Kris Allen shares his memories of attending the University of Central Arkansas.

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After individual sets, the ‘American Idol’ trifecta come together for a cover of Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy.’

The “American Idol” stars aligned Friday night (February 12), as Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen took the stage for an exclusive live event.

Ryan Seacrest’s “Rock My Town” concert brought out hundreds of lucky ticket winners, all of whom braved the cold for hours to make sure they got the best possible spot in the intimate Highline Ballroom.

Those who stayed were treated to a surprisingly loud Allen set. It smartly kicked off with his much-lauded cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless,” which has now evolved into a mash-up with the Coolio oldie “Gangsta’s Paradise.”

Later on, he played another ditty that earned him raves on “Idol,” the Swell Season’s “Falling Slowly,” except now Allen adds a few measures of U2′s “With or Without You” into the mix, making the song feel even more sweeping and emotional. So much so, in fact, that Glen Hansard stole Kris’ unique arrangement for a Swell Season show earlier this week, a tidbit Kris was eager to share with the crowd. (Allen also played his Michael Jackson week offering “Man in the Mirror” but left it untouched, presumably out of respect for MJ, whom Kris called “one of the greatest ever.”)

Allen’s been on the road the most out of the three on the bill, and it has paid off handsomely. His bandmembers sound like they have been playing together for years, and his stage presence has improved tremendously since his days on “Idol.” He no longer looks awkward when he performs without a guitar. In fact, “Can’t Stay Away,” “Written All Over My Face” and his cover of the the Beatles’ “Come Together” all showed off a newfound — dare I say it? — rock-star swagger that delighted the Kris fans bopping in the audience (even if nobody passed out, as Kris jokingly said was his goal for the night).

Even more exciting was when Allen and his band opened up the arrangements to his album songs. “Red Guitar” and “Is It Over” both approached jam-band territory at certain points, giving the 12-song set a dynamic ebb and flow.

The crowd cheered the loudest for Allen’s single “Live Like We’re Dying” (and least for the sore thumb of the night, the Pat Monahan-penned ballad “The Truth”), but the highlight was the infectious sing-along “Alright With Me.” Kris grabbed five fans out of the front of the audience to help sing backup. (A sixth “straggler” joined them.) As he helped one girl up, she suffered from “pants on the ground” syndrome, giving the crowd a nice view of her underwear. Allen, being a Southern gentleman, blushed as he stammered, “Oh gosh! Don’t … don’t look.” (It’s also important to note that Kris neglected to choose the ballsy fan who had thrown an Adam Lambert T-shirt at him earlier.)

Moments after Kris left the stage saying “Kradison thanks you,” Allen’s band returned for an encore, except this time they brought Lambert’s guitarist Monte Pittman with them. The crowd buzzed. Could it be? Would fans be treated to a one-of-a-kind collaboration?

Turns out, yes. Kris, Allison and Adam all traded verses on an electric cover of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” in an epic collaboration that played like a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame jam session: “Idol” edition. As Kris mentioned earlier in the night, “They’re my family, dude,” and that familial bond was on full display. While wailing into their mics, Adam picked up Allison, Allison draped herself on Kris, and Kris and Adam sang to each other while frenzied fans in the crowd desperately tried to keep up with their camera phones. When it all ended, the audience was in full flail mode.

If only those early exiters knew what they were missing.

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Appearances » 2010 » Kris Allen Enjoys Grammys Gift Lounge In Los Angeles – January 29, 2010

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They’re here: After many delay’s Kris Allen’s AOL Music Sessions are available for your viewing pleasure! Check them out after the jump.

Is It Over

Live Like We’re Dying

Red Guitar

Can’t Stay Away

O Holy Night (The sessions were supposed to be released before the holidays)

Also, an 9-part interview:

* Do you enjoy collaborative songwriting? HERE
* What has been your most stressful experience, so far? HERE
* What were some of the records that you listened to, growing up? HERE
* Tell us about the ‘Live Like We’re Dying’ contest. HERE
* Can you tell us about your connection with ‘O Holy Night’? HERE
* What was your worst gig before Idol? HERE
* Who would you want to model your career after? HERE
* What’s the story behind “Red Guitar”? HERE
* Is this the album that you always envisioned making? HERE

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While Adam Lambert took a brief break from singing in order to talk shop with other musicians on the Grammy red carpet, his American Idol cohorts Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta performed some of their singles for AOL Sessions. Catch Kris singing “Live Like We’re Dying” after the jump.

“Live Like We’re Dying” is really growing on us, and we’re not alone: the song is slowly but surely climbing the charts, and now sits at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100. And we’re just glad the gravel-voiced Allison, who came in fourth place, hasn’t vanished into Idol obscurity.

The two singers will reunite on-stage this Friday with Lambert (who recently tweeted about his own upcoming AOL Sessions) in Ryan Seacrest’s Ryan, Rock My Town concert at the Highline Ballroom in NYC. For now, watch Kris and Allison perform a few other tracks from their debut albums over at AOL Sessions.

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