The passage of the 15th and final season of American Idol may leave viewers feeling lost, but the legacy of past finalists lives on. It’s been a decade since Elliott Yamin and Blake Lewis placed high in seasons five and six, respectively. Now they’ve teamed up for The Soul Box Tour, an expanded version of a test run they embarked on last year.
The association dates back to season six when Yamin, inaugurating a tradition of visiting American Idol during the final weeks, met Lewis backstage. Lewis returned the respect by attending a Yamin concert with season six finalists Jordin Sparks and Chris Richardson, and Lewis and Yamin wound up performing together in an Idol alumni show.
For The Soul Box Tour, Lewis and Yamin perform duets and separate sets, with Lewis’ soulful vocals and Yamin’s penchant for beatboxing inspiring the tour’s name. Lewis has provided organic percussion to accompany Yamin on songs such as “Give It to You” from Yamin’s 2015 album As Time Goes By.
And Yamin’s assistance reproducing the multilayered vocals in Lewis’ No. 10 hit “Break Anotha” or backing Lewis on “Not Today” from the latter’s 2014 album Portrait of a Chameleon should offer hope to faithful followers of the holy grail of contestant-based reality shows.
Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel, 7:30 p.m. May 14, starting at $17 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849
