Kelly came out with high energy from the start, beginning with the title cut from her latest album, "All I Ever Wanted." For a song that's a bit more pop and even dance than Kelly's usual pop-rock style, the song was fully backed with loud guitar during the chorus, and because of the live version, it's now one of my favorite cuts on the album.
Kelly's band matched her energy well. She was joined by a large crew of guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, a keyboard player, a DJ, and a backup-singing duo. The playing was clean and skillful, and most of the songs were loud and rocking.
Kelly's vocals were superb. She has an amazing voice that really comes across live. Her vocal talents were most prominently on display during a brief acoustic breakdown. The acoustic version of "Behind These Hazel Eyes" was carried by her soulful voice.
Kelly knew how to keep the crowd involved. She encouraged them to sing along multiple times during the set, and chatted with the audience between songs. She even accepted a number of gifts from fans who walked right up to the stage during the early part of the set, and put on a gold "I [heart] Iowa" shirt" (complete with University of Iowa tiger hawk emblem) that a fan threw on to the stage.
Some highlights of the setlist were the modesty anthem "I Do Not Hook Up"; "Never Again" (which, unfortunately was the only song performed from Clarkson's commercial flop "My December," which, in my opinion, is her best album); "Whyyouwannabringmedown" (which seemed like it was probably Kelly and the band's favorite to play); "Since You've Been Gone" (which had 98 percent of the audience jumping up and down just like the music video); and "Because of You (which Kelly said she wrote at age 14 and is one of the saddest songs ever recorded).
Speaking of sad songs, I hope Kelly never loses her angst. It's from heartbreak and disappointment that her best songs are inspired, whether she wrote them or not. It's a point that she mentioned herself, so her awareness of it makes me think she will keep rocking stages like she did at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines for a long time to come.
