The American Idols Live! Concert is comparable to a three hour karaoke extravaganza. However if you are addicted to the hit Fox reality show, then the show is certainly worth the price of admission. I attended the American Idol 3 tour at a packed MCI Center in D.C. on August 22 along with a packed arena full of teenie-bopper music fanatics and their equally fanatical parents.The tour featured the top ten finalists from latest American Idol competition, most notably season three winner Fantasia Barrino. The finalists put on solo and group performances consisting of songs they had performed on the show as well as their renditions of some of the top tunes of all time. The singing from all of the top ten at the concert certainly proved that each of the contestants had vocal talent, but that not all of them have what it takes to make it in the music business. Therefore, while the Idols concert was entertaining, the performances were about as forgettable as Justin Guarini's first album. The first half of the show featured solo performances in the order of which the contestants were eliminated, finally leading up to Barrino. First was Amy Adams, who warmed up the crowd with an energetic performance of the soulful tune "Knock on Wood." Adams had swapped her trademark pink hair from the show for a new black hairdo. Next Camile Velasco, dubbed a young Lauryn Hill by the judges during the season's competition, sang the artist's signature track "Ex-Factor." She was followed by John Peter Lewis, known as JPL to his legions of devoted female fans. While singing Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," he ran out into the audience during his performance to the delight of lovestruck teenage girls waving "Marry Me JPL" signs.

Jennifer Hudson, a surprise early boot from this year's competition, sang Aretha Franklin's "Since You've Been Gone," showing off her voice as well as a new and improved sense of style with her pale green outfit. Redhead John Stevens, the youngest performer on the tour, displayed his talent potential by singing in his specialty style, Sinatra, with "Come Fly with Me." Carrying his signature white towel, George Huff won over the crowd with his fun-loving attitude and buyout smile on a cover of The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud Too Beg." Diva wannabe La Toya London and Hawaii's hero Jasmine Trias displayed their vocal range and talent on Mariah Carey's "My All" and Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know," respectively. Season three runner-up Diana DeGarmo seemed much older than her seventeen years on Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" and her current original single, "Dreams."

The crowd went crazy when Barrino took the stage at the end of the first act to sing "Summertime," originally from the opera Porgy & Bess. She then got the audience even more excited with an energetic performance of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." While Barrino has one of those unique voices you either absolutely love or can't stand, her ability to be herself and feel comfortable on stage is undisputed. Barrino constantly waved and smiled out at the crowd as she did her "Bobo" hop dance across the stage.

The group performed a non-stop medley of classic and current pop hits before the intermission, the second half may as well have been an unoffical a tribute to Prince, since so many of the former Idol contestants performed songs by the legendary pop icon. The group opened with a take on Prince's "When Doves Cry." Barrino got emotional on "Purple Rain" while London showed why she was the best dancer of the lot as she grooved her way through Prince's "Kiss." Throwing in today's hit music as well, the girls bounced Beyonc style to "Crazy in Love," and the whole group got wistful on The Black-Eyed Peas' "Where is the Love?"

Some of the Idol contestants outdid their performances from the first half of the concert during their solos in the second act. Trias showed off the range of her musical talent, playing the piano while singing Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You." Stevens amazed the audience on Sinatra's "My Funny Valentine" while DeGarmo mesmerized the crowd gospel-style with Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." Adams, Hudson and London sang a soulful rendition of Destiny's Child's "Dangerously in Love" that was almost as good as the original while Huff performed a sweet acoustic version of The Darkness's rock-style tune, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love." Meanwhile, JPL, with his dorky rendition of OutKast's "Hey Ya!" should be congratulated for finding a way to make this year's Grammy-winning track sound like a bust. Barrino sang her current single "I Believe," followed by a group performance of a ridiculously perky version of Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" to close out the concert.

Watching the American Idols Live! concert, it was evident how much every contestant had improved since being on the show. Each singer's voice seemed more developed and controlled, and many now appeared more comfortable performing on stage for thousands than they ever did performing in front of the TV camera and studio audience. Furthermore, each Idol contestant's passion for singing and love of performing shone through on stage. Yet while all the members of this past season's top ten were clearly talented, they will most likely be remembered for doing good covers rather than making good music. It's just sad that out of the top ten, only Barrino will have a realistic shot at making it in the music business. Instead of calling the American Idols Live! Concert a thank-you to their fans, the group of ten former contestants should probably call it their farewell tour.