The season three “American Idol” contestant appears at The City’s Rrazz Room in concert today and next week with fellow alumni Anwar Robinson and Lakisha Jones. Tuesday through July 12, Lewis appears with Robinson and Gina Glocksen.

What was the best thing about “American Idol”? The 60 million viewers.

What was the worst thing? The song-and-dance numbers.

Your music now doesn’t sound like “American Idol,” does it? Not at all. We weren't going to do something that would be expected on “American Idol.”

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How would you describe your sound? Moody pop music — but it's not going to make you jump off a bridge.

Is it true that you’re the first Idol with an album of original material? I was the first to release a record that was done completely on my own.

What’s it like being onstage with other former “Idol” contenders? It's good — new. We're all from different seasons; I haven't performed with these people before.

What are you doing in the show? Everyone’s doing a few throwbacks, and we’re also doing new songs. It’s like a portrait of who the Idols are as artists.

What would you be doing if you hadn't been on “American Idol”? Probably paying off a big debt. I took out a student loan to go to audition in Honolulu for the show, and didn't tell anyone about it at the time. Or I'd be in medical school and unhappy.

Where did you grow up? My dad, who was a musician, was in the military, so I moved around a lot. Now I live in Los Angeles.

How do you like San Francisco? I'm happy to finally be here. I love this place; I'm a cynical, jaded bastard. I fit right in. It's a real city, not a sprawling behemoth like L.A.