I went to see Kelly Clarkson last night at Massey Hall. The lovely season 1 victor of American Idol has enchanted me since she hit her Mariah-like whistle tones at the end of her AI performance of Natural Woman. In mid 2002, I remember falling in love with Kelly's America's Sweetheart persona, her skunk-highlight mop top, and her Levi jeans onesey that she wore to her original audition. My how far Ms. Clarkson has come since Ryan Seacrest and Bryan Dunkleman announced her as the inaugural Idol champion.
Since then she has put out three records (one wildly successful, one less successful, and one a huge disappointment), she has appeared on the silver screen, she has won Grammy's, and she has essentially been the lbs. yo yo of mid Twenty something chanteuses.
Her concert last evening could be summed up in one sentence for me. JUST SING SINCE U BEEN GONE ALREADY.
For some odd reason gays love this song. When it comes on over a sound system on a Saturday night when a gaggle of gays are celebrating their lifestyle, it's like a Mom-jeans wearing, Iowan housewife discovering she's an audience member on Oprah's favorite things episode. WE GO BALLISTIC.
So needless to say I was eagerly anticipating her Magnum Opus.
I will now give my top three highlights and lowlights of the concert.
LOWLIGHTS:
3. Her banter between songs was dreadful. Her dialogue between songs was essentially this: "Hey y'all my next song is... I always say that before I go to sing a new song... I always say My next song is.... I need to be more creative y'all."
2. She obviously wanted a stadium concert for her show. Because half way through the show hundreds of people came and stormed the stage. We have no clue where they came from. She kept telling them how much she loved them because she could touch them as she sang and they would give her dollar store teddy bears and the like. Kel, it's Massey Hall not the ACC. We understand you want to be rocking out at the ACC but when you put out a Vanity Project/"Artistic" record that sucks, y'all don't deserve a stadium to sing a catalogue of shitty songs.
3. Her wardrobe was atrocious. Kel a word from a fellow plus size sister. A heel and a wide leg pant go a long way. Stretch pant bell bottoms and Joss Stone inspired bare feet... don't!
HIGHLIGHTS
3. SINCE U BEEN GONE
2. SINGING ALONG TO SINCE U BEEN GONE
1. JUMPING AND DANCING TO SINCE U BEEN GONE.
I still love Kelly. She ranks in my top five idol contestants of all time. She's right up there with Fantasia, KLo, JHud, and of course Carrie. I also realize something very funny last evening. I had tickets to see Fantasia on Broadway last Thursday on Broadway, but she called in sick so I refunded my ticket. Carrie Underwood was performing on GMA on Friday morning but I elected to sleep in instead. So had I been more on the ball, I could have seen three idol winners in less than a week. Alas...
