I got a chance to see Kelly Clarkson on her Breakaway tour at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. The show was sold out and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The crowd was at a fever pitch! They danced in the aisles and waited for their first American Idol winner to come on. The lights went down and the first chords of Since You’ve Been Gone began to play. The crowd was ecstatic.

After the first 3 songs, Kelly took a break and commented on how loud the crowd was. She was shocked! She said the crowd was so loud, she couldn’t hear herself talk.

The beginning of her set consisted of high-energy rock songs. Towards the middle of her set they performed a collection of her ballads. The band then shifted into a medley of cover songs. Going from a Janis Joplin song, switching over to a B.B. King song, then ending off with Sweet Dreams from the Eurythmics.

The stage set accented the mood of the set list. There were soft curtains behind the band giving the stage a comfortable bedroom feel.

Kelly Clarkson’s band was great. They were tight and sounded as good as the playing on the cd’s. There was a point in the show where Kelly stepped on glass and had to be rushed off stage. Without missing a beat the band filled in with an instrumental version of one of her songs.

Kelly was vocally strong from beginning to end. Her voice held up throughout the show. Accept for some wardrobe problems she was having, her performance went off without a hitch. Her set included crowd pleasers like Behind These Hazel Eyes, Miss Independent. Beautiful Disaster, and a great punk rock version of A Moment Like This.

Kelly Clarkson has a great vocal range and is very talented. If you are tired of pop lip synchers that are using sex to sell albums, go see Kelly. The show was entertaining from beginning to end. If she is performing near you. Get yourself a ticket! You will have a good time.

I am giving this performance an A-