How to Meet the American Idols on Tour

American Idol is officially over, but for some fans the real fun has just begun. The American Idols Live Tour kicks off July 1st in Glendale, Arizona and American Idol fans will be out en masse to watch the Idols perform and a lucky few will even get to meet their favorite American Idols face-to-face.

So how do you go from just being in the audience at the American Idol concert to actually snuggling up to David Cook or David Archuleta for a picture? Here are some tips to help you meet the American Idols while they're out on tour this summer:

How To Meet The American Idols on Tour Tip #1
Sign up for your favorite American Idols mailing list, fan club and MySpace

Information is power and the the only way to get that information is to be in the loop of your favorite American Idols appearances. If you're dying to meet David Archuleta or Jason Castro this summer, then get yourself over to their website, fan club website and MySpace right now and sign up. These sites will be the first places to know when and where David Archuleta is making an unscheduled or scheduled appearance.

Jason Castro currently blogs on his official MySpace page, so chances are good that he'll mentions things like when he's heading home for a couple days or maybe a certain tourist attraction that he wants to hit in the next city they American Idol Tour is playing in. Stay in the know and you'll be one step ahead of all the other Jason Castro fans out there.

How To Meet the American Idols on Tour Tip #2
Chat with other American Idol fans on fan boards

There are hundreds if not thousands of message and fan boards online dedicated to American Idol. Many of the AI fans that frequent these boards have stories of meeting their favorite American Idol contestant, like Brooke White or Michael Johns, and the pictures to back it up. Chat them up and find out how they did it. Did they win tickets to a special American Idol meet & greet? Did they wait for them outside the studio door of a talk show appearance like Regis & Kelly? Ask around and you'll soon be one step closer to meeting your favorite American Idol too!

How To Meet the American Idols on Tour Tip #3
Stalk the American Idols on the American Idols Live Tour

Ok, I don't mean like scary-stalking, but more like an "OMG I have to meet David Cook or I'll die!" kind of stalking. If you're an AI fan that has the time and resources to follow the American Idols on tour this summer, then go for it. The more time you spend following them from city to city, the greater your chances will be to actually get some face time with sexy rocker, David Cook or jailbait crooner, David Archuleta.

If you're planning on following the American Idols from city to city, you need to not do it in a way that's going to land you in court. Done right, with a little bit of planning and patience, you could turn this into the roadtrip of a lifetime for you and your friends. Head over the http://tour.americanidol.com/ to check out the American Idols Live Tour schedule for this year.

East Coaster's are in luck because the majority of the American Idol tour stops are located on the East Coast with only 7 stops on the West Coast (plus stops in Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Las Vegas). Two great cities to consider visiting are Salt Lake City and Kansas City, because the American Idols will actually be playing for two nights there. These cities are of course the hometowns of David Cook and David Archuleta. Keep an eye on the local paper and news stations there for news about any special appearances that they'll be making while they're in town.

How to Meet the American Idols on Tour Tip #4
Enter every contest possible to win tickets to an American Idol Meet & Greet

The Meet & Greet is the ultimate opportunity for American Idol fans to meet their favorite American Idol. You can usually find Meet & Greet contests by listening to your favorite local radio stations. But don't limit yourself to just your usual radio station. In my city, they're offering Meet & Greet tickets on several different radio stations, including the Easy Listening radio station that I personally can't stand. But hey, I'll listen to sappy love songs if it means I might possibly get to meet Brooke White or David Cook! Get your friends involved and split up to try to win Meet & Greet tickets - just be sure that you have a plan on who gets the tickets if one of you actually wins.

How to Meet the American Idols on Tour Tip #5
Arrive super-early to the American Idol concert

Let's say you've already got your American Idol concert tickets and you weren't able to score tickets to the Meet & Greet in your city, then you're going to have to give it a shot the old-fashioned way - by showing up super-early at the American Idol concert. Most concerts start at around 7:00 pm, so arriving super-early to try to meet the American Idol tour bus means getting there at 1:00 pm or so.

If you choose this route, please be respectful. Bring along your bright neon sign showing love for your favorite American Idol and don't forget to bring plenty of snacks and water to keep you fueled and hydrated during the day. Respect any rules that the American Idol handlers or security guards may have and you should have the chance to get your photo and hug with Jason Castro, David Archuleta or David Cook.