Kelly Clarkson Reminds Us the American Dream Still Lives

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It might be too much to ask a singer – even as one as good or adored as Kelly Clarkson – to save the American Dream. But, Saturday evening’s featured RodeoHouston performer represents the ideal so well she may have inspired those in NRG Stadium’s sold-out crowd to go out and live their own impossible dreams. This was the prevalent thought watching and listening to our fellow Texan done good as she moved swiftly but genially through 15 songs from her multi-Grammy Award winning career, a career that began almost 25 years ago on a televised singing competition. Next year will be a quarter-century since Clarkson won the first season of American Idol and all she’s done since then is write hit songs, sell millions of albums and become one of the entertainment industry’s most familiar faces thanks to various TV gigs. By the time Clarkson got to Billboard topper “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” deep into her hour-long set, we’d ruminated a good bit over the opportunity she took on Idol. How could we not think about her talent when she was there turning the dial down for gentle notes on songs like “Breakaway” and then switching the knob to powerhouse settings for “Where Have You Been,” or “Didn’t I.” On that one, she shared impressive vocals with a quartet of backup singers who also flexed their singing skills. She mentioned her Texas roots right before she covered a Tanya Tucker song. Credit: Jennifer Lake We all knew Clarkson had the talent from those days on Idol, from “A Moment Like This,” a song that was absent from the setlist but one that was recalled by a concertgoer we met yesterday who admitted she could still remember Idol’s hotline number from the number of times she called to vote for Clarkson back then. Clarkson took that talent and built on it and has maintained success. That’s the very definition of the American Dream. We’re here to say the dream isn’t just alive and well, it looked very much at ease on the rodeo’s main stage yesterday, adorned in a black sequined jumpsuit with flared bottoms. Clarkson bounded onto the stage to “favorite kind of high” and performed the entire set barefoot. Combined with the glittery jumper – which was giving cozy pajama vibes – it felt as if we were all invited over to her place for a comfy show in the den or living room. Clarkson facilitated those warm vibes by chatting with us between the hits, talking easily and invitingly, a skill she’s surely honed not only from her own afternoon talk show but years of performing for crowds of all sizes, including a previous RodeoHouston crowd, 22 years ago. She proudly mentioned her Texas roots, then proved them with a cover of Tanya Tucker’s “It’s a Little Too Late,” which she chose to represent an iconic female country singer from the state, though her heart also tugged for a George Strait cover. She told us her band – all clad in black – loves all kinds of music, then proved it by moving from the high energy hit “Walk Away” to “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” a sad ballad she admitted probably would sound sadder as a solo rather than a duet, as it was recorded with Jason Aldean. We don’t know if it sounded sadder, we were just blown away by Clarkson’s vocals, on that song and every other, how she’d hit the high notes and hold the long ones securely, like they might slip from her careful hands otherwise. She reminded us all what has made her career so successful. Credit: Jennifer Lake Maybe Clarkson’s isn’t exactly a Horatio Alger kind of rise to fame and fortune but it is the kind everyone might dream of, aspire to and even achieve. It’s about knowing your gifts, the strengths you possess and trusting yourself and others enough to share those strengths with the world. Near the end of the set, Clarkson told us all she was blessed to be back with us at RODEOHOUSTON, and maybe she was blessed, but it was more than just a blessing. It was talent and hard work and staying relevant in a fickle industry that brought her back. That’s pretty dreamy, if you ask us. Personal Bias: The closing song was “Since U Been Gone,” and it’s a family favorite from repeated plays back in the day when our own kid was testing out their vocal skills as an 11 year-old. Still love that one and recently added it to a work playlist called “Disco Friday.” It’s not disco, but it did get people at NRG dancing. The Crowd: all our favorite millennials and some of us Gen Xers, too. Enough to fill the place to capacity and sing their hearts out to “Because of You,” the first group sing-along of the set. Random Notebook Dump: I tried hard to get over to Rousso’s Fat Bacon, y’all, I tried hard to get to the viral rodeo food vendor so I could morph this music review into a culinary article but the massive Saturday dinner crowd surrounding the stand would only allow for a photo from far off. Guess I’ll have to wait ’til next year to try a cotton candy coated slab of bacon. Kelly Clarkson delivered her set barefoot. Credit: Jennifer Lake Kelly Clarkson Set List favorite kind of high Behind These Hazel Eyes My Life Would Suck Without You It’s a Little Too Late (Tanya Tucker cover) Because of You Breakaway Heat Walk Away Didn’t I Heartbeat Song Don’t You Wanna Stay Where Have You Been Miss Independent Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) Since U Been Gone The post Kelly Clarkson Reminds Us the American Dream Still Lives appeared first on Houston Press.

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