No sooner had we crowned Kris Allen as the next American Idol than it’s already time to start sowing the seeds for the next season's crop. This week saw the first batch of hopefuls come through Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. They numbered 7000 strong for the start of season nine’s auditions. Unfortunately for contestants, they had to wade through the pouring rain and whipping winds before they could take their first stab at fame.

The hopefuls started arriving at 3am and at one point the line stretched the length of the stadium and snaked through the parking lot. The show’s producers wouldn’t reveal how many golden tickets were awarded in American Idol's swing through Beantown, but the Boston Globe did catch up with two lucky contestants who would be advancing to Hollywood. Christy Castillo (21) punched her ticket to the tune of Keyshia Cole’s “I Remember” and Katie Ryan (16) found that Aerosmith’s “Dream On” was the key to her success.

The circus rolls into Atlanta as auditions start Thursday morning at the Georgia Dome. This will mark the fifth time Atlanta has hosted the Idol auditions. Past years have yielded standouts like Clay Aiken (North Carolina), Fantasia (North Carolina) and Tamyra Gray (Norcross, GA). It’s been two years since Idol was last in Atlanta.

After they close out Atlanta, the tour will chart its course for Chicago next week to be followed by Denver, Orlando, Los Angeles and Dallas in the weeks thereafter.