Carrie Underwood in Kingston

Concert Review and Photography by Greg Kieszkowski on behalf of Pie Magazine

web:  writingwithlightstudio.ca   |   twitter:  gregk72

       Tonight was Carrie Underwood's first ever appearance in Kingston, Ontario, and she not only managed to blow through town, but held it ransom and spellbound.  The Blown Away Tour arrived with much glitter and fanfare. It was perhaps the most extravagant and glamorous event to be held in the historic city of Kingston and it is perhaps a great sign for things to come. 

The crowd was mostly female, and more often than not teens and their gracious chaperones.  I overheard one daughter tease her father that he only volunteered for the show because Carrie Underwood has such great legs.  I was unable to remain to see the debate continue or resolve itself.

It goes without saying that the girls wore titillatingly colourful Cowboy hats, and elegantly matching Cowboy boots, which were often morphed into stylish pairs of jeans.  The odd Cowboy could also be seen mingling and singing along and the thousands of fans who packed the K Rock Centre celebrated their idol all night long.  They sang every note and knew word, while dancing the night away. 

  There was tremendous anticipatory excitement which was built up by the soulful and energetic performance of Hunter Hayes. He performed a wonderful set and as a young teenage heart throb himself, was rightly the best choice to support Carrie Underwood on this tour.

It took only a few seconds for the crowd to explode with excitement when the curtain hiding the full stage finally dropped to the ground. There was a particular moment of delight when the curtain twisted in the air and for a brief moment formed a silhouette of an Angel.  It was a sign and a testament to the countless unsung workers who tirelessly contributed to this spectacular tour. 

After several hit songs, Carrie Underwood took the time to welcome her fans and told them that she had come a long way from trying to survive on American Idol. Her goal was to write and record an album that she could be proud of, and yet here she is eight years later having released her fourth recording.  She was gracious and grateful for being able to live her dream. “It wouldn’t mean nearly as much, traveling around, or playing in cool places like this, and meeting awesome people like you, if we couldn’t help out along the way”.  Carrie Underwood informed the sold out audience that a dollar from every ticket was donated to the Canadian Red Cross.  She has done this from the very beginning of the Blown Away Tour, and this is a great testament to her longevity and bright future in the music industry.

Carrie Underwood delighted the crowd with three wardrobe changes and each was special and unique in its own way.  Being granted only the first two songs, I managed only to capture her first glamorous phase.  Her best look however, was the relaxed Daisy Duke shorts, a Willie Nelson T-Shirt, and cowboy boots.  It was her best look because as she stepped on a magical diamond in the front of the stage, she and her band were lifted up above the audience and played several songs while floating from one end of the arena to the other.  She continued to entertain, sing and dance to the delight of thousands of energetically waving hands.  Suspended above the audience, Carrie Underwood told her fans that she feels all of their great energy while singing every night but on this tour she wished to be even closer to them. 

     On a personal note, I found it fascinating how seamless and how amazingly quickly this little floating raft was assembled and taken down. I fully understand why as photographers we were asked to shoot from a hundred feet away and were not granted the customary access to the pit. In a post 911 world, this undertaking was complex enough without the worry about the actions of some seemingly crazed, seductively tall, and strikingly good looking stranger, if I may so so myself. 

Carrie Underwood performed a high energy show but managed to save the most energy for the end of the show, but did not come out for an encore.  The show ran smoothly and ended at approximately 10:30 pm.  He duet with Brad Paisley, although it was virtual collaboration, drew an amazing reaction from the crowd, as did the live duet with Hunter Hayes.  Guitar-less, yet surrounded by several guitars, he proceeded to entertain the crowd with a very solid solo on an air guitar.  

With a powerful voice, an amazing stage presence and a spectacular visual presentation, Carrie Underwood came and went.  She came, she saw... and they were Blown Away.

Theory of a Deadman and Big Wreck rock GMC

Big Wreck and Theory of a Deadman played the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, on Friday, November 30th.  The arena was not filled to capacity, which is disappointing, as these are two phenomenal Canadian acts. Their songs are very melodious and infectious.  These are our musicians, and it was wonderful to see them on the same bill.

This was not a Bieberesque song and dance.  There were no gimmicks.  There was no pyrotechnics.  There was not even a smoke machine in the venue.  There was no elaborate stage set up, just the simplicity of colour in lights.  Each band hung their own banner and performed on a wide open stage.  The rest was just music.

I didn't have a chance to obtain a reviewer pass, so these are just some of my impressions from the pit.  The lighting was simply beautiful, and the leading men fun and expressive.

John Fogerty @ General Motors Centre

First time that I saw you

Ohh, you took my breath away

I might not get to heaven

But I walked with the angels that day

                      - Joy of My Life

John Fogerty left his audience with some remarkable memories.  The Looking Out My Back Door tour arrived at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa with enlightening images, and breath taking effects, but it was the heart of the performer that won the night.

There was something different about this evening.  The crowd was older, but one could see a sprinkle of young people throughout the arena, and they were all singing along together and dancing just as passionately.

The audience welcomed their six string hero with a standing ovation.  He in turn, through his iconic voice and haunting guitar solos kept them on their feet.

We all learned that John Fogerty practices four hours a day and runs six miles every morning which shows that his dedication to his music, and the respect to his fans is unparallel in a music industry that often rewards and manufactures musical caricatures.  He walked and run the wide stage throughout the whole evening in order to share his moment with fans, no matter where fate managed to place them. 

He also told them stories. 

He recalled Woodstock and how excited he was to play that festival.  CCR was scheduled to take the stage on Saturday, at 9:30pm.  As a young man he was very excited but nobody told him CCR would follow the Grateful Dead.  The show ran late.  The Grateful Dead began their set at midnight and were interrupted when all the sound went dead.  When they were finished it was 2:30 in the morning.  “I saw a lot of people that looked like me, except they were naked and asleep” he told the crowd.  There was only one fan with a lighter who urged them to play.  The band played on and John Fogerty wondered who would stop the rain?

The evening was very retrospective.  John Fogerty whispered I love you to his daughter Julie at the end of his performance of Joy of my Life.  He dedicated Have you ever seen the rain?  to his daughter Kelsey.  He explained that there is no mistaking it for a sad song, but he no longer thinks and writes about the rain, but rather lives for the rainbow.

The fight with the record company is now behind him and John Fogerty is looking to the future and enjoying the present.  The tour continues and those who are lucky to flood the arenas will have memories to share for the ages.