Spotted at the American Idol Auditions

Early hours and pouring rain did nothing to deter some 11,000 Hollywood hopefuls from showing up at the Veterans Memorial Arena for American Idol's Season 8 auditions. Show producers say it's the largest turnout thus far.

"Did anybody bring anything halfway healthy?" asked one hungry auditioner camped out in the crowd, which began assembing in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Some were prepared with sleeping bags and umbrellas. Others improvised. One auditioner was spotted with a disassembled cardboard trash box atop her head, shielding her beautifully coifed 'do from the rain.

One would suspect such a crowd to be cranky. Perhaps see a rumble or two break out (I'm imagining the West Side Story fight scene as I blog). One would have been disappointed. This was a surprisingly cordial crowd. Some, including Kenneth "O.J." Melton, a guitar-strumming country crooner, and DJ Brownie ("Find me on MySpace at DJBrownie1 'cuz I'm No. 1") helped set the mood with impromptu serenades.

So, were you there? Check our American Idol Auditions Photo Gallery to see if you can spot a familiar face. And take our poll: Let us know which reality TV competition you'd like to see a local win.

Poll:Which reality TV show would you most like to see a First Coast local win?

• American Idol
• Hell's Kitchen
• Project Runway
• So You Think You Can Dance
• Big Brother
• Deal or No Deal?
• HGTV Design Star
• View Results