The cynical music lover will argue that comparing "American Idol"

The cynical music lover will argue that comparing "American Idol" lineups is like discussing the merits of different bottles of pink zinfandel.

But from a fan's perspective, Season 8 was a really good year for the juggernaut reality television show. The producers got over their addiction to intentionally bad distractions (Sanjaya!) and seemed to be honestly looking for the most talented performers. Both the fifth and third-place finishers - Matt Giraud and Danny Gokey - could have won in a lesser year.

The latest American Idols Live concert reflected the new philosophy, offering a gimmick-free showcase for the ten singers who rolled through the Oracle Arena in Oakland on Saturday night. (And then at HP Pavilion in San Jose on Sunday.)

The not-quite-sold-out crowd seemed more subdued than previous shows, with one 15-minute exception. The audience made it clear that in the Bay Area, second-place finisher Adam Lambert was the majority choice. The androgynous, Bjork-like power singer didn't disappoint, giving the most memorable performance - justifying the crowd's decision to stand for every one of his songs, while sitting through most of Season 8 winner Kris Allen's performance.

Lambert came out dressed like he should have been in a dune buggy chasing Mel Gibson across the Australian Outback, and followed Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" with a medley of David Bowie songs - complete with a fake British accent. But it was still the low-key Allen who flirted with self-parody. As he tinkled the piano to Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," it sounded instead as if he might be trying to cover Dana Carvey's "Choppin' Broccoli." (Look that one up on YouTube, kids.)

Previous Idol traveling shows have tried too hard, relying on awkward group pairings and too-obvious attempts to wedge each singer into their stereotype (the rocker girl, the diva, the piano man ...). For this concert, the performers were simply trotted out from last to first, with each singing between two and five abbreviated covers. The night ended with a group version of "Don't Stop Believing."

Giraud was a standout in the pre-intermission set. The charismatic singer had a populist Rowlf-from-"The Muppet Show" thing going, following a rousing Black Crowes-y version of "Hard to Handle" with "Georgia on my Mind."

"I can't believe I was doing this in a hotel lobby a year and a half ago," Giraud gushed.

With a little luck, he won't be back there a year and a half from now

From:www.sfgate.com