Jay Cronley: OKC looks good as 'Idol' backdrop at boathouse
BY JAY CRONLEY World Staff Columnist
Sunday, February 03, 2013
2/03/13 at 5:09 AM
Too much of "American Idol" is focused on people who sound like equipment failure.
As those granted on-air auditions had to send in tapes, it's obvious that embarrassingly bad singers, along with hissing judges, have become talent-show staples.
Who won "America's Got Talent"?
Who won "X Factor"?
Who cares?
At least "American Idol" can shake actual singing talent out of the sticks and the joints.
OKC on "Idol": "American Idol" took its audition sideshow to Oklahoma City recently, anchoring the audition bus at the Devon Boathouse, bringing to mind this question: What Devon Boathouse?
The way "Idol" auditions usually work is, it picks out the most representative scenic element of any location, with history and tradition playing key roles.
Had the auditions been held in Tulsa, they would have probably used the leafy values of Gilcrease or Philbrook.
Here is what Oklahoma City is currently best known for:
1. The Thunder of the NBA.
2. The elegant bombing memorial downtown.
3. The Cowboy Hall of Fame.
4. Bricktown (though most Bricktowns look alike).
5. The Milk Bottle building.
The Milk Bottle building on Classen was built in 1930 and has a big bottle on top of what used to be a tiny grocery and is now a fine sandwich shop.
MAPS blueprint: What Devon Boathouse?
The Devon boathouse is on the Oklahoma River, which used to be a trickle called the Canadian River.
We used to have beer busts on the Canadian and frequently found ourselves with more beer than water.
The boathouse area is the home of the Oklahoma City University rowing team.
OCU has the famous music school that puts out all the Miss Oklahomas.
The Oklahoma River is now full of water and runs seven miles through the flatlands, through three dams, past the stockyards and Wiley Post airport.
A round-trip boat ride is $12.
In 2009, between 20 and 45 athletes fell ill after swimming in the Oklahoma River, which had at one time served as a drainage ditch.
The Boathouse area is a popular wedding site and has earned 4.5 rating stars out of 5 on WeddingWire.
Suffice it to say, the "Idol" national TV experience reinforces the point that few have done more with less than gutsy Oklahoma City.
Original Print Headline: OKC looks good as 'Idol' backdrop at boathouse
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