Clarkson puts on solid, no-frills show

UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Pop superstar Kelly Clarkson, who rose to fame after winning the public's support as the first "American Idol," kicked off her "All I Ever Wanted" fall tour on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Clarkson, accompanied by a nine-piece band and two back-up singers, wasted no time in rocking the house and began her 90-minute set with the tour's title song followed by "Miss Independent," her second single off her debut album from 2002.

Clarkson has sold more than 20 million albums over her short career. Her current "All I Ever Wanted" album shattered Billboard records with the lead single "My Life Would Suck Without You" jumping from No. 97 to No. 1 in its first week of release. The tune, which she saved as the last of a three-song encore, also earned the "American Idol" winner her first No. 1 single in Britain, where she will continue her tour in February.

While Clarkson chose to name her tour after her latest album released in March, she could have easily called it her "no frills" tour. The stage was bare minimum with no flashy backdrops or videos, just a simple tiered stage with several ramps leading down to the stage. There were no pyrotechnics, no spewing confetti, just some blinking lights and a focus on one thing - her singing and showing off her powerful voice.

Clarkson, who appeared comfortable engaging in between-song banter with her audience, told the approximately 8,000 fans that performing "covers" was the fun part of her tours. Living up to that declaration, the popular singer blended "Use Somebody" by the Kings of Leon and Alanis Morissette's "That I Would Be Good" into one song. She later launched into a bluesy, soul-filled rendition of the Black Keyes' "Lies" followed by what she called "a more than usual bluesy" version of the Patsy Cline standard "Walking After Midnight."...