Let me hear you, Westlake Center! When I say "Blake" you say "Lewis!"

For some reason we're more willing to devote an hour of our Friday lunch than an hour of our Tuesday evening to the American Idol cause. Seattlest hasn't seen a whole lot of the show but we decided to run down and check out Blake Lewis just now and we're glad we did. We showed up at noon on the dot and were subjected to 15 minutes of banter from some Q13 chick trying to interview Blake's old bandmates. "You're not giving us any dirt on Blaaaake!" she whined over and over. Kind of a performance art piece, that. He finally showed, fussed with equipment for another 15 and then did a Jamiroquai song and a Sublime song and an orignial which was, of course, full of the beat box. Oddly, B Lewis wasn't the best rythmist on stage as K.J. Sawka was backing him. If a friend hadn't told us that they used to appear at the Seamonster on 45th together we'd have figured Sawka for a straight-up poaching, K.J. remains the only percussionist we can think of who can carry a show on his own, and this was the most subdued we've ever seen him. And then Blake wasn't the best MC on the stage--Common Market showed and Blake rightly groveled at the feet of Scion. And then Mix-a-lot showed up and made Blake beat box for "Baby Got Back." And then Kenny G got on stage. Ok, he didn't, but a city councilwoman did drop his name to muted cheers and confused looks amongst the kinder set. We had to shuffle off through the crowd as Blake, Scion, Mix-a-lot, Sawka and the rest of Blake's band wrapped up an all-hands number. For the entire time Blake Lewis was the best final-3 American Idol contestant in the square.