Hits just kept coming in Reba & Kelly concert
“Sweet dreams are made of this … who am I to disagree?”
With the classic Eurythmics’ hit, Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson kicked off their 2 Worlds 2 Voices show in the Energy Solutions Arena October 10th.
The seasoned queen of country (Reba) in a black tank top and dark pants together with the first winner of American Idol (Kelly) wearing jeans and a green satin tank shared the stage and each other’s hits. Each song was turned into a duet with the singers trading leads and lending a solid backup and harmony to the other.
This archived article was written by: Scott Frederick, Krystle Noyes
“Sweet dreams are made of this … who am I to disagree?”
With the classic Eurythmics’ hit, Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson kicked off their 2 Worlds 2 Voices show in the Energy Solutions Arena October 10th.
The seasoned queen of country (Reba) in a black tank top and dark pants together with the first winner of American Idol (Kelly) wearing jeans and a green satin tank shared the stage and each other’s hits. Each song was turned into a duet with the singers trading leads and lending a solid backup and harmony to the other.
The stage was multi-tiered with a black backdrop complete with a giant video screen and a star field surrounding the screen. The tiers allowed up to 13 musicians on stage behind the two stars.
The band had it covered with a couple electric guitars, steel guitar, two drum kits, a percussion kit, multi keyboardists, bass, acoustic guitar, electric violin, and sax. Musicians changed instruments and positions seamlessly throughout the show keeping most of the attention on the singers.
According to Billboard Magazine: “Reba McEntire was the most successful female recording artist in country music in the 1980s and ’90s, during which time she scored 22 number one hits and released five gold albums, six platinum albums, two double-platinum albums, four triple-platinum albums, a quadruple-platinum album, and a quintuple-platinum album, for certified album sales of 33.5 million over the 20-year period.”
Also according to Billboard, “Despite her newfound fame, Clarkson opted to remain in Texas rather than move to New York or Los Angeles. Her first single, A Moment Like This, was released just two weeks after she won the contest and quickly earned platinum sales.
Clarkson’s debut full-length, Thankful was released in spring of 2003. Breakaway followed in late 2004 and was a huge success, selling over five million copies (making it the third best-selling album of 2005) and spawning the hit singles Because of You, Behind These Hazel Eyes, and Since U Been Gone. That song and Breakaway earned Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album, respectively, at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in early 2006.
Clarkson continued her busy touring schedule that spring and summer and announced plans for her third album. In 2007, Clarkson released My December the studio follow-up to Breakaway.”
This is worth mentioning because these ladies must have had some difficulty narrowing down the set list to 26 songs for the show. The hits just kept coming.
Reba’s Fear of Being Alone transitioned into Kelly’s Beautiful Disaster which started slower and softer than the album version. Kelly started, Reba joined in then Reba sang alone; the arrangement worked well.
Why Not Tonight from the motion picture soundtrack Tremors was a bouncy way to get everybody up and grooving. Reba had a ball with this one. Next was Kelly doing Stuff Like That There which started sultry as hell and then kicked in and got everybody grooving again. Miss Independent rocked with the band kicking into the riff from Black Sabbaths Iron Man then Kelly and Reba trading lines slowing it down during the soft part and then amping it up to rock the end.
It was hit after hit including The Greatest Man I Never Knew, with the ladies sitting on bar stools and both of them sounding soft and beautiful. Cathy’s Clown, and then Up To The Mountain, with them trading verses and then Kelly belting it out and quieting down at the end. It was riveting.
The hits kept coming including: How Blue, One Promise Too Late, Be Still, Love Revival, Never Again, and Breakaway.
They launched into Does He Love You on opposite sides of the stage and dueled until the end. This was the perfect vehicle for them as they played their parts to the hilt.
Before they started their next song: I’m a Survivor (the theme song from Reba’s TV show Reba) Mellisa Peterman the co-star of Reba (holding a Budweiser and wearing a Kelly Clarkson t-shirt) interrupted the singers and for the next few minutes bantered with Reba onstage. At one point she handed Reba her Budweiser and said “Hey, the queen of country is holding the king of beers.”
It was obvious they were having fun and then Peterman joined in and sang I’m a Survivor with Reba and Kelly even taking the lead on a couple lines.
After Since U Been Gone we were treated to Reba’s incredible falsetto on Because of You. And then it was time for the last song of the evening: Fancy which had the young girls in front of me jumping up and down with excitement.
There was no sign of the two stars trying to one up each other-they seemed to have regard and respect for each other and a genuine rapport. They both seemed happy and lucky to have the opportunity to share the stage together. From solid classic country hits by Reba to harder rockin” hits by Kelly there was something for everyone.
Editors note: Scott and Krystle would like to thank Trent Falcone, director of marketing/family shows of the Energy Solutions Arena for his hospitality and help with this story.
