STL Today Post Dispatch Reba & Kelly Review!

Reba McEntire/Kelly Clarkson
By Daniel Durchholz
SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
02/08/2008
On its face, Thursday’s Reba McEntire/Kelly Clarkson concert before a sold-out crowd at St. Charles’ Family Arena seemed a study in contrasts. Here was superstar singer and actress McEntire, exuding country cool in jeans, boots and a rhinestoned top. Next to her was pop/rock singer and 2002 “American Idol” winner Clarkson in black pants, bare feet and a black t-shirt that read “Ruled by Dread.” If not for the lights and the dozen musicians behind them, they’d have looked like a well-maintained mother and her punk-aspiring daughter on their way to the mall. But both are powerhouse vocalists with enough mutual admiration to warrant a tour that reprises their 2007 appearance on CMT’s “Crossroads” program and their earlier duet that capped off Clarkson’s winning season on “Idol.” The dynamic between the two has never wavered: Reba’s the master and mentor, Clarkson her more than slightly agog pupil. The nearly two hour show found them both onstage throughout, singing each others’ songs, trading vocal lines and backing each other up. It was odd seeing Reba rock out and even play a little air guitar during Clarkson’s numbers such as “Ms. Independent,” “Never Again” and “Since You’ve Been Gone.” But she more than held her own and even schooled the younger singer a bit on Clarkson’s “Idol” hit “A Moment Like This.” Clarkson, meanwhile, thrilled to singing with her hero on her own “Beautiful Disaster,” the gorgeous Patty Griffin hymn “Up to the Mountain,” and some of Reba’s many hits, including “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” “Still,” “Is There Life Out There?” and “Fancy.” At one point, McEntire pointed to Clarkson and off-mike, mouthed the words, “She’s good.” She was right, but it wasn’t necessary for Clarkson to reciprocate. Reba’s classy presence and perfect vocal performance spoke for themselves. As encouraging as it is of late to see the Family Arena score increasingly good bookings, it’s fair to ask whether they can handle shows that sell out. Many fans on Thursday were subjected to a pre-show traffic jam that lasted nearly as long as the show itself. The parking lot overflowed and cars were forced to park in fire lanes, across the entrance/exit lanes and along the road outside the venue. It must have been a shock to some to be looking for a nice country/pop concert and get a nasty Woodstock flashback instead.