OK, let's just lay this out there: I am not an unbiased journalist. I make no pretensions to have gone into Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson: 2 Worlds, 2 Voices concert in Reading, PA with an open-mind, I knew it was going to ROCK OUT LOUD! And it did.
The show start with a comedy set by Reba co-star Melissa Peterman. She was pretty funny, and got big laughs when she made some local flavor jokes about Al's Cabaret and mock-flirted with a bald dude named John in the front rows.
But it was country legend Reba and pop superstar Kelly that we were dying to see, and they were worth the wait! Opening with Reba doing a few a Capella lines from the Patsy Cline classic "Sweet Dream" before Kelly joined in with the Eurythmics hit of the same name, the duo set the tone for the country/rock hybrid to come.
Reba had the larger catalog of hits to pull from, and the two harmonized in classic duets like "Does He Love You" and made a logical extension of the harmony-heavy "How Blue" while Reba brought the house down with a solo rendition of "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia."
Kelly is no stranger to hits herself, and Reba and Kelly really had fun with her rock-flavored singles like "Walk Away" and "Since U Been Gone." I was surprised at how brilliant Kelly was on one of her weaker singles, "Never Again" - it definitely works better live than on disc.
Both ladies have phenomenal voices, so I was not at all surprised that the slower duets that really showcased the vocals were the standouts. Reba's "The Greatest Man I Never Knew" and Kelly's "Beautiful Disaster" were amazing, but the cover of Patty Griffin's "Up To The Mountain" (which Kelly had previously done solo on Idol Gives Back) was truly transcendent.
The big moment, though came at the end. During the encore, the two performed the country radio hit duet version of "Because Of You," which I don't like as much as Kelly's original solo version. I was afraid that would be the end, and I'd leave the show with a bad taste in my ear. But then, it came: the greatest song about whoring oneself out ever. Yes, that's right! "HERE'S YOUR ONE CHANCE, FANCY DON'T LET ME DOWN!" I could die now, happy. The two of them, pouring every ounce of vocal strength into Reba's best single, the band really cooking (like they were all night) and the crowd going wild. It was a worthy end to a magnificent show.
Even if you strip away the hit songs, the vocal calisthenics and the rocking 10 piece band; you would still have two entertainers who have amazing chemistry, who really seem to appreciate and like each other and obviously feed off each other's energy. The two of them on tour is a perfect storm, one that could not be recreated easily. I really hope this is not the last time Reba and Kelly work together!
2 comments:
I didn't even know they had a tour together! This sounds like it was a lot of fun. Plus, my favorite actress from "Reba" was there!
It was the best concert of my life, literally.
And Melissa Peterman was a scream! She "snuck" back out on stage when Reba was going to do "I'm A Survivor (Theme From Reba)" and offered Reba a Yuengling Lager if she would duet with her, instead of Kelly. She just cracked me up.
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