NEW Adam Interview By County Times in San Diego (GOOD Interview with new news on Adam's album, single, tour etc!)

Idol chatter: Five American Idols open up about life on the road
(BUT I've only extracted ADAM & Micheal's interview... why Mike? Read on and you'll understand!)

By PAM KRAGEN - pkragen@nctimes.com | Monday, July 20, 2009 9:09 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ----- It's four hours to show time on Saturday and the Idols are wandering in and around the San Diego Sports Arena, killing time before the curtain rises on the 10th stop of their 50-city American Idol Live concert tour .

Kris Allen, dressed in what looks to be the same plaid shirt, black jeans and high-top sneakers he'll wear in concert that night, wanders into the arena from the direction of the nearby swap meet clutching a large soft-drink cup. A smiling Lil Rounds carefully pads around barefoot, cotton balls stuffed between her toes, so as not to smudge her fresh French pedicure. Michael Sarver, Danny Gokey and Matt Giraud cheerfully sign autographs and pose for photos for the crowd of 100 or so fans waiting patiently outside. And inside the arena, Adam Lambert's feet are hot, so before he sits down for an interview he pulls off his boots and socks (mischievously handing them to an amused crew member) and reveals 10 toenails painted with the same onyx polish that's on his fingernails.

It's press hour, and a handful of print, online and television reporters have arrived for interviews. In each city on the tour, five Idols are chosen at random to meet with the press (though Lambert, the media and crowd favorite, always seems to end up in that random draw). On Saturday, the lineup was Lambert, Sarver, Allison Iraheta, Scott MacIntyre and Anoop Desai. Here are excerpts from those interviews:

Adam Lambert:

Dressed in a gray T-shirt and jeans, Lambert's slimmer than he appears on TV, and his dark eyeliner and mascara seem more exotic. He's friendly, funny, informal and far more spontaneous in his answers than the others.

L.A.-based Lambert grew up in North County, so he's excited to be home, but he's also a little bummed. His father (who lives here) is out of town and won't see this concert. The whirlwind tour (which arrived in town at 2 a.m. that day) will hit the road again that night for Arizona, preventing him from visiting Pride, San Diego's gay pride weekend under way in Balboa Park. And a persistent stalker has hacked into his Twitter, e-mail and iPhone account, forcing him to change numbers three times in recent weeks and cutting off his communication with his friends and fans.

But nothing can dampen the 27-year-old glam-rocker's cheer over the tour or his fellow tourmates, who have become like family. Although all of the concert reviews so far have proclaimed Lambert the star and the rest of the singers his back-up crew, he said that's caused hardly a ripple among the group.

"They just rib me about it," he said of his glowing reviews. "The guys read them aloud and it's just a way of relieving tension. We all get along really great."

The tour is going well. Most venues are sold out, or close, and reviews (while slanted in Lambert's direction) are good. The only hiccup was in San Jose, where a half-dozen protestors picketed against Lambert with "God hates fags" signs. On this subject, Lambert just shrugs.

"I don't think God hates fags, I think God hates hate," he says. "I just wish they'd channel their energy in a more positive direction. I'm just trying to be a singer."

On the subject of his new album, he says a couple of songs are already in the can. The goal is to record as much as possible during the few off days of the tour, and then pick the dozen or so of the best tracks for an album. The first single, a pop track, will be released around September/October with the album release slated for November. Lambert says he's helping co-write all of the songs, and perhaps one track on the album will be a cover.

Among the producers he's working with are RedOne (Lady GaGa), Linda Perry (Pink, Christina Aguilera), Ryan Tedder (writer of Beyonce's "Halo") and Greg Wells (Katy Perry). He's cautious about talking about a solo tour, saying the success of the album will dictate whether a tour will happen.

Lambert is in great demand for fan "meet and greets," but he admits that it's hard juggling the demands of the fans, some of whom feel a sense of ownership over his time because they helped vote him into stardom.

"It is hard. I really appreciate the fans and I try to do as much as I can to show them that and be as open as I can in interviews, but at the end of the day I need 'me' time. I have to hold something back for myself," he said.

Speaking of not holding back in interviews, Lambert said he purposefully spilled his guts in the recent Rolling Stone cover story. After months of heated speculation over his sexuality and what other secrets he might be hiding, Lambert said he thought he'd pull open the closet (and all of the cupboards, too) so there wouldn't be any "skeletons" left for the tabloids to dredge up later. "I didn't want to always be looking over my shoulder wondering what would be printed next."

So, then, there won't be any Adam Lambert sex tapes turning up online?

"Noooooooo," he answers with a laugh. "I've never made a sex tape ... thank goodness."

Michael Sarver:

Big, ebullient and courteous, Michael Sarver is a man with a lot to say. The 28-year-old Texan puts many of those thoughts into his songs ---- 902 at last count, and of those, 23 chronicle his journey since his "American Idol" audition ---- but on this afternoon he wants to talk about Lambert.

Sarver's a strong Christian (his tour costume is a white coat with large cross insignia over his heart) with conservative views and he's taken some heat for anti-gay comments he's made in the past. But Sarver wants fans to know that spending the past few months rehearsing and touring with the openly gay Lambert has changed him.

"I don't expect I will ever change my core beliefs, that's who I am, but I see things differently now after getting to know Adam, who's a great artist," Sarver said. "This exposure has let me see that people are different, and it's that difference that gives us our individuality. That's been my biggest lesson."

Sarver even lashed out at the anti-gay protestors at the San Jose concert via Twitter to defend Lambert, quoting bible verses about "judge not lest ye be judged." When asked about Sarver's change of heart, Lambert said they have grown closer and that he, too, has learned about tolerance from Sarver. "It's been good for both of us," Lambert said. "It's good for me to step out of my own liberal bubble and learn how to better coexist with people who are different from me."

The former oil rig worker is a married father of two, and talking about his far-away family is usually too difficult for him. But on this day he's excited, because he'll see them the next day in Arizona, for their first visit in two months. During the concert each night, he dedicates his songs to his wife, Tiffany, adding that he enjoys "saying in front of the world that I'm in love with my wife."

Although he prefers pop and R&B music, Sarver said he thinks his first album will be contemporary country, because of interest from fans and potential record producers. He said the tour is giving him a chance to showcase his musical and performing abilities in a way he never got the opportunity to do on the TV show.

Sarver is known as the Idol on this tour who spends the most time signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.

"They're the reason we're here and I hope I never forget that," he said. "It boggles my mind that they stand out there for hours just hoping to see us. Going out there is just my way of saying thank you."

Sarver's also happy to hit the stage first each night as the show's opening act.

"I really like it. I think I've got leadership qualities and this gives me the chance to be the leader," he said. "I get nervous every night but as soon as I go out there, the fans make you feel so welcome. It's a great feeling."

(Full article can be found here http://nctimes.com/articles/2009/07/20/entertainment/music/z81ae4e046338e15e882575f900019269.txt)

This is TwicPic from Michael Sarver!

NEW Adam Interview By County Times in San Diego (GOOD Interview with new news on Adam's album, single, tour etc!) Adammi10

this is awesome! thank you Smile

I love that Adam says, "God doesn't hate fags, God hates hate." cheers

Posts : 80 Points : 89 Join date : 2009-06-11

He is so so so good looking!

HE LOOKS AWESOMEEEE!

» SFBG.com Blog Interview of Adam - quite a good read!
» The Ultimate Adam LA TIMES Interview - ALL 4 PARTS!
» SanDiegoNewsNetwork Interview of Adam before his concert in San Diego
» Parade.com interview with Adam -> Good Read!
» Idols on tour: Talking with Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds (by Bob from Seattle Times)