Live!

Who: Elliott Yamin When: 7:30 p.m. next Thursday Where: The Birchmere, Alexandria

"I feel like Elvis when I come back home. It's awesome," singer Elliott Yamin said from Chicago, thinking ahead to his show next week at the Birchmere.

The Richmond-raised singer will perform there as part of his first solo headlining tour since finishing third in Season 5 of "American Idol." Yamin, whose soulful R&B vocals elicited praise from all three Idol judges, lost in a very tight race to Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee, but given the strict contractual obligations Idol winners face, third place can be a nice place to be. Does Yamin have any obligations to the Idol team at this point? "None whatsoever," he said. And he can call his own shots? "Absolutely."

With national exposure and a solid fan base established, Yamin recorded his self-titled debut for Sony/ATV Hickory Records. The album entered the Billboard charts at No. 3 after its release in March. Yamin co-wrote many of the songs, working with various writer-producers who have participated in creating material for such stars as Beyoncé, Pink, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Joss Stone and Vanessa Williams.

Not bad for a guy who claims to have made the 12-hour drive to Boston for his audition with the feeling that "I had nothing to lose and only everything to gain, so I took my chances."

For those who follow "American Idol" closely, Season 5 has become somewhat legendary for its roster of artists. In addition to Hicks and McPhee, finalists Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry and Paris Bennett have released albums. "I was just honored to be in the presence of so many talented people," Yamin said. "I felt like I was in a real talented group at band camp. I'd never really been around so many people who shared the same interest as me as far as music was concerned. I soaked it all in and I enjoyed every second of it and I tried to learn as much as possible."

Yamin (his MySpace page offers a pronunciation tip: "Sing it like Yamin it") admits that there may be "a certain stigma attached to the show. . . . 'These people aren't real artists and they're not gonna be successful.' But there are so many people that are proving those naysayers wrong."

If Yamin has his way, he'll be one them. "I feel honored to be representing Virginia the way I am . . . playing a show, playing your own music in front of your own hometown crowd, that takes the cake over anything."

And his choice for this year's "American Idol" winner? "I have no idea. I don't even watch the show."

-- MARIANNE MEYER

The Birchmere is at 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com and at the box office on show nights. For more information, call 703-549-7500 or visit www.birchmere.com.

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