A whirlwind Friday with the Bowersox bandwagon
Written by Ashley Johncola | | stars@toledofreepress.comRyan Seacrest announced Crystal Bowersox, along with Lee DeWyze and Casey James, were our top three “American Idol” contestants, the excitement at FOXToledo and throughout the rest of the city kicked into high gear.
After “Crystal-izing” nearly 1,000 lollipops (by putting “American Idol” labels on them), I headed to the studio May 13 to prepare for her visit. The lobby of our building was awesomely transformed into a perfect small concert venue; the conference room was a green room lounge-like area with tons of drinks and snacks, including sushi (one of Crystal’s favorite foods) and several flavors of Crystal Light (get it?); the vibe surging through the halls was reminiscent of the hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve.
From the lobby, the crowd of gathered fans watched and waited for our local celebrity to arrive. When Crystal finally arrived, she posed for pictures, signed autographs, performed some of her original songs, took part in a live interview in the studio and only stopped for less than a minute to enjoy a bite of sushi (and chuckle at the Crystal Light). She said she feels that she has stayed exactly the same but the world around her is altogether different. Imagine going on vacation for three months and coming back famous … craziness!
Crystal Bowersox at Bowerstock
The FOXToledo crew —Allison Brown and I, along with Shaun Hegarty and Laura Emerson — got to ride in Mustang convertibles through the streets of Downtown Toledo for Crystal’s parade. We were in front of Crystal’s car, but you could hear and see the exploding applause and enthusiasm as she rolled by.
The Toledo concert at Levis Square was a success. People were packed on the lawn, on surrounding roofs and my personal favorite, on every level of nearby parking garages to get a glimpse.
Next it was time to head to Ottawa County. We stopped to eat at Blackberry Corner Tavern where a local resident showed us a picture of Crystal singing when she was 6 years old. After lunch we headed to the next parade and saw countless signs and banners cheering on and supporting Elliston’s “American Idol.” At this point I had chills trying to imagine what she must be feeling driving through her hometown and seeing all of this.
When Crystal performed this time, I was able to watch from backstage and stood right behind her boyfriend and baby, who was moving and grooving to his MammaSox’s jams (Catch some of the footage on my page at FOXtoledo.com!).
To see more of Crystal, Lee and Casey, just you watch “American Idol” on FOXToledo! I know I will be!
Ashley Johncola is the Face of FOXToledo.
Tags: American Idol, Crystal Bowersox
