Luvstruk just came back from seeing Carrie Underwood. Here's her report:
Carrie's Play On tour, named for her third album, uses an eight-piece band, including fiddle and pedal steel players, and a noticeably bigger production than Underwood's first headlining tour in 2008.
This time, the American Idol/Season Four winner performed on a huge stage, dominated by a circular lighting rig, a large video screen backdrop and a front-of-stage platform that rose up and down with the vocalist front and centre.
There were also numerous changes into some questionable costumes - she still needs a stylist! - and an ultra-cheesy moment where she rode in the back of an electric blue pickup truck that moved slowly over the top of the crowd while she sang John Denver's Country Roads Take Me Home, and her own This Time.
"Oh, yeah - the only way to fly," said Underwood, who was actually tethered to a matching blue microphone stand so she didn't fall out of the vehicle.
And I don't even know how to describe a large leafy tree limb that repeatedly descended over Underwood to evoke a countryside or forest setting with accompanying video backdrops or when she felt like sitting on a swing.
If you've ever watched American Idol, judges like Simon Cowell are constantly talking about the fledgling singers' struggle to figure out what kind of artist they want to be.
I think that Underwood, who unquestionably possesses powerful pipes, is getting closer to establishing an identity but she's still not quite there.
There's the feisty, often angry rocker chick - my personal favourite - on such songs as Cowboy Casanova, I Know You Won't, Undo It, Last Name and Before He Cheats; the power ballad diva who hits some mighty big notes on Just A Dream, So Small, Jesus, Take The Wheel, and Change; and the soulful singer who - finally - brought some real emotion to the heartfelt ballad Temporary Home and the anthemic All-American Girl.
Underwood also came alive during her duets - with opening act Sons Of Sylvia on What Can I Say and a video of Randy Travis on I Told You So which included a recreation of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
To her credit, she did seem to realize how ridiculous her numerous outfit changes were.
Before her set, she joked with me about it: "Wait until you see the number of times I have to strip."
Now I get it.
SET LIST:
- Cowboy Casanova
- Quitter
- Wasted
- I Know You Won't
- Some Hearts
- Just a Dream
- Temporary Home
- Someday When I Stop Loving You
- All-American Girl
- So Small
- Country Roads Take Me Home
- This Time
- Undo It
- Jesus, Take the Wheel
- How Great Thou Art
- What Can I Say (with opening act Sons of Sylvia)
- Change
- I Told You So (with a video of Randy Travis)
- Mama's Song
- Stand by Your Man
- Last Name
ENCORE:
- Before He Cheats
- Songs Like These (with snippets of White Liar, Single Ladies)
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