No 'disbeLeevers' in Mount Prospect crowd

Screams of joy rang out from the sea of neon yellow, pink and blue T-shirted crowd upon the first mention of DeWyze's name.

More than 300 people packed the Blues Bar in downtown Mount Prospect to watch the finale on the bar's large TV screens.

"I can't get over how like amazing he is," said 35-year-old Rachel Bruske of Palatine with the kind of enthusiasm usually displayed by teenagers.

"He's just so great and such a wonderful inspiration," she said. "He truly gives his all. He's so genuine and so humble. It makes you want to like him even more."

No matter what the judges said, DeWyze couldn't disappoint this crowd. There wasn't a single "disbeLeever" among them who didn't think he would win.

"He just seems like a really nice kid that got a break and took advantage of it," said Joann Smith of Mount Prospect, who brought her two grandchildren, Rhianna, 3, and Jalyn, 5, along. "I'm going to be texting as much as I can."

Sandy Litardo of Des Plaines said her 8-year-old daughter wants to be an American Idol one day, and just on those nights gets to stay up to watch DeWyze.

"She adores him," Litardo said. "He's captured everybody's heart, not just from Mount Prospect but from neighboring cities."

Litardo said even her family in Ecuador love DeWyze and will be voting for him online.

Yet, some in the crowd began to get a little nervous after Bowersox concluded her final song of the night.

"I'm a little scared because I think Crystal did bang them out perfectly," said Amy Shirk of Mount Prospect. "I'm afraid to clap for her but she was amazing."

While Shirk believes Bowersox ruled the finale, she said she will still vote for DeWyze.