Yes, Idol Chatter has relocated to southern California, Carlsbad to be exact. And what exactly does that mean for you as an American Idol fan?

Well, a lot. Passing the torch on the full-time sports gig will allow more time for an American Idol (and Corner Kicks soccer blog). We will kick that enhanced coverage off on Thursday with the first in a series of blog posts by virtue of a Wednesday 210-mile round-trip to West Hollywood for a press gathering featuring all 10 Season 11 AI finalists. We will try to take you there, tell you what they said, what they looked like, how they reacted in front the cameras, videographers and old-school guys with pens and notebooks.

All this is in preview of the 45-city AI Summer Tour that kicks off in Detroit.

All that said, here is one final note: Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis is American Idol!