Concert Review: Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round
There was lot of sparkle and shine at Friday night’s Louisville stop of the Carrie Underwood "Storyteller Tour - Stories in the Round."
There was lot of sparkle and shine at Friday night’s Louisville stop of the Carrie Underwood “Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round” – and that was evident in the fashions alone. All told, the singer took to the stage in five different outfits – looking nothing less than spectacular in each. (Hello. It’s Carrie Underwood, after all. What do you expect, her to look like a mere mortal?)
But turning the old saying around to fit her gender – the clothes themselves do not make the woman, and Friday’s show served proof once again why the singer remains one of the most popular in the format. Working the crowd “in the round” at the KFC Yum! Arena, Underwood delivered a set that was full of the vocal acrobatics that have become a trademark of her sound.
The singer flawlessly delivered note-perfect versions of her biggest hits over the years – ranging from the swagger of such classics as “Last Name” (where she also mixed in a little bit of “Somethin’ Bad”), “Before He Cheats,” and “Cowboy Casanova” – to the angelic balladry of records like “Wasted” and the song that brought her to the proverbial dance – 2005’s “Jesus, Take The Wheel.” Though it’s been over a decade since the single first introduced her to the record-buying public, the song remains a fan favorite – inspiring a crowd sing-a-long that was like none other during the evening.
The singer gave fans a heavy dose of her excellent fifth studio album, Storyteller. Some of the definite highlights of the newer music included her emotional tribute to her family, “What I Never Knew I Wanted,” the pop-ish sheen of “Clock Don’t Stop,” and the sass of “Dirty Laundry.” It was from the newer material that Underwood delivered the biggest home run performance of the night – the swampy “Choctaw County Affair.” Breaking out of her rather clean-cut image to deliver what could very well be her most gritty performance, Underwood borrowed a page from the 60s sound of Bobbie Gentry that sounded like it could have been set in the same exact town of the 1967 classic “Ode To Billie Joe.” The singer seemed to take a great delight in playing the more risqué character – and brought out the harmonica during the song – nailing her parts in an effective manner.
She wrapped up the evening with two of her most recent radio hits – “Little Toy Guns” and the showcase “Something In The Water,” where her voice seemed to magically float into the Kentucky stratosphere.
Opening the show were The Swon Brothers and Easton Corbin, who demonstrated how much he continues to grow as a live performer with an energetic set. Songs like “A Little More Country Than That” and “Baby Be My Love Song” inspired audience sing-a-longs throughout the performance, as well.
One really cool aspect of the “Storyteller” tour was the inclusion of Country music during both Corbin and Underwood’s set when it came to covers. While it has become the norm to feature as many classic Rock covers as an artist can fill in a set, Corbin played a few songs from his formative years, like “John Deere Green” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” while Underwood tipped the covers hat to Dolly Parton with a stark version of “I Will Always Love You” and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with their 1987 hit “Fishin’ In The Dark.”
Granted, it’s early in the year, but the songstress dazzled the crowd with relative ease and class that it’s not outside the realm of possibility that she might just reclaim the Female Vocalist of the Year prize from the CMA – and also the top prize of Entertainer of the Year. To say she deserves it would be a huge understatement, because from a pure standpoint of vocals and showmanship, no other female vocalist comes close!
