Saturday, September 10, 2011

Carrie Underwood - LIVE In Concert! - Part 3



For two years in a row now the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood has performed live at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park IL. When I learned that she was once again coming back for another performance, I immediately went online back in April and bought tickets for myself and some friends so we could enjoy the fun of music under the stars with Carrie. And this year it turns out that my parents and sister did the exact same thing, so the event was going to be fun for the whole family!

It was a beautiful and sunny afternoon as we hopped in the car to drive up there. Mom and Dad arrived to the park first to reserve a great space for the picnic while we were stuck in traffic enjoying our all-Carrie playlist. We arrived with plenty of time to enjoy some great food and have fun in the crowd. The time just flew by until the Supreme Miss American Idol finally took the stage at about 8:00.

Something that was very new and exciting for this return visit to Ravinia was that instead of performing with her usual band, Carrie was backed by a complete orchestra! We were treated to grand and lush arrangements of all of our favorite songs. She opened the show as she usually does with her crowd pleasing smash hit, Cowboy Casanova. Carrie looked absolutely stunning in black skinny jeans and a long coat accessorized with a very cute scarf. She segued directly into Quitter, just like she did last year. Since she did not released a new album since her last appearance the set list for tonight's show was quite similar to what she did last year pulling huge hits from all three of her multi-platinum albums: Some Hearts, Carnival Ride and Play On.

She didn't have any costume changes through the evening as she went through a spectacular string of hits. She let her amazing voice and warm personality be front and center the entire time. Early in the show she really showcased what an outstanding voice she has with her album track from Carnival Ride, I Know You Won't. It's a simple ballad where her vocals truly soar to amazing heights. Her ability to perform this kind of track in concert so well is nothing short of supremely impressive.

Sounding pitch perfect on Some Hearts, Wasted, Just A Dream, Temporary Home, All-American Girl, So Small and Undo It, she mixed things up a bit with this live rendition of Jesus Take The Wheel. Just when you thought the song was coming to an end, Carrie burst into a stirring performance of How Great Thou Art. You don't have to be devout Christian to be moved by the power and the passion that she exudes with her stunning vocals. It's grand moments like this that prove how worthy she is to have been named Entertainer of the Year two years in a row.

One of the best parts about seeing a show at Ravinia is that fans have the space on the lawn to get up and dance to this fantastic set-list of songs. When the sun went down and the show was building up to the very exciting culmination I put on my black sequined electric cowboy hat and was up on my feet. Carrie sang her smash hits Last Name and Before He Cheats while the crowd sang along with satisfaction and approval. She once again closed the show with the very fun and catchy track called Songs Like This. In all of the energy and excitement fans may have missed that she tossed in a line from Miranda Lambert's White Liar and Beyonce's Single Ladies.

Sadly, the show had to come to end. My hope for an encore of her current hit with Brad Paisley, Remind Me, ended up not happening. Even though it is the #1 song this week on the Billboard Country Songs chart there wasn't a place for it on the set list this time around.

Even without Remind Me, The Supreme Miss American Idol proved once again why she is the multi platinum selling artist who is adored by fans young and old. It was a great night with friends and family. I can't wait to see her again!

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