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WKEE's Sheila and Jim soaking up American Idol mania live in L.A.

May 21, 2008 @ 10:37 AM

 Every weekday here in the Tri-State, it's Sheila and  Jim in the Morning on WKEE, 100.5-FM.
 

This week, they really mean it.
 

Sheila and Jim are in  L.A. for the American Idol finals, waking up at 2:15 a.m., getting ready for Sheila and Jim in the Morning West Coast style.
 

Fresh off of Tuesday night's finals, the dynamic morning duo checked in with The Herald-Dispatch about catching the Idol vibe live while taping their program live from 6 to 10 a.m. today.

  "You watch the show and you read all the hype in the magazines but you really can't believe the energy in the city during Idol," Sheila Redling said. "It is palpable. There's so much excitement, especially since we've been watching the whole season."

  Jim Davis said lines formed up at 11 a.m. Tuesday for fans to get one of the 7,000 seats inside for the finals taping.
 

During last night's first songs, David Cook performed U2's “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” while David Archuleta sang “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John.
 

Randy Jackson called the Archuleta vocal, hot molten lava and Sheila gave that an amen.
 

"When he sang 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' it almost threw me back against the chair," Sheila said. "His voice is colossal."

  Maybe so, but Jim and Sheila agreed that Cook definitely took the gutsier road, singing new songs and really performing like he was already an established artist.
  "I'm leaning David Cook - he was very risky and I loved the performance," Jim said.
  "He's 25 years old and Archuleta is only 17, he has the total package right now," Sheila said. "When he was on stage you can't take your eyes off him."
 

Sheila and Jim have been doing four to six hours of interviews a day and had everyone from David and David to former contestants like Ace Young and judges such as Paula Abdul stop by.

  Of the former Idol contestants, they heard a surround sound comment that they  wished they could have played their instruments on Idol. 

 "If you're a real musician then that guitar or piano is part of who you are as a performer," Davis said. "It's like your jamming in the garage or just sitting on the edge of the bed singing a song instead of just standing with a microphone in front of thousands of people." 
 

Sheila said she as bowled over seeing former Idol contestant Ace Young perform.
 

"Well besides his bedroom eyes we got to see him perform live and he has a very smooth and personable connection with the audience," Redling said. "There wasn't a big crowd and the orchestra, it was just him in his element with his band."
 

Armed with stories aplenty including Sheila moving past Michael Johns and Jason Castro for some mac and cheese (her first meal in more than 12 hours), Sheila and Jim will be at the Finals show tonight at airs at 8 p.m. on FOX.
 

Go online at www.wkee.com to listen to their interviews with the judges, the fans and the contestants past and present from American Idol.
 

Though they've been getting up at 2:15 a.m, doing interviews four to six hours at a time and getting 35 to 45 minute cat naps, they're loving every minute of the Hollywood sun.
 

"It's everyone," Sheila said of the pack of Idol zombies. "I just keep lots of Visine in my purse. That makes me the most popular girl at the party."