First "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson was no diva during her "All I Ever Wanted" concert at Araneta Coliseum last May 1. The moment.
She and her eight-member band opened the show, it was clear that all she wanted was to sing and let the music connect with the audience.
She needed not worry about it. Fans rushed towards the front of the stage on the get-go, singing along with her at the top of their lungs.
The bouncers managed to have the people back on their seats by the third song, but two songs later, the fans returned stronger than ever. Clarkson, who apparently enjoys having a small crowd before her, said, “This is cool. It energizes us.”
Few artists sound great live, but Clarkson does. For an hour and a half, she sang 21 songs effortlessly. Her powerful and soulful voice felt every word and note especially of her hits "Breakaway," “Since U Been Gone,” and “Because of You.” Her singing prowess was made more apparent in the stripped-down versions of “Already Gone,” and in the acoustic medley of “Just Missed the Train,” “Low,” “Addicted,” and “Gone.”
Clarkson also gave the fans an idea about songs of other artists that she likes in the mash-up number of Alanis Morisette’s “That I Would Be Good,” Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody,” and Black Keys’ “Lies.”
The singer constantly checked on her audience. Clarkson asked intermittently if they -- including those far from the stage -- were enjoying the show. She shook hands, acknowledged banners, waved, and smiled. The crowd reciprocated by holding up colorful toy lights and glow-in-the-dark bracelets while cheering lustily.
Clarkson's Manila concert may have been one of its kind: During her last song, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” Pulp Live’s Vernon Go proposed to his girlfriend Happee Sy by flashing his message on the video wall. Later, Clarkson asked if Sy accepted.
The "All I Ever Wanted" concert was not only about good music, it was about the humility of a great artist whose feet are figuratively and literally (Clarkson was barefoot throughout the show) on the ground.