told its maker, “You will go far in life!”  Laughs. “Just kidding!" Awkward laugh. Really awkward realization that she just suggested a fan is, in fact, not going far in life.
    Oops! Pickler! You just lost a vote!

Chris
Best song: Wanted Dead or Alive
    I understand now why people expected Chris to win. Other Idols have incredible voice, energy, stage presence, blah, blah, blah, but Chris has real passion. He seems more attached to the songs he performs, and really makes them his own. That he's willing to leave his family to stay involved with the show speaks to how deeply he feels about this. (He said during his interview that he talks to his wife and kids three to five times per day, but rarely sees them. He did wake up six hours early on his son's first day of school, though, so they could talk while the boy prepped for the big day.)

Elliott
Best song: Evil
    Elliott is a pretty smooth crooner, but I bet he's adorably dorky in person. For example, when he and Chris performed together, Chris played the guitar while Elliott played the air guitar.
    His voice makes for a good listening experience, but on this tour, he will always be in Katharine and Taylor's shadow -- by the time he was on stage, the youngest members of the audience were drifting to sleep with their heads in their parents' laps. They'd wake up again only when Katharine busted out Black Horse and Cherry Tree, and again when Taylor whipped out the harmonica.

Katharine
Best song: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
    This has not been a great tour for Katharine McPhee. She missed the first few weeks for throat troubles, and once she returned, she broke her foot. But she was a champ last night, performing two songs and skipping across the stage as if she didn't have a cast on her leg. And in her black, cast-hiding gown, she looked gorgeous.   
    Still, judgment is best reserved for when her solo album appears -- with so little McPhee on stage, it's hard to tell where she's headed. (Note: Her horribly treacly song from the Idol finale? The one that made Paula say tell her the song was "not your fault"? Not in the lineup. Whew.)   

Taylor
Best song: Jailhouse Rock
    Taylor Hicks is 100 percent goofball. It's really charming to watch. Unlike other Idols, who entered through various stage doors, he entered through the audience. Based on the reaction, you'd have thought he entered Freedom Hall on a flying horse.   
    He danced, as we all expected Taylor to do. He shook a tambourine, which seemed like a Taylorish thing to do. He had a look of childish glee and surprise, which was refreshing to see anyone do.
    Honestly, his vocal range was not impressive. There are singers with more technical skill and performers with more stage savvy. But Taylor and his harmonica were the forces that finally got a standing ovation.

Carrie Underwood, American Idol's winner last season, will perform at the Kentucky State Fair Saturday; who from the Season 5 roster do you expect to see have a successful solo show by this time next year?