American Idol' meets 'The Freshmen'? Verve Pipe song might be performed, says Brian Vander Ark

Hey, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

It's easy to visualize contestants on "American Idol" crooning renditions of the Verve Pipe's forlorn-sounding Top 10 smash hit, "The Freshmen," from 1997. After all, the single which propelled the Grand Rapids band to multi-platinum success was an everybody-sing-along hit.

On Saturday night during his benefit concert for the Rockford Education Foundation in the Rockford Fine Arts Auditorium, Brian Vander Ark revealed he was contacted last week by "American Idol" about licensing use of the song on the show, so keep your eyes and ears out for a different sort of West Michigan "Idol" connection.

It's uncertain when the song might get used, but Vander Ark told me today "American Idol" representatives "need it rushed, so we assumed it was this week."

Although he's thrilled the '90s song might get another boost as a result of the mega-popular TV talent show, he cautioned "American Idol" is still in its audition phase. "What I'm worried about is the auditions, that it might be butchered by somebody," he joked. "But either way, it'll be fun."