‘Idol’ auditions coming to Jacksonville

[Traveller]

Auditions for the eighth season of American Idol will be held at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Wednesday, August 13.  Just think if the city had kept its movie industry from the 1910's.  Randy Jackson might very well be shouting, "WELCOME TO JACKSONVILLE!" to successful auditioneers.

http://news.jacksonville.com/justin/2008/06/26/idol-auditions-coming-to-jacksonville/

http://www.americanidol.com/news/view/?pid=1367

[Jason]

I've been wondering when Jax would be included on the tour.

It'll be neat to see how the city is showcased.

Hey, you never know.  I may just put on my Superman outfit and make a fool of myself just for a shot at making national television.  I even have a crappy voice to go with it! 

[KenFSU]

The Good News:

Aside from the Super Bowl, this will be the single biggest exposure the city of Jacksonville has received this decade. One to two hours of the absolute biggest American television ratings juggernaut exclusively dedicated to the city of Jacksonville. The audition episodes usually pull in 30+ million viewers per episode. Twice as many eyeballs watching as the World Series, nearly three times as much as the NBA Finals. You can't put a dollar value on being featured alongside cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, Salt Lake, etc. People don't even realize how big this is. For one Tuesday (or Wednesday) in January, Jacksonville will be on the very peak of American pop culture.

The Bad News:

Ohhhh boy does this have the potential to reinforce every single negative stereotype about the city of Jacksonville. I really, really hate to say this, as it will probably come across badly, but if the auditions get the kind of crowd that you see at country concerts or monster truck rallies here in town, you're looking at a reaaaaaaaaal scary depiction of the city. If a city is brimming with talented, edgy vocalists (like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc.), American Idol usually portrays the city in the brightest of lights. If the city is brimming with delusional amateurs, they can be downright vicious. They seem to have a special brand of viciousness reserved for the "yokels" and "hillbilly" types too.

I love it here, but this makes me nervous as much as it makes me excited. Hopefully we get an influx of talent from Orlando, Atlanta, Florida State and UF, etc. to supplement Jax's talent.

[Driven1]

yeah - if it is just a bunch of ignorant rednecks (they proliferate in Mandarin too - not just on the west or north sides), i doubt the network will even choose to broadcast that tryout.  that is, unless it is just completely moronic and then they may have a "oops, we made a mistake, look where we ended up" 15 minute clip or something.

[copperfiend]

What do you mean Driven? They will feature Jacksonville. They only go to a handful of cities every season and build complete episodes around each city. And it won't just be Jacksonville residents trying out. This is the closest tryout for people in Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta and Miami.

[I-10east]

^^^Well said Copper. Great news for Jax. There's no need to get nervous. Sometimes people forget that there's more to Jax than just a buncha "Stars & Bars" wavin' simpletons. We will be fine. I can't wait! 

[avonjax]

Remember that Phil Stacey was on Season 6, although he was not from Jax just stationed in the Navy here and last season two young ladies from Jacksonville made it to Hollywood. We could be surprised at the talent on the local level, and as was mentioned before we will draw from the other Florida cities and probably Atlanta.

[Jason]

Jax has plenty of talent.  I wouldn't be worried in the least.

[Coolyfett]

I've been wondering when Jax would be included on the tour.

It'll be neat to see how the city is showcased.

Hey, you never know.  I may just put on my Superman outfit and make a fool of myself just for a shot at making national television.  I even have a crappy voice to go with it! 

PLEASE!!!!! DOOO!!! THAT!!!!

[john stark]

Why aren't the auditions being held at the florida theatre?  This seems like a much better venue for this type of show.

[I-10east]

^^^Simple, because the FT is simply too small. Jax Arena is perfect for the AI auditions IMO; Why do you have a problem with the AI auditions being held at the Arena?

[john stark]

I don't "have a problem" with them being held there... I just feel like the Florida Theatre is more "Jacksonville" than the arena due to its rich history.  The FL Theatre is also closer to the heart of downtown.  E. Forysth is a much better representation of our city than our "sports complex area" which is only visited when there is a game or concert. American Idol obviously prefers the arena, I just wish they could have chosen a location with more character.

[brainstormer]

Remember, this is not just a one day event.  It is actually three; two days of "prelims" and then a day "before the judges" for those who are invited.  I wonder what the economic impact will be of having thousands of people road tripping to JAX.  People who travel from Atlanta or Miami are going to need a place to stay and they will all be eating somewhere.  If the city was really on top of things, they would be pulling out all the stops.  We want all of those people checking out our city; we need to promote Jacksonville.  Also keep in mind those who audition usually bring along their families and friends.  So what are we doing Jacksonville to capitalize on our free publicity?

[Jason]

Great point Brainstormer.  This will be like a mini superbowl that needs to be exploited to the fullest.

[Jason]

I've been wondering when Jax would be included on the tour.

It'll be neat to see how the city is showcased.

Hey, you never know.  I may just put on my Superman outfit and make a fool of myself just for a shot at making national television.  I even have a crappy voice to go with it! 

PLEASE!!!!! DOOO!!! THAT!!!!

If Bold City Brewery is willing to throw down on some "guts in a bottle" I might just get up the nerve to give it a go.  Kinda like a sponsorship.  I'll even sing a song about Bold City