Adam Lambert 24/7 News

When Adam Lambert performed for hometown fans during the “American Idol” tour stop at the San Diego Sports Arena last July, he was the shiniest cog in the “Idol” machine. One year later, the 2009 “Idol” runner-up and Mt. Carmel High School graduate is the main event. He is back in town with songs on the radio, a media controversy on his résumé and a headlining tour that includes tonight’s sold-out show at Copley Symphony Hall.

The King of “Glambert” Nation was not available for an audience with the press, but with the help of some experts (and his proud father), here is a progress report on his post-“Idol” pop-culture reign.

ON THE CHARTS

Eight months after its release, Lambert’s debut album, “For Your Entertainment,” is still on Billboard magazine’s Top 200 album chart. It peaked at No. 3 and has sold nearly 700,000 copies in the U.S. so far. The single “Whataya Want From Me” peaked at No. 10 on the magazine’s Hot 100 chart, and his new single, “If I Had You,” is at No. 69 and rising.

Lambert’s sales aren’t in the same universe as, say, Carrie Underwood’s first post-“Idol” album, “Some Hearts,” which has sold 7 million copies since 2005. But with album sales at a record low, no one is selling 7 million copies of anything anymore. The debut album from Season 7 winner David Cook has sold 1.3 million copies since 2008, and 2009 winner Kris Allen has sold less than 400,000 copies of last year’s self-titled disc.

“I think Adam has done pretty well. His album went gold (selling more than 500,000 copies), which in this day and age is not bad at all,” said Billboard senior editor Ann Donahue. “From the beginning, he was obviously a showman. And now that he’s on tour, people are interested in seeing what he’s going to do.”

GRADE: B

ON THE ROAD

It has been a dismal summer-concert season, but while big tours such as Rihanna’s “Last Girl on Earth” extravaganza and Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair have canceled some dates due to low ticket sales, the 28-year-old Lambert has added more than two dozen dates to his theatrical Glam Nation Tour since tickets went on sale in late May. In addition to tonight’s concert at the 2,252-seat Copley Symphony Hall, Lambert sold out two performances at San Francisco’s 2,250-seat Warfield Theatre and two shows at New York’s 2,100-seat Nokia Theatre.

“He’s got a very visual show, which always helps a live artist,” said Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief and publisher of Pollstar, a concert-industry trade magazine. “His business has been very respectable. And as a relatively young act without a huge track record, if he can sell that many tickets a year after he was on the show, he has some real promise.”

GRADE: A

IN THE HOT SEAT

The same week Lambert’s album was released, controversy hit the fan. After the openly gay singer got a little too raunchy with some male band members during a performance at the American Music Awards broadcast, viewers complained, ABC canceled his appearance on “Good Morning America,” and Lambert was the subject of some intense media grilling.

But he never backed down or apologized, and judging by his subsequent invitations to appear on “The View,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show ,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” (not to mention his well-received “American Idol” mentoring gig), no one seems to be holding much of a media grudge.

“It was a little bit of a rude awakening for him,” said Adam’s father, Eber Lambert, who lives in South Park. “I don’t think he regretted it, but he was surprised by it. Lady Gaga was at the AMAs and other people he’s impressed by were there, and he got kind of amped up and he overdid it a little. I think he realizes that.”

This year, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation nominated Lambert for Outstanding Music Artist in its annual GLAAD Media Awards. Lambert lost to Lady Gaga, but he is such a big fan, he probably didn’t mind much. And GLAAD invited him to perform during the awards show in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B+

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Lambert’s galvanizing “Idol” performances landed him on the cover of Entertainment Weekly while the show was still on the air and on the cover of Rolling Stone shortly thereafter, leaving his post-”Idol” profile nowhere to go but down. If by down you mean headlining your own tour, getting airplay for your third single and wearing all the eyeliner and glitter your record company can buy.

“I think Adam is doing quite well for himself in the post-‘Idol’ world,” said Michael Slezak, senior writer with Entertainment Weekly. “He is who he is and he doesn’t compromise on that. He gets to be as provocative and goofy as he wants to be, and that’s a success in its own right.”

And whether he is charming the ladies of “The View” or encouraging fans to support art in public schools through his “Glam a Classroom” program, Lambert appears to have kept his feet on the ground and his heart in the right place. Which could be the greatest success of all.

“When all this started, I worried about the press and the feedback and how he would hold up with the scrutiny and constant barrage of opinions, but he’s handled it really well,” said Eber Lambert, who visited with his oldest son after a performance in Costa Mesa this week. “He’s been gracious and articulate and grateful to the people who support him. I’ve been really proud that aside from the music and his performances, he’s demonstrated that he’s a good guy.”

GRADE: An A from the pros and an A+ from Dad, who knows which achievements really count.

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