On Friday, the Bryce Jordan Center hosted two generations of superstars.
Billed as simply "Reba + Kelly" for their "2 Worlds, 2 Voices" tour, country legend Reba McEntire and American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson performed a two-hour set of duets on Halloween, trading verses and teaming up for the choruses on most of the songs. They played an almost equal selection of songs from both of their catalogs.
The combination of Clarkson's technical ability and McEntire's emotional performance made for a surprisingly good show, though it was already clear Clarkson is a step above her American Idol peers.
Likewise, McEntire has earned her rightful place in country music history. The real surprise was how well the two singers, with their seemingly disparate styles of music, meshed on their duets. The two truly improved upon many of their songs for this performance.
The pair's performance opened with McEntire singing her cover of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams." The song then segued into the pulsing bass of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" as the curtain raised, both Reba and Kelly belting the lyrics with enough force to make it worthy of the original.
The floor seats of the BJC were filled with people decked out for Halloween, with angels and devils and assorted other costumes cheering for the two stars. Reba and Kelly then thanked the crowd for coming out to the show despite its odd scheduling.
"Do you like my outfit? I dressed up as Reba McEntire!" McEntire deadpanned, and the audience loved it.
Reba and Kelly have similar vocal ranges and complemented each other nicely. Each singer took the lead on her own songs for the majority of the show, though the two played equal roles in a few of the songs.
It seemed at times Kelly's microphone was turned up to a louder volume than Reba's, and Kelly stole the show on the louder and more upbeat numbers. She has the stronger pipes, perhaps because of her youth, and it was obvious when she tore into her trademark tunes, especially "Behind These Hazel Eyes."
Ballads are Reba's native territory, and she certainly made an impression with her heartfelt performances of "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" and "The Greatest Man I Never Knew."
The three-tiered stage featured an elaborate backdrop filled with lights that resembled a starry night sky on the ballads, adding to the effect.
It was clear the emotion McEntire put into the original recordings of these songs is still fresh in her memory. Despite the younger Clarkson's vocal ability, she doesn't have the back catalog or the life experience necessary to sing with heart the way McEntire can.
During Kelly's "Beautiful Disaster," Reba even appeared to be on the verge of tears. She actually sat down on the stairs, hung her head and looked at her feet. Some performers lose some of the feeling behind the songs, performing the same ones night after night. But after a 33-year career, it's obvious Reba still knows how to put everything into her performance.
When the lights dimmed and Reba and Kelly left the stage to a standing ovation, a number of people in the crowd began heading for the exits. It seemed the majority of the people were unaware that there would be an encore, and it was confusing, considering the strength of the performances.
People stopped exiting and turned around when Reba and Kelly rose up out of the stage, singing "Since U Been Gone." The two sang another of Clarkson's hits, "Because of You," before ending with McEntire's "Fancy."
