Crystal Bowersox, the hometown girl, and the troupe of “American Idol” contestants rolled into Toledo early Sunday morning and back out again late that same night.

In the brief hours between coming and going she managed to grab a few winks of sleep, graciously conducted interviews at an afternoon press conference, signed autographs, greeted fans and performed before a near-capacity crowd – estimated at over 6,800 – of family, friends, and ‘MammaSox”-crazed fans at the Huntington Center.

Joining her onstage was Lee DeWyze, the reigning “Idol” champion, and the rest of the show’s top 10 finishers from season nine: Didi Benami, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban.

In her return to Toledo with the American Idol Live! tour, Crystal Bowersox performed an emotional rendition of “Holy Toledo,” which she dedicated to a close friend from Chicago who died last week. (Press photo by Scott Grau)

Bowersox, who finished as the “Idol” runner-up, performed a four-song set that included “What’s Up” (4 Non Blondes), “Come to My Window” (Melissa Etheridge), “Holy Toledo,” which she wrote and composed herself, and the classic “Piece of My Heart” (Janis Joplin).

Her emotional performance of “Holy Toledo” was dedicated to a close friend from Chicago who died last week. “I wish that I had more time,” Bowersox sighed when asked what she was going to do while home. “We rolled on in early this morning. I slept and then we came to the venue and we really don’t leave the venue until the show is over… and then we’re off to Cincinnati.

“But I got a few days off after the tour and I will be coming home to spend some quality time with my family and friends,” she added.

Cincinnati on Monday and Indianapolis on Tuesday were the final two stops on the summer tour. Toledo was the 42nd stop on the 44-date tour and the fifth night in a rigorous string of seven straight concert performances that included stops in St. Louis, Des Moines, Minneapolis, and Chicago before arriving in Toledo.

The American Idol Live! tour kicked off at the Palace at Auburn Hills in the northern Detroit suburb on July 1 and has crisscrossed the country from coast to coast for the past two months.

While living on a tour bus and out of a suitcase has come to an end, Bowersox fully expects to be on the road again soon. “I’m always going to be working…in New York, LA. Chicago…wherever I can and hopefully internationally.”

Although she has fond memories of growing up in Elliston and northwest Ohio, Bowersox does not see herself returning to the area on a permanent basis.

“I’ve been away since I was 17. I moved to Chicago and had my life there but I would come home for holidays and weekend visits and things. I don’t know if I would come back permanently, but I do want to buy a home here so that I have a place to come back to for my son and everything. There will be some level of permanency,” she said. “I love northwest Ohio with all of my heart,” the 25-year-old singer-song writer said, “and it’s been really, really amazing to grow up here. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t choose anywhere else to grow up.

“It’s funny when you are young you try so hard to get out and then now that I am out all I want to do is come home and spend some time here.” she said.

On to the next stage
The self-described “country-girl tomboy” is looking forward to moving on to the next stage of her career and to life beyond American Idol. Bowersox is scheduled to perform at the “Power to the Peaceful” concert Sept. 11 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. After that, she will focus in earnest on developing her debut album.

In June, Bowersox inked a recording contract with 19 Recordings/Jive Records, joining other “Idol” alums such as Kris Allen, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert and Carrie Underwood who are on the same label.

“After the tour, I will be heading to San Francisco for a three-day festival with a musical influence hero of mine, Michael Franti and his band, Spearhead.” With a sparkle in her eyes, Bowersox said, “I am so stoked. It’s my first gig outside of ‘American Idol’ and it’s a peace rally.

“I feel like it’s a predecessor to the kind of career that I am going to have and the kind of musicians that I also see myself with. That’s the path that I want to take – more of the music activism than anything else,” she said.

When asked if she was surprised by her new-found success and fame, Bowersox shook her head, emphatically stating she was not. She explained that this is exactly what she foresaw for herself and what she wanted for her life.  “When I was 10 I saw it. I had blinders on. I have always had blinders on. I saw where I wanted to be and here I am.” she said.

Discussing her current success, she said she views life as ever-changing cycles and phases that we all go through, adding that she believes that learning is a constant process. “The minute that you think that you know it all and you got it all is the minute that you will lose everything because it’s never that way,” she said.

“It’s all about discovery,” she said. “I want to see what happens next in every phase of my life. It’s not over yet. It’s just starting.”

Bowersox attributes her experiences as a “busker” or street performer in the subways and on the streets of Chicago as great preparation for becoming the musician that she is today.

“Try singing over subway trains,” she challenged. “Try belting out and making sure people hear you when you got a subway train going this way and that way – and the acoustics down there. You can’t even hear yourself talk, that’s how loud it is. But people could hear me sing.” she said, emphasizing the point by thumping her fist on the tabletop.  With the prospect of a bright successful future seemingly before her, Bowersox is quick to point out that she remembers where she came from. She tells the story of a street musician that was playing jazz blues songs on the saxophone outside the Scottrade Center in St. Louis during the tour stop there last week. She said that she went outside just after the concert had started and began singing along with the man in the street. As people began to recognize her, Bowersox said that she decided to help the man out by offering to have her photo taken with anyone on the condition that he or she would tip the musician first.

Before she left to go back into the venue to perform, she helped raise more than $1,000 for the man, she said. Bowersox said the musician had no idea who she was but that he was profoundly grateful for the money.

With tears in his eyes, the man asked her who she was and Bowersox simply replied, “I ain’t nobody.”

“I was in his place a little over a year ago.” she said.

Reflecting on how her life has changed since “American Idol,” Bowersox said, “My life has changed because I no longer have to play in the streets, but I am dying to do it.

“I want nothing more than to go back to Chicago and play on the subway–for the joy of it,” she said.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed