Check, check...(tapping mic)

(So much for a "tiny" tech glitch! Grrr...)

Monday's day off must have been a welcome respite indeed; as Kathy at Team Covington mentioned earlier in her lovely nostalgic post today, the Idolsphere's pretty serene. Of course, the calm comes with an undercurrent of impatience for Bucky fans--the 25th is just around the corner. (The prevailing wisdom is that the Big Announcement might not hit the wires until the following Monday, in the classic "bury news on Friday, merry news on Monday" tradition. "Patience"--it isn't just an Idol tour number anymore...)

Meanwhile, the Pop-Tarts parade continues; the Idols are in St. Paul tonight resting up (correction: enjoying a rave-up birthday party for Paris Bennett at Karma--happy 18th, Princess P!) before tomorrow's concert--there's already been a Taylor Hicks wave posted at MJ's Big Blog--and the reviews from the last few gigs have been...okay, y'all. Let's talk.

As Idol fans go, Bucky Covington supporters probably have some of the thickest skins around. We endured both Simon Cowell's sometimes incomprehensible blather (the man just doesn't get country music, folks--full stop) and the media's parrotting of same, even as Bucky turned in some truly solid performances. By the finale, of course, some of his detractors had time to comtemplate what they'd missed, and Bucky sounded great, looked great, and got some of his greatest reviews of the season as American Idol 5 came to a close.

I predict we'll go through the same cycle between this brutal, voice-mangling American Idols Live tour and Bucky's debut CD--which, it's safe to assume, will include some killer original songs, and more of that incredible raw/sweet Southern vocal sound that keeps you and me and all of us Bucky fans on pins and needles, waiting for the day when we'll be able to hear him sing his music, his way. The reviewers caught up with us once; they'll catch up with us again, I'm sure, but by then, we might not care. Bucky's got a habit of staying at least one step ahead of everyone's expectations.

Switching back to tour mode for a moment, a few fun memories and media have popped up: check out this cute pre-show fan photo (and a little IDF-style "hair appreciation"), and some new footage from the Chicago concert. A Taylor Hicks fan at the Fox boards kindly shared a nice shot of Bucky performing in Indianapolis (the show looks different in daylight, doesn't it?) and a Chris Daughtry fan offers a large set of Detroit concert photos here and here. (This great "Superstition" snap is a favorite.)

The tour resumes in Minneapolis/St. Paul on Tuesday--here's the Ticketmaster link, in case you're looking for last-minute seats--and then the Idols have a few days off as they travel West.

Back later with more news...see you soon!