Partying with the 'American Idol Top 24

February 15, 10:35 AM

Lemme tell you, folks, you just haven't lived til you've spent Valentine's Day listening to American Idol vet Ace Young sing his cover of U2's "Vertigo."

While FOX's official network-sponsored party celebrating the Top 12 is several weeks in the future, Idol producers Fremantlemedia and 19 Entertainment got together with Garnier Fructis -- which explained the shampoo-bottle curtains, hair supplies in the bathrooms and mystery drinks dubbed "Fructinis" -- to honor the freshly minted Idol Top 24 on Thursday (Feb. 14) night at The Day After, a Hollywood hot spot that I usually can't get into without a press badge.

That FOX party will be a full-fledged media event with potential opportunities to interview my favorite remaining Idol singers, but Thursday's party was about introducing the Top 24 to the glamour of the Idol experience (Check out our Red Carpet photos).

Or, as Mr. Ace Young put it, as he took the stage, "I want to be the first one to welcome you guys to the fast life."

To be fair, Young's words were less an actual invitation and more a segue into a performance of a song that sure seemed to be called "Fast Life." In all, Young performed a whopping eight songs on Thursday night and although the main area around the stage began to thin out rapidly, I have to say that he isn't bad. If you'd asked me at this time two years ago, I'd have predicted that Young would win his Idol season. He didn't, but vocal and performance limitations aside -- he still hasn't figured out what to do at the mic other than look mighty pretty -- I'm not sure why he hasn't found a bit more post-show success.

Since the party was less about interrogation than observation, I just took advantage of the chance to check out the Top 24 up-close.

Some quick observations:

As I've said before, leaving talent out of the equation, this is unquestionably the best looking Idol crop ever. For the gals, Kady Malloy is an absolute bombshell -- like a curvier Dominique Swain -- and Alaina Whitaker is an underage Kady Malloy. Even if Luke Menard can't sing a note -- and the producers didn't have any interest in letting us hear him -- the guy's gonna get a soap opera gig in a second if that's what he wants.

A lot of the singers are really tiny. Ramiele Malubay's pint-sized, as are David Archuleta, Garrett Haley and Colton Berry. Asia'H Epperson isn't big, but even from a distance, her personality just explodes.

Alexandrea Lushington seemed to enjoy cracking people up and making funny faces in the group pictures. She'd be well-served to start showing that side of her personality immediately.

David Cook appears to have mostly shaved his soul patch. Good move. Now Jason Yeager needs to lose that blonde streak in his hair.

Up close, Robbie Carrico looks older than his age, while Amanda Overmyer looks younger than she's appeared on-screen.

I'm not going to go back into that whole "Ringers vs. True Amateurs" thing, but there's going to be a disconnect this season between the singers who are older, more experienced and have been through some of this before (Kristy Lee Cook, Michael Johns and Carly Smithson) and the younger, greener contestants for whom this is all new and fun. I wonder if that personality contrast is going to be visible to viewers at home on performance nights and if that will play into voting.

In addition to the current Top 24, the party brought out a Who's Who and Who's That of random former Idol contestants. Justin Guarini, who has taken on the curly hair and lightly scruffed patina of a missing Gibb Brother, is like the dean at these events, though anybody with half a degree in Idol-ology would have quickly recognized other long-running contestants like Jon Peter Lewis. It would have taken a more advanced study of Idol to be able to pick up on such quickly booted contestants as Alaina Alexander, Bobby Bennett or Amanda Avila (who looks fantastic, by the way).

Other celebs in attendance included Rachael Harris, Pamela Adlon and some pretty gal in a sash reading "Miss California." I'm just going to guess that she's the reigning Miss California, otherwise she should be sued for fraud.

But really, I know you only care about one thing, dear reader ...

Gift Bag Contents: One bottle Garnier Fructis fortifying shampoo and one bottle Garnier Fructis fortifying cream conditioner (both promising "Shine Burst"). One tub Garnier Fructis water-based shine wax ("With fruit micro-waxes!"). One squirt bottle Garnier Fructis glossing spray (also "With fruit micro-waxes!"). [The implication all being that if my hair shined just a bit more, I might also be an American Idol.] One Oscar Mayer Weinermobile whistle (fruit micro-waxes not included). One Nestle Crunch bar (broken). One American Idol Pop-Mic lollypop combining the pleasures of licking and batteries (labeled from Season 6). One gigantic coffee/beverage insulator sponsored by both Coca-Cola and Royal Caribbean. One gift certificate for a package of Dreyer's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream.