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Clarkson and Aiken Take the Show on the Roadby L. Dougherty -- 03/03/2004
View Printable version of this article As the fourth group of American Idol 3 contestants show us what they have this week, Kelly and Clay head into the second week of their show. The Independent Tour makes its way around the country over the next 6 to 8 weeks. This isn’t American Idol anymore… or so Kelly and Clay would like you to think. Although from the demographics of the crowd, predominately older women and families, one would tend to think a good portion of the seats are being filled by the 40 million AI viewers from last season. Kelly and Clay treat their fans to a show independent of much stage production. It’s all about the singing, and that they certainly do. Clarkson’s set is much more versatile filled with rock, blues, soulful ballads, and even the big band number, “Stuff Like That There,” which she performed on the first season show. She plays guitar on two songs, sits cross-legged on a piano singing a newer version of the song, “Beautiful Disaster,” from her Thankful CD, dances around the stage, giggles, and waves and sings almost non-stop during her hour long set. She proves that she has immense talent beyond what anyone was able to see during the first season of American Idol. America made the right choice crowning her the winner. Her talent and versatility surpasses what anyone could have imagined she could do from the show. It’s good to see that she remains the same slightly dorky, humble girl with the bubbly personality that we met over the summer of 2002. 
Aiken sings a good portion of the songs from his CD, Measure of a Man, including his first single and crowd pleaser, “Invisible.” He also does something a little different, singing along to an acoustic set of cover songs, which includes Prince’s “When Doves Cry.” He puts a new spin on the song, belts it out, and the crowd goes crazy for him. He’s comfortable on stage, chats with the audience during his set and seems to genuinely be enjoying himself throughout the set. Kelly and Clay prove that you don’t need pyrotechnics and a dance line to entertain. Just like they did on the show, they rely on their vocals, which is rather refreshing. As an admitted Season One fan, it is a pleasure to see how much Kelly has grown since the show. Her vocals are pitch perfect there’s no trace of the noticeable fatigue that was present during and immediately post-American Idol. She’s certainly more then a ballad girl and demonstrates more of her roots as a rocker. She varies her set with soul and rock, dances around the stage and gives you a very entertaining hour of music. Clay seems to be more of a ballad man, which the audience loves. He shows the crowd more sides with his acoustic set. He appears to have grown more comfortable on stage than he seemed during American Idol. He doesn’t move around that much but he’s warm and friendly throughout his performances. At the end of each show, Kelly and Clay return to the stage to sing a duet of Journey’s hit song, “Open Arms,” ending the show together. If you are going, you will not be disappointed with the show. Season One fans are sure to feel nostalgic when Kelly sings her tearjerker song, “A Moment Like This.” As Kelly and Clay move further away from their American Idol roots, they continue the show’s tradition of “singing your heart out” for the audience. There is no Simon, Randy, or Paula waiting to critique them after the show, but if they were I’m sure they would be very pleased with the results. Say what you will about the cheesiness of American Idol but these kids both put their all into their show and it’s a pleasure to see a two hour show of talent over production. Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! For all of our articles, check out our sections on American Idol, American Juniors, Fame, and Canadian Idol. Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows. For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot! View Printable version of this article
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