By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
March 24, 2004
The Kelly Clarkson/Clay Aiken concert Monday night at the United Center was exactly what you would expect from a pair of winners — well, one winner and a runner-up — from “American Idol.” It was sweet, earnest and well rehearsed, but not particularly memorable.
While it’s clear that each performer has a strong set of pipes, neither has toured enough to put on a truly exhilarating live show. You can sit home and listen to their CDs and pretty much get the same experience.
The two idols have been taking turns closing the show, and on this night it was Aiken who opened for Clarkson — the first winner of Fox’s singing contest. With his shock of red hair and big smile, it was hard not to warm up to Aiken, who happily cackled at his own jokes and made fun of his onstage clumsiness.
Like Clarkson, he hit enough sour notes to prove he was singing live. Performing cuts from his debut album, “Measure of a Man,” Aiken relied on a ballad-heavy set that included “Invisible,” “Perfect Day” and the title track.
His selection of covers was curious. He opened the show with Mr. Mister’s hideous “Kyrie.” The boy from North Carolina redeemed himself with a touching rendition of James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind.” And he got the parents in the audience swaying to Leo Sayer’s sappy “When I Need You.”
Many of the kids in the audience were too young to realize these weren’t Aiken originals. Others were just confused. When he launched into “Fields of Gold,” two teenage girls sitting behind me didn’t recognize it as a Sting original, but rather as the background music to one of Michelle Kwan’s figure skating routines.
Aiken is a likable performer who would have benefitted from adding some more rock ‘n’ roll into his set. He gave it a nice shot with Prince’s “When Doves Cry,” but when the performer is mocking his own performance, it’s difficult for the audience to take it seriously.
When Clarkson’s five-piece backup band and trio of singers — including fellow “Idol” contestant Kiana Parlor — walked onstage, it took a second to realize it was the same group of musicians that had just backed up Aiken. Except now they were clad in black, rather than white.
Clarkson distinguished her set from Aiken’s by forgoing a pop princess getup. Performing barefoot on the carpeted stage, she wore a pair of tattered jeans and a black tank top. She looked a little, well, dirty.
But when she opened her mouth, the angelic voice that drove “A Moment Like This” to the top of the charts identified her as a good girl attempting to play bad … which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
With songs like “Beautiful Disaster,” Clarkson displayed a tranquil calm. Covering Reba McEntire’s “Why Haven’t I Heard From You,” she showed vocal versatility.
It was only when she traded verses with the amazing Parlor that it was clear that the best singer doesn’t always win the contest.
