Review: Underwood charms, sparkles at Fair

By Victoria Welch
Free Press Staff Writer

ESSEX -- Carrie Underwood is a puzzlement.

The 22-year-old singer has only one album of material to her name, but she headlines a national tour. She can play guitar, but tends to keep the instrument packed away backstage. Her merchandise items include a $20 stuffed animal wearing a Carrie Underwood T-shirt. She's a hybrid country star -- a poppy, tune-croonin', blue-jeans gal who channels Faith Hill, but covers Guns 'N Roses. Mainstream enough for the youngters, country enough for the older crowd.

Most of all, she's an American Idol that shies away from referencing the show -- and is actually pretty gosh darn good.

Underwood swung by the Champlain Valley Fair on Sunday night, joined by brand new tourmate Andy Griggs. Equipped with a seven-piece band and rock-star stage show, Underwood's plucky charm worked its magic on the enthusiastic crowd. Banter about fair food and fried candy bars peppered the space between songs about Jesus and two-timing; Underwood informed the crowd that they had managed to catch her at her goofiest as she laughed and tried to keep warm in the slight August chill.

"It's cold and the best way to beat the cold is to dance," she said. "The only problem is that I'm not very good at it. But I'll do it anyway." More...

REVIEW: Detroit

Chesney, friends pull off stadium show

The Flint Journal First Edition

By Doug Pullen

DETROIT - "We love playing here," Kenny Chesney said near the end of his revved-up Ford Field show Saturday night. I don't think he was just saying that.

The two-time Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year has been selling out arena dates in Detroit for the last few years, but he'd never attempted anything here as big as a stadium show before. Like everything else tried by the 38-year-old Tennesseean, it paid off with a sellout crowd of nearly 45,000 and a six-act, 61/2-hour spectacle. The event deftly showcased country's heir apparent to Garth Brooks and an emerging new guard, including Gretchen Wilson, the night's most pleasant surprise, and last year's "American Idol" winner, Carrie Underwood, the genre's most scrutinized new face.

The awesome scale of the show - at the level to which rock fans are accustomed - was not lost on the artists.

Opener Jake Owen said it was his first time performing in a stadium, and Underwood had a little difficulty working the 60-foot wide span. "We've got a big stage here; kinda gets me out of breath here trying to run across it," said the rail-thin singer.

"This has got to be the biggest building I've played in my life," marveled Dierks Bentley, who added later, "This isn't a concert. This is an event."

That summed it up. With tickets selling for $65 and $81, Chesney and his handlers seemed intent on giving a lot of bang for the buck.

Owen set the tone with a short but spirited performance that got a big cheer for the Saginaw reference in his debut hit, "Yee Haw." Blaine Larsen followed, his tradition-drenched country going over better than the jersey of new Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna he donned late in his set.

Underwood had the richest voice of the night...

More...

Up In Spins

Rank		Mediabase Sortable Stats™ - Click any Blue Header			Spins			Aud. /mill
lw	TW		Artist	Title	TW	lw	Move
1	1		WRECKERS	Leave The Pieces	4872	4791	81	41.889
3	2		STEVE HOLY	Brand New Girlfriend	4520	4348	172	37.960
2	3		RODNEY ATKINS	If You're Going Thro...	4353	4523	-170	38.769
5	4		GEORGE STRAIT	Give It Away	4287	3783	504	36.622
4	5		LITTLE BIG TOWN	Bring It On Home	4267	4233	34	34.890
6	6		FAITH HILL	Sunshine & Summertim...	3810	3421	389	32.306
7	7		BROOKS & DUNN	Building Bridges	3766	3446	320	31.446
8	8		JOSH TURNER	Would You Go With Me	3599	3395	204	30.040
10	9		PAT GREEN	Feels Just Like It S...	2686	2573	113	23.106
12	10		DIERKS BENTLEY	Every Mile A Memory	2866	2681	185	23.096
14	11		HEARTLAND	I Loved Her First	2563	2104	459	22.682
11	12		BILLY CURRINGTON	Why, Why, Why	2779	2776	3	22.270
22	13		KEITH URBAN	Once In A Lifetime	2198	1486	712	20.932
17	14		DANIELLE PECK	Findin' A Good Man	2317	2266	51	16.912
16	15		BIG & RICH	8th Of November	2079	2092	-13	16.665
19	16		ALAN JACKSON	Like Red On A Rose	2172	1966	206	16.597
21	17		SUGARLAND	Want To	2047	1623	424	16.941
18	18		TRACE ADKINS	Swing	2114	2215	-101	15.665
27	19		KENNY CHESNEY	You Save Me	1940	1353	587	16.658
20	20		LONESTAR	Mountains	1867	1768	99	14.124
23	21		BLAINE LARSEN	I Don't Know What Sh...	1742	1691	51	13.215
24	22		MONTGOMERY GENTRY	Some People Change	1602	1522	80	12.020
26	23		JACK INGRAM	Love You	1493	1422	71	11.791
29	24		CARRIE UNDERWOOD	Before He Cheats	1560	958	602	13.053
28	25		RASCAL FLATTS	Life Is A Highway	1536	1411	125	14.214

Source: Mediabase

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