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What once was a shining star is losing her luster. Fierce!


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/04/DD6F11JE8N.DTL&type=music

There can be only one winner of "American Idol" each season, as fans of Fox's ratings behemoth know. And for every Carrie Underwood, and, perhaps, Kelly Clarkson, there is a LaKisha Jones, a Jon Peter Lewis and an Anwar Robinson, to name just three of the also-rans from the first six seasons of the show who will appear at the Rrazz Room over the next nine weeks.

Actually, some of the also-rans are doing better than many of the winners. Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard may have just tied the knot, but Season 5's fourth-place finisher, Daughtry, was the hottest concert act of 2007, and Clay Aiken is keeping his career alive while he awaits the birth of his first child and his next hair appointment.

The often pleasant and sometimes awkward 90-minute set by Lewis, Robinson and Jones on Wednesday night at the Rrazz was a good reminder that, as hyped up as each "Idol" season becomes as the thousands of contestants get narrowed down to the final 10, this is a contest for amateurs and less-than-seasoned professionals.

Jones, for one, has gained great confidence since her bid for stardom on Season 6, and it showed in her ease onstage, her powerful vocals and her comfort in chatting about her life since "Idol" (a part in Broadway's "The Color Purple" and an impending marriage). Working her enormous voice around songs including Donna Summer's "Last Dance," "God Bless the Child" and "Diamonds Are Forever," Jones commanded the small but elegant room and had the audience cheering.

After all three opened the show together with Ashford and Simpson's "You're All I Need to Get By," Robinson, the music teacher with the Stevie Wonder hair, offered "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," talked about how he was cowed by Simon Cowell to stay away from other Wonder songs, and segued into the terminally treacly "If Ever I Would Leave You."

He has a pleasant voice, an easy rapport with the audience, nice delivery at times but - and I'm so sorry to have to do a Randy thing here - but he does get pitchy here and there.

Season 3's Lewis, who looks like he just folded a bad hand at a dorm poker game, took the stage next with some unfortunately overarranged cover versions of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and Van Morrison's "Crazy Love." He found his footing with gentler songs such as Janis Ian's "Break the Silence," from his new CD (which comes out July 22, he said twice).

Actually, Lewis is still looking for what the "Idol" judges often call a contestant's "comfort zone." He's not a great entertainer, but Lewis is passable when he's not trying so hard to rock out like Daughtry with hair.

Music director and pianist Michael Orland led a versatile ensemble of Terrence Higgins on horns and synthesizer, Vance Okraszewski on drums and Lynn Keller on bass.

Next week, the winner of Season 7 - David Cook - as well as the nine finalists (representing probably the single weakest season of "Idol" yet, by the way), will roll into HP Pavilion for this year's "Idols" summer tour. If you go, look closely at the performers and try to remember their names and faces. In a few years, they're likely to be on the Rrazz stage, if they're lucky