I saw Kelly at the AZ State Fair, which means that ticket prices were good and seating was reasonable. You can see any act at the Fair for free if you want to sit in the upper deck, but if you purchase tickets, you can get seats on the floor (yes, actual seats on the floor) or in the lower sections close to the stage. Unfortunately, our tickets were in the 5th row on the side, which were stadium seats added on the floor itself. Because the venue added the seats, they were small, close together, & had little to no legroom (people could barely walk by, & you couldn't stand up to let them by because the seats didn't fold).
Venue aside, I was hoping the show would at least be decent. Often, acts at the Fair don't travel with their full stage show, though they do often have a decent stage setup. It's a small stage, though, so that's not a surprise. Still, I've seen Foo Fighters & Rihanna at the Fair, both of whom were quite good (I'll never complain about Foo Fighters, who could sing in a dirt lot with nothing but stage amps & they'd give an awesome performance). I know Kelly can sing, so I was expecting a good vocal performance. However, she really didn't bring much to the show. The stage was bare bones, & the light show was really nothing to speak of.
As for the performance, it was really nonexistent! Kelly sang well, for the most part. She strained at some of the vocals that were more demanding, and she compromised on some of the vocals that were higher when recorded. Besides that, she didn't sing the same set list she'd sang at other shows, which my wife had looked up beforehand so that we could compare them on our iphones.
In the place of the songs she didn't sing (Cry, Whyyawannabringmedown, Trouble With Love, etc), she sang some "personal favorites," covers of bands & songs she likes: White Stripes (7 Nation Army), Alanis Morrisette/Kings of Leon (mashup), Patsy Cline (Walking After Midnight, which she thankfully sang in a blues style rather than twangy country, which I hate). Not that I'm against a band showing off their influences (Pink sang a cover of Led Zeppelin's Babe I'm Gonna Leave U & Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody while Foo Fighters has done Prince's Darling Nikki), but Kelly did THREE in one concert! That's a little much for one performance.
Speaking of performance, there really wasn't one. She dressed very plainly, wore little makeup, & wore her hair as a stringy, greasy mess. It's almost like she didn't care about herself whatsoever. She also "danced" around the stage doing a pony bounce, like she was on one of those broomstick horses. It was constant & rather ridiculous, almost self-conscious, which maybe is part of the problem. Sure, she's let herself go a little bit with the weight, but who cares if she can put on a good show? Unfortunately, she just didn't put on a "show" at all. She sang like she was doing glorified karaoke, almost like she was on Idol again.
I really wanted to like Kelly more. I've heard so many times how great she is live, and I saw her performances on Idol, which were perfection. I still say that she's the ONLY American Idol, considering she's the first and one of the only successful winners in Idol history. I just couldn't respect her performance (or lack of performance) at all. Like I said, she sang well, but there wasn't anything special about it. It wasn't like seeing LIVE music. It was like seeing someone sing along to some basic music (only the trumpet player really kicked major butt with his solo on Walking After Midnight, which was pure southern blues, toilet-plunger mute & all).
My recommendation: if you can get in for the $20 I paid, then it's worth it. If you're paying much more, then I'd really say you're wasting your money. She's just not worth it this time around. It's unforgettable in that it was really just a bad show overall. I guess I can only say that I still respect her vocals. Next time, Kelly, put something into the show. Don't just rely on your vocals. Pink could do that it she wanted to, but her show was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
Veterans Memorial Coliseum @
- Phoenix @
,AZ @
- 11/07/2009 @
Favorite moment: The trumpet solo in "Walking After Midnight" & the White Stripes cover. @
Setlist: All I Ever Wanted, Miss Independent, I Do Not Hook Up, Alanis Morrisette/Kings of Leon mashup (cover), Breakaway, If I Can't Have You, Never Again, Lies (Black Keys cover), Walking After Midnight (Patsy Cline cover), Behind These Hazel Eyes, I Want You, Ready, Because of You, Walk Away, Since You've Been Gone, ENCORE Sober, Already Gone, Seven Nation Army (White Stripes cover), My Life Would Suck Without You @
Opening act(s): None @