Getting To Know Lauren Alaina of American Idol

What is your favorite thing about touring?

It would definitely be being able to tour and pump up crowds across the country. I love to have my audience dance and jump up and down while I perform. I will let them know I want them to get up as soon as I get on stage.

What are the two things that that you have to have while you are touring?

My mom!!! My mom and sweet tea! There are not a lot of places that we tour that don’t have sweet tea so I have to make it myself while I am on tour.

 If you could tour with any two artists who would they be?

I would absolutely love to tour with Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. That would be incredible!

Who has been the most exciting celebrity that you have met? I see that Justin Bieber follows you on Twitter.

I know, I saw that two or three days ago and I thought how sweet is that [Lauren pumps her fist]. I have met a lot of great people since I have been on American idol. One of my favorites has probably been Keith Urban. He came up to me, knew my name right away and I was blow away.

What song are you most excited about singing tonight?

I would have to say my Carrie Underwood cover. I love singing her songs.

We know you and Scotty are really close, are you and the rest of the idols the same way?
Yes we are all really close. To be honest that guy over there [Points at Paul McDonald] are really close. I think of him like another big brother and love his Fiancé.

You seem to me very down to earth, I have seen interviews where you have said “Everything happens for a reason.” Is this your approach on life or is this something you have been taught by your family.

Well, it is something that I have been raised with. Everyone asks me about coming into second place on Idol, but God has a reason for that. I just go out and trust in God because he has a plan. My family has been very supportive throughout this and has taught me some great qualities.

 Here is a question from one of our Facebook Fans (Tiffany Braswell)- “Have you become more confident that you are a great singer now that you are on the road? I can’t wait for the show!”

I started becoming very confident in myself around the top 4 on the show. At first I started to read some of the negative things that I shouldn’t have and as a teenager you don’t want to hear all that kind of stuff. I am very confident now and I am just being myself.

 Here is a question from another Facebook Fan (Karen Pirkle)- “Where do you see yourself on down the road?”

I have a cd coming out in mid September-October ish… somewhere during then. Hopefully my CD will do really well and I can tour with Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood!!

 

American Idol Live

In a little over twenty-four hours The Arena at Gwinnett Center will be moving and grooving to the voices of our favorite contestants of season 10 American Idol. The concert will take place at 7:00pm and will showcase our favorite jazz, rock and roll, R&B, and country covers that made this season one of the best American Idol has ever had. The sold out arena is already setting up for what should be one of the best concerts of the summer.

We expect to see Scotty McCreery and our own Georgia native Lauren Alaina give a goose bump duet, rock out with James Durbin, and see unforgettable performances by  Casey, Haley, Jacob, Naima, Paul, Pia, Stefano, and Thia that we saw during season 10. This past season Georgia has seen the highs and lows of the contests, but have not experienced a live performance like this. Now everyone has their chance and those who do will get hear great new song mixes including Katy Perry (Sold out Gwinnett Arena in June) and Usher (Atlanta’s very own).

Check back after the show to see our blog of everything that happened.

Maná

Maná

Maná, a Latin rock band played our Arena last night. Weeks before the band played I did some research on Google to find out as much as I could about Maná. In this business it helps to know as much as you can about the shows that are performing at your arenas and I learned a lot about them. First off, I had no idea that Maná had won over 4 Latin Grammy Awards and over 4 MTV Music Video Awards. After reading that one sentence I knew that we were going to be in for a treat.


The first thing that pops into my head when I think about seeing a live show is how good or bad the band or artist might sound. I have been to many concerts who have not sounded well and we have all heard the errors and misfortunes on TV. Maná front man Fher Olvera was nothing short of incredible! Even though I cannot understand spanish, I could not help but relate to the rythem or tone of the songs Maná played. I quickly found myself nodding my head as Sergio Vallín ripped on his gutiar. I was loacted in the pit for the first threee songs and could feel the excitement and rush Maná gives to their fans. I will have to point out that Maná may have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans that I have seen.

Gwinnett Arena News

I wanted to take this time to point out some awesome shows that will be coming up at the Arena. Enrique and Pitbull will be performing October 20th- this should be a fantastic show! We have just announced two new shows that will be coming in November. We will have the Foo Fighters on November 7th and Reba with The Band Perry on November 12th. Go to our website at www.gwinnettcenter.com to check out all the information!

Josh Groban

By:  Melissa Morris (melissaal05)

I have been a Josh Groban fan for years, a fan club member for 7 years and this was my first JG concert experience.  And, I have to say, he certainly lived up to all my expectations and beyond.

At first, I was devastated because I thought the concert would have to be cancelled due to his illness.  I said God, you let me get the front row seats that I prayed so hard for, please don’t take them away from me.  I prayed, A LOT!  And, I was so thankful that he recovered & the concert went on as scheduled.  If not, I would have been sitting in a dark corner, listening to his cd’s and crying for days, literally!

From the moment Josh took the stage, he blew my mind.  Yes, I’ve listened to his cd’s for years, but hearing him sing live, that was a whole new experience.  From the singing to the piano playing to the drums, I am just so amazed by all his God given talents.

He is such a kind & caring person.  He is always wanting to do the best for his fans & he certainly did that with the fan interaction.  From taking questions to singing Happy Birthday to a 17 year old (how lucky can you get), to the very lucky fans who got to sit on the stage while he sang a couple songs.  We were just truly blessed by his presence.

When he sang his final song, his “signature song”, YOU RAISE ME UP, I had tears in my eyes.  Not just because it is such a moving song, but, because we had to say goodbye.  I certainly did not want the night to end.

He is and always will be my favorite performer.  Not only because of his talents, but because he is such a kind soul.  And, I love his smile!  I am so glad I got to share my experience with my daughter.  Thank you Josh for making MY dream come true.  Hopefully next time I will actually get to meet you.  Now that would be a wonderful blessing! 

Since the Duluth concert, I have now decided to attend the concert in Charleston, SC with another Grobanite that I met in Duluth. Making new friends because of Josh.  I cannot wait for my next concert!  Stay safe!

This picture was sent in by our Guest Blogger from the

Josh Groban Concert

Katy Perry

I am not sure where to begin with the Katy Perry Blog so before I start I wanted to let everyone know that Katy Perry had one of the best performances and set deigns that I have seen in a long time. If you like shows that keep the fans involved and you want to see a display of fireworks, foam, and lasers then this is the show for you!


Just hours before the show Katy Perry put on her twitter account “I AM SO EXCITED FOR TONIGHT I MIGHT ESPPPPPPLOAAAAD #ATLANTDREAMS.” From then on I knew this concert was going to be one of a kind and I quickly thought about what things may be in store since we were the first show on her North American tour. I was out taking pictures of Katy’s fans hours before the show started and the one thing I noticed was how incredibly excited every fan was to see Katy perform. It’s you the fans who drive these shows and make a magical experience for everyone at the arena.


The crowd roared and girls screamed when Katy took the stage in her white dress flowing with moving peppermint candies as she broke into one of her hit song Teenage Dream. Katy, an energetic superstar whose costumes fit the tour, cd, and songs perfectly did not let her fans down when she broke into I Kissed A Girl, Hot n Cold, and E.T. The music terrific, but that was not the highlight of my evening. The highlight of my evening was during one of her breaks when she started talking to the audience. She asked if she could be our Georgia peach for the night and then stated something I was not expecting. “If I had the choice of an In-N-Out burger over the Chick-fil-A, I would not do it. I would pick the Chick-fil-A.” Katy then pointed on how great their Polynesian sauce is.


Another high point of my night was getting to see Katy interact with some of her biggest fans. I was down stairs of the arena for Katys meet and greet and was blow away by her beauty and her loyalty to her fans. She was not only interested in her fans, but more than willing to sign an autograph or take a picture and for that I commend Katy Perry.




Please check out some of our fan photos at www.facebook.com/gwinnettcenter or www.gwinnettcenter.com/photogallery