"American Idol" doesn't air its North Carolina auditions episode until next week. But an unusual performer from Durham was featured on Thursday night's show, which was devoted to auditions from Chicago last year.

Kez Ban, a 27-year-old street musician who says she also sometimes performs with fire, doesn't look anything like your typical "Idol" auditioner. With her jaunty hat and a boot wrapped with crime scene tape, Kez Ban, right, seems like the kind of quirky cannon fodder we often see on the auditions. Somebody who sings terribly and gets giggles and pained faces from the judges.

But when the Durham resident sings, we're all in for a surprise. Kez Ban is actually pretty good! She sings "I've Got No Strings" (yes, from "Pinocchio") first. Then she asks if she can play her guitar and perform one of her original compositions. The song, "Wandering," is nice. And it certainly stands out amid some of the overwrought ballads or screechy rock anthems that other hopefuls audition with.

Big country shows are pretty much the lifeblood of Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek -- as in just about the only thing keeping the city-owned amphitheater still going at this point. So here's a big chunk of the venue's 2013 schedule, its Country Megaticket of big arena-country acts coming to Walnut Creek this year. Pre-sales start on Tuesday and prices range from $199 to $799.

Tim McGraw, Brantley Gilbert, Love and Theft (May 4)
Kenny Chesney, Eli Young Band, Kacey Musgraves (May 23)
Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Lee Brice (June 8)
Luke Bryan, Thompson Square, Florida Georgia Line (July 13)
Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch (July 26)
Blake Shelton, Easton Corbin, Jana Kramer (Aug. 9)
Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley (Aug. 24)
Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett (Sept. 13)
Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry (Sept. 27)

Meanwhile, Durham Performing Arts Center has also unveiled a choice country-leaning booking: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell with Richard Thompson Electric Trio, playing DPAC on March 30. If you don't get in on any of the pre-sales, tickets go on sale Jan. 25.

And we all thought those two really stable, balanced singing personalities were going to get along so well... [Illusions shattered.] This video, posted on TMZ, captured a mostly one-sided screaming match (Minaj at Carey) at an "American Idol" audition yesterday in Charlotte. I can't understand a quarter of what Nicki is saying here (EW has some transcription), but she's clearly upset. I'm guessing Keith Urban, sitting between the two divas, is wondering what the heck he's gotten himself into.

A Fox press release issued this morning confirmed the new judges for the upcoming season of "American Idol."

Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey will join Randy Jackson at the judges' table.

Executive producer Simon Fuller, from the release: “With the exciting addition of Mariah Carey, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj, alongside Randy Jackson, AMERICAN IDOL’s star power has never been so great."

"American Idol" returns in January 2013.

Since country singer Keith Urban is married to a mega-famous actress who has been known to sing a bit, it's reasonable to think that they might someday record together. But when asked about that recently, Urban responded as if he'd been asked how he'd feel about a root canal. He laughed nervously before giving the tersest of answers.

"We, uh, might sit around the piano at home and jam a little bit," he said. "It's a very musical household. But no, no recordings together."

And that was all he was willing to say on the subject. For more verbiage on Urban's new album, plus details on his Friday night Raleigh show, check the interview in Friday's paper.

Also, Urban's touring band still includes Raleigh expatriate guitarist Brad Rice, who Urban described as "a wildcat, a very unique individual" -- before admitting he... well, doesn't really know Rice. But check here for a 2008 interview with Rice about the life of a high-profile sideman.

I lied, there's more than one big concert announcement today. Also dropping, Australian hunk o' burnin' country love Keith Urban at Raleigh's RBC Center on June 19. Tickets go on sale Feb. 14. And as far as I know, this show will also bring old Raleigh hand Brad Rice back to town as part of Urban's touring band.