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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2009 > November > 03 > Entry
Live Review: Kelly Clarkson at Cedar Park Center
I want to hear Kelly Clarkson cut some modern R&B with R. Kelly and Ne-Yo and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart.
I want to hear her make some more giant-sized pop with Swedish superproducer Max Martin (“Since U Been Gone”) and Katy Perry (“I Do Not Hook Up”).
I want to hear her do some blues-punk with the Dirtbombs or Jon Spencer. I want to hear a diva-off with Beth Ditto of the Gossip.
I want to hear her sing over beats by Timbaland, Kanye West and Dr. Dre. I want to hear her make 22nd century electronic music with LCD Soundsystem’s producer James Murphy; maybe she can sing that fake Yaz record Murphy’s always wanted to make. I want to hear her cover country songs by Willie Nelson and Sally Timms and Patty Griffin (Her take on Griffin’s “Up to the Mountain” is devastating). I want to hear her Sinatra album and her album with the Foo Fighters.
In short, I would like to hear her sing every single kind of song she possibly thinks she can sing. She should be knocking out world-beating singles every two months in every genre under the sun with the songwriters of her choosing. Her voice is a force of nature; hearing her uncork it is a pleasure and an honor.
But seeing her in a half full (yet fanatical) Cedar Park Center Monday night was a little depressing and speaks to the strange year she’s had. After her 2007 “I-want-to-write-my-own-stuff album “My December” (which, in spite of her case of the Alanis-es, nevertheless went platinum in a handful of countries), she returned to straight forward radio pop on “All I Ever Wanted,” which has yet to platinum anywhere. Where she goes next seems up for grabs.
Whatever happens, she can still sing, blasting out “I Do Not Hook Up” and “Impossible” and the thermonuclear “Since U Been Gone” with zero stage set and a crack eleven-piece band, including three horns, two back-up singers and a D.J.
Unlike most pop stars of her class, Clarkson really does seem like the gal next door who happened to sell 15 million albums. Her between-song banter never came off as canned (nobody would script talking about music-as-therapy that much; somewhere Clive Davis is fuming.)
Since she can’t do as much on CDs, she works in some nifty live covers, including a killer run at the Black Keys’ “Lies”(!) and an ingenious mash-up of Alanis Morissette’s “That I Would Be Good,” combined with Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” (!!) describing the latter as “one of those songs that you wish that you wrote.” She hit that massive, U2-ish chorus on “Use Somebody” and you could practically hear everyone get chills.
Her voice actually might be a bit too powerful for her acoustic version of “Walking After Midnight;” that song needs a pretty casual delivery; Clarkson sounded like she could barely reign her voice in.
I await her doing anything she dang well pleases.
Comments
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By jessica
November 3, 2009 12:06 PM | Link to this
Kelly Clarkson was amazing and just a power house. I think she put on an amazing show and when she did “if i cant have you” it should have been a video with all the energy in the house
By Chris
November 3, 2009 3:34 PM | Link to this
It was a great performance and despite all the reviews I read about the Cedar Park Center, I thought it was a great event arena. It’s large enough to host some big entertainment acts, but still small enough so you feel like you’re close to the headliner. Great night and Kelly Clarkson can definitely sing!
By ALESSANDRO CHIONAKY
November 4, 2009 6:42 AM | Link to this
KELLY CLARKSON IS IMPLY FANTASTIC!
By Bailey
November 29, 2009 11:59 PM | Link to this
Contary to this reviews beliefs, I believe that Kelly Clarkson can do just about any song just as good or better than the original artist. She is blessed with an amazing voice and can deliever it in any way she damn well pleases. She did phenomenal. This was by far the best concert ever! Every song kept me wanting more and sent chills all throughout my body. Kelly Clarkson is an angel. By far the best in the biz. I have yet to hear a song she has come out with that I didnt like. She continuously keeps me wanting more and more and I cant get enough of her beautiful voice. She is gorgeous and her voice could make a thousand men drop to their knees. The world needs more Kelly Clarkson.