Adam Lambert leads American Idol fans in Indy concert

The androgynous wonder placed second in this year's televised talent search, American Idol, and even the shortest flash of Adam Lambert on video screens -- sometimes revealing nothing more than his eyes -- sparked shrieks of excitement before the concert and during intermission.

He finally arrived in the flesh, belting Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" as a Broadway show-stopper that zoomed high notes over the moon and assorted planets. He brought none of Robert Plant's bluesy yearning, but "American Idol" is predicated on thrills, not pain.

So credit Lambert -- who mentioned Indianapolis as his home from birth until a move to California as a toddler -- for exploring angsty emotions on "Mad World," originally recorded by Tears for Fears and starkly remade for the 2001 film "Donnie Darko."

While Lambert resembled Elvis Presley as seen on the "'68 Comeback Special," his leather gear included the goth accents of tails, shoulder spikes and fingerless gloves.
For fun, he sang Foghat's "Slow Ride" as a duet with fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta. Lambert's deft delivery of various moods stalled, however, with an aimless closing medley of David Bowie's "Life on Mars," "Fame" and "Let's Dance."

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