Idol fantasies

If you love singing or listening to people sing while you get your tires rotated, this might be a good day to visit Les Schwab.

Today, dozens of aspiring young vocalists will line up outside tire stores hoping to join the ranks of American Idol champions Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, Ruben Studdard, Kelly Clarkson and Courtney Parks.

What? You’ve never heard of Parks?

Well, perhaps that’s because her American Idol career was a little on the short side.

Last year, after a three-month local competition, Parks was named Spokane Idol 2004.

The competition’s coveted prize was a free two-day trip to San Francisco to audition for American Idol’s preliminary judges – the ones who listen to contestants before they’re sent on to Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.

When Parks arrived at the audition at 6 a.m., she and the 1,500 other contestants were told that the judges had already filled all the spots, so no one would be advanced from San Francisco.

Parks was a little bummed, but she sang her heart out anyway, choosing Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman” for her 45-second spot.

“They said, ‘Well, you’ve got one of the best voices we’ve hard so far,’ ” she said. “But they were only sending the really bad people through.”

Apparently, for entertainment value, a number of not-so-talented singers are sent through the first round to audition before Fox’s cameras and the three famous judges.

Parks went back to Spokane, a trip to San Francisco and an experience richer.

Although the structure of Spokane Idol is similar to the national show – six rounds of preliminary auditions to choose semi-final contestants – the judges don’t clown around much.

Parks, who’s one of four judges this year, said so far they’ve heard some very talented people and only a few ear burners.

“There was one guy at the first audition and he did ‘Star Spangled Banner,’ ” Parks said. “I couldn’t tell if he got up there on a dare or if he was really auditioning. I said, ‘If that was a real audition, you’re wasting my time.’ “

It sounds a little harsh, but it could be worse.

Unlike the sometimes dream-shattering Simon Cowell, the final judge on Spokane Idol’s panel is the polite and pleasant Katie Ostrom, who, along with Marcella Wilson, was chosen as an everyday music lover with no vocal expertise. That part is left to Parks, who had eight years of voice lessons, and Julianne Young, an image consultant. Together, they’re searching for someone who has great vocal talent and stage presence.

Like 19-year-old Sara Xaviel, one of the 45 people who already auditioned on July 9.

She sings a lot, but not usually in public. She made an exception for Spokane Idol because her brother, David, wanted her to try out.

For her 60 seconds of a cappella glory, Xaviel chose to sing Michelle Branch’s “Everywhere” to the background music of Sprague Avenue traffic.

The only real criticism from the judges was the way she held the microphone and they advanced her to the next round.

“I’ve never won anything so it’s kind of cool,” Xaviel said.

About 36 people – six from each of the six auditions – will compete in the semifinals at Pig Out in the Park over Labor Day weekend. The best performers will advance to the finals at the Spokane County Fair brought to you by local sponsors Les Schwab Tires, KAYU Fox 28 and KZZU 92.9 FM.

At the auditions today you should be prepared for a unique singing venue: at the last audition a stage was positioned under a gazebo (it rained) between Les Schwab Tires and a Saturday-busy Sprague Avenue. And Ziggy of Ziggy’s Hardware wandered around the stage area passing out Tootsie Rolls as people sang.

Parks said that, like last year, most of the contestants are singing similar styles – Christina Aguilera or Bobby Darin.

A few people are trying new things. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

Sporting Carharts, a U-Haul employee shirt and his assistant manager nametag, 21-year-old James Elliot drove to the last audition, spontaneously on his lunch break, after hearing about the competition on the radio.

He was a little unprepared, but the judges agreed that his rendition of Garth Brooks’ “Unanswered Prayers” featured a nice deep voice hidden under nerves.

“Know that you can do it, and it’ll come out 10 times better,” Parks told him.

The Hayden, Idaho, resident was disappointed in his performance.

“That was horrible,” he said. “I needed a little more preparation for that, I guess.”

Organizers aren’t sure yet which national audition the local winner will be sent to, but Parks hopes this year’s idol champion will have better luck than she did.

She adds that winning Spokane Idol has made her more serious about having a career in music.

“I wasn’t going after that. And now I am,” she said.

She auditioned last year simply to see if she was good enough to win the competition. But her victory also moved her to make a demo tape that’s now in the hands of her new hero, rocker Joan Jett – a far cry from Parks’ Broadway roots.

“I just wanted her to hear it because she inspired it,” she said. “When I met her, I was like, ‘ … I wanna do rock.’ “