Kelly Clarkson - Nokia Theatre - 4/3/12
Kelly Clarkson
Timothy Norris
Nokia Theatre
4/3/12
Better than...a Taylor Hicks concert
She was once a doughy waitress longing for a chance at stardom, appearing on an unheard-of contest show to make her dreams to come true, but now Kelly Clarkson is a bonafide superstar. After 10 years in the public eye, the winner of the first American Idol is one of the most famous pop stars in the country.
With only a handful of dates left on her Stronger tour, the singer, along with her impressive eight-piece band, pulled out all of the stops at her only area show. She opened with a video montage running down her perceived public controversies surrounding her weight gain, sexuality and career tribulations, all of which got the sold-out Nokia Theatre crowd worked into a frenzy. Having performed before millions on Idol and more recently performed the Super Bowl national anthem, the singer turned the venue into her own small club.
Throughout her career-spanning set, the singer shifted between pop, rock and country. Stand-bys like "Behind These Hazel Eyes," "Since U Been Gone" and "Breakaway" were crowd pleasers, as were newer song like "Stronger." During "You Love Me," the Texas-native strolled off the stage and headed deep into the crowd and sang in front of lucky audience members.
Timothy Norris
Clarkson also brought some famous friends on stage. Beginning with fellow Season 1 Idol contestant Tamyra Gray, she also called up Michelle Branch, Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire for duets. As loud as the venue's cheers were for The Voice host, it was McEntire's appearance that clearly meant the most to Clarkson. Telling the audience that she had listened to the country icon's tape as a child and honored to have sung with her in the past, everyone was surprised when she brought out McEntire for "Because Of You."
Special guests aside, what made this a memorable evening was the earnestness of Clarkson's performance. Over the course of the evening, she was energetic and constantly interacted with the crowd. She told relatable stories like hating the gym, and explaining what it feels like to be treated poorly by a significant other. Clarkson understands what it means to be both a star and a role model, and her aw-shucks routine just feels like Kelly being Kelly.
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Nokia Theatre
777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles, CA
Category: Music
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