![]()
McEntire, Clarkson unite different audiences, genres
BY DENISE NEIL
The Wichita Eagle
If the pairing sounds odd -- 52-year-old country legend and television star Reba McEntire sharing a stage and a set list with 25-year-old "American Idol" winner and pop/rock star Kelly Clarkson -- it kind of was.
And yet, the singers' "2 Worlds 2 Voices" tour, which stopped Thursday night at the Kansas Coliseum, worked.
The duo performed 25 songs over two hours in front of a sold-out crowd of nearly 9,000, spanning both singers' target demographic of fans.
The pairing made the show an easy sell for Robert Barnett, a longtime McEntire fan whose 8-year-old daughter, Selena, likes Clarkson. He got his tickets the first day they went on sale.
"I love Reba," he said. "It's the hair. I love that wild red hair."
On stage, the singers explained how their teaming came to be. The two, who recorded a duet of Clarkson's song "Because of You" together, had also appeared on a CMT show called "Crossroads" and had enjoyed singing together. They wanted to take their collaboration further, which worked fine since McEntire's husband manages both singers' careers.
During the show, neither singer left the stage. Instead, they traded verses, or one sang backup for the other.
The show started with the pair, both wearing jeans and sparkly sleeveless shirts (and no shoes for the oft-barefoot Clarkson), teaming for a rendition of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams." After that, they glided back and forth between hits, moving from "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" to "Hazel Eyes" to "Fear of Being Alone" to "Ms. Independent."
The show was at its best when the two were harmonizing, which they did effortlessly. Among the highlights was an acoustic set, which included pitch-perfect versions of "Greatest Man," "Cathy's Clown" and a cover of Patty Griffin's "Up to The Mountain," Clarkson's choice.
"I swear to you this is the coolest thing I've ever been a part of," Clarkson said from the stage, recounting the sixth-grade party where a friend introduced her to McEntire's music.
"I was in the eighth grade at the time," McEntire quipped.
The only truly awkward moments came when McEntire was backing Clarkson on some of her harder-rocking hits. Although she more than kept up, she seemed a little out of place, as though Clarkson had invited her very cool mom to jam with her on stage.
The concert ended with three of their biggest hits --"Since You've Been Gone" for Clarkson, the duet "Because of You," and finally, McEntire's "Fancy."
Among the fans was Shelby Cook, whose mom brought her to the concert as a 16th birthday present.
Although she's in Clarkson's demographic, she's more of a McEntire fan, she confessed.
"I like them both," she said. "But Reba has an amazing voice. It just comes so naturally."


