REVIEW

What: Kelly Clarkson with Eric Hutchinson and Parachute

Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre

When: Wednesday night

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of five)

MIKE DEVLIN

Times Colonist

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Kelly Clarkson’s concert Wednesday night at the arena was heavy on cover songs. She did, after all, win the American Idol title in 2002 by tackling everyone from Aretha Franklin to Céline Dion.

Clarkson’s choices were more esoteric during her Victoria debut. The 27 year-old from Fort Worth, Tex., touched on everything from alt-rock to classic country with amazing precision during 90 hit-packed minutes.

She opened with the title track of her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, a brassy blast which must have given the soundman fits. The shrill sound wasn’t solved in time for the Grammy-nominated Miss Independent, a rocker that showcased her major league pipes, but by the night’s third song, I Do Not Hook Up, Clarkson and her 11-piece band were rolling big-time.

The tempos shifted for the remainder of the night, but the quality rarely dipped.

She mixed Alanis Morissette's That I Would Be Good with Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody during one of her set’s strongest segments, a medley that was punctuated by heartfelt lyrics Clarkson made her own. Say what you want about the pop machine that introduced her to the world: Clarkson’s vocal ability and skills as an interpreter are simply out of this world.

The stage setup was overwhelming at times, but when Clarkson skipped the frills for an acoustic segment, she still soared. Her cover of the Black Keys’ Lies exposed Clarkson’s bluesy side with nothing more than a piano and electric guitar for accompaniment, while two guitars and a trumpet were her only guide for Patsy Cline’s Walking After Midnight. Talk about your super-sized talents.

The singer’s own material sounded exceptional throughout, but at times the decibels being emitted from her band were problematic (Walk Away, with a full horn section and backup singers, fizzled; so did her cover of the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army).

The highlights, which were plentiful, overshadowed any qualms. Since U Been Gone, which had the crowd of 5,700 in fits, was immense; equally so, but for different reasons, was her encore power ballad Sober, which took Clarkson’s voice and peeled paint off the walls.

Opening acts Parachute, a five-piece from Charlottesville, Va., and Boston-bred singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson — his Stevie Wonder vibe was the far better of the two — were solid. But not enough can be said about the power Clarkson displayed.

Over the audience, who adored her. Over her material, which sounds much stronger in concert. And over the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, whose stage rarely supports an artist of such impressive talent.

mdevlin@tc.canwest.com

Setlist:

1. All I Ever Wanted

2. Miss Independent

3. I Do Not Hook Up

4. That I Would Be Good/Use Somebody

5. Breakaway

6. If I Can't Have You

7. Never Again

8. Lies

9. Walking After Midnight

10. Behind These Hazel Eyes

11. I Want You

12. Because of You

13. Walk Away

14. Since U Been Gone

ENCORE

15. Sober

16. Already Gone

17. Seven Nation Army

18. My Life Would Suck Without You