Clarkson, Lady Gaga: a tale of two singers
House of Blues, Boston, May 4, 2009
Reviewed by Jeffrey B. Remz
The two women playing on the Grammy Celebration Concert Tour could not have been more different. On the one hand was the opener Lady Gaga, the hit, dance music sensation from New York coming on like Madonna. On the other was headliner Kelly Clarkson, a decidedly more low-key, homey affair of pop and rock.
Lady Gaga burst to fame and fortune (even though she once again claimed in concert that all her money has gone to her stage show) in the wake of "The Fame," her disc which spawned the ultra catchy hits Poker Face and Just Dance.
Gaga's gig at the free show (tickets were doled out by T-Mobile in a promotion) was almost exactly the same as about a month ago at the same venue starting with Papparazzi where she was atop a device that opened up and certainly the focus of a lot of attention.
Lady Gaga once again was entertaining although given that about the only difference was a bit less dancing with her three male dancers who worked up quite a sweat and less use of taped singing by Gaga, it would be hard to argue that there was any sense of spontaneity here.
Fortunately, the songs stood up including her hits - two versions of Poker Face, one softer and spare - and particularly Eh Eh, (Nothing Else I Can Say) and the very lively and catchy Boys Boys Boys with the tunes sticking in your head.
The videos at the rear of the stage, typically played during a costume change, still did not make a ton of sense. Neither did her balloon dress, which should make some "worst of" list, donned while playing a new song, the longish Future Love.
One gets the sense that Lady Gaga's bag was presenting a Show that was fun and didn't necessarily cut all that deep, while building the cult of Gaga.
Clarkson was playing behind her just released hit disc "All I Ever Wanted," which went to number one. She won't launch a full-fledged tour until the summer, so this was more of a tease.
As much as Gaga's stint was stagey, Clarkson did not come off that way at all. Gaga may have been in outrageous costumes, but Clarkson was comfortable in ho hum jeans and a shirt with zero clothes changes. She came off as not so smashingly put together - that's for sure. Maybe she should have gone lighter because she complained about being hot for most of the show.
As for the music, this was a set that grew stronger as it went along. Clarkson's vocals moved the same way with the highlight being Chivas, a song requested by a fan in the front. Clarkson played it as the first song of the encore, saying she was unsure she'd even remember words to the big time kiss-off song because she had not played it in quite awhile. With two acoustic guitarists behind her, Clarkson nailed the song with anger intact.
The Texan also came off as genuine in thanking her fans for sticking with her for seven years and four albums that were all "frigging" different from each other.
Clarkson, of course, was a pop product, given that she was in the American Idol machine. But she also has broken away from that. For example, she said she fought real hard to get Because of You on an album. Good thing she did because it's a powerful ballad that she delivered well. Other times, she rocked more (Miss Independent and the strong closer to the regular set Since U Been Gone) and sometimes got more soulful (the lead off Walkaway).
There was no bluster or posing with Clarkson. She hasn't always been successful commercially following her own muse, but she's doing her music her way from start to finish (her most recent number one, My Life Would Suck Without You). For that alone, she deserves credit.
