We just caught wind via the San Jose Mercury News that James Durbin, the American Idol contestant who was voted out of the competition this week, will indeed perform to a hometown crowd in Santa Cruz this Saturday evening as originally planned. It's all part of what's being called: Durbin Day.
A day after he was eliminated from competition on "American Idol" and his official "Idol" homecoming to Santa Cruz was cancelled, Durbin will come to town after all, as originally planned.
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk announced an agreement today with "American Idol" that will allow "Durbin Day," scheduled for Saturday, to proceed even though the 22-year-old Durbin is no longer in the competition.
The event was originally cancelled because "Idol" said Durbin would not be available to travel to Santa Cruz because of commitments to the show. But on Friday, "Idol" agreed for the first time in its history to allow an exception and to sponsor an eliminated competitor for a homecoming concert.
Traditionally, the show only sponsors hometown trips for the top three. Durbin finished fourth in the competition.
Though some details may change, the event will still include a visit to the Louden Nelson Center, a processional to the beach and a concert on the stage at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
"American Idol" has confirmed that it will allow Durbin to come to Santa Cruz. The homecoming event will not, however, be broadcast on "Idol."
The new schedule includes a kids' rally from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. followed by a walking processional to the Beach Boardwalk. At 5 p.m., Durbin will sing three songs with the White Album Ensemble at the Boardwalk's bandstand. More
And don't pretend you don't care. Based on the amount of comments we received on previous Durbin posts, we'd beg to differ.