Notes on the Kelly Clarkson concert

I went to the Kelly Clarkson concert last night. Lawn seats were an amazingly affordable 25 dollars (plus a nine dollar bullshit ticket fee) and the Shoreline Amphitheatre was packed and ready to see what was behind those hazel eyes. On our night, lots of mascara was behind them. Here are some notes and observations:

• GOOD CONCERT! Kelly put on a great show. She has apparently been a little hoarse recently, but was having a "good night" and seemed to be enjoying herself, chatting up the crowd, and letting all the feelings and heart out during each of her songs. She's got a great voice, charming twang, and some of her new songs sound good. Get ready, America.
  
• Thank god I'm gay 'cause I would have felt like a mild pervert at this concert which was about 70% early teen and tween girls. I'm guessing most of the men there were homos, dads, coerced boyfriends, but then there was a bizarre smattering of high school dudes who may have taken a wrong turn heading for the Warped Tour. It's weird to watch someone try to be badass and macho at a Kelly Clarkson concert.
  
• Personalized shirts for concerts, with either iron-on or paint pen, are still in!
• The men's bathroom was empty.
• So were the bars.
  
• 3 bluesy songs were set in the "Bayou." With big trees and a pier of some sort. And then the set returned back to its standard metal, tv screen and moving lights.
• One song was rather explicitly a Ford Commercial. You can take the girl out of American Idol, but I guess you can't take....
• I saw someone with a Hanson hoodie.
  
• The opening band was called "Rooney." At the end of each song the lead singer would say "Thank You Very Much!" which would lead me to think they were done. But then they would play another song. At the end of their set, the lead singer waved a "Rooney" flag. A little premature, don't you think, Rooney?
• Before Kelly Clarkson, they gave away a Ford. People were asked to vote for who they thought was most deserving of a Ford between 3 finalists who had made "Bold Moves": One had given up her high paying job to sail around the world. One had stopped a thief from stealing a purse. And one, at age 26, took in her sister's 4 children and raised them. Who do you think won the Ford?
• Occasionally people were brought up on stage. Instead of just having fun and dancing with Kelly, a great deal of the lucky people's time was spent attempting to take digital photographs of themselves on the stage. People in the front row seemed to always have their digital cameras up and clicking. When did proving to others that you have had an experience become more important than having an experience?
  
• Since You've Been Gone was the final number. We all jumped up and down and I may have stepped on the toes of a 9 year old standing behind me (who must have been pissed off to be standing behind me, but also perhaps a little intimidated). A great end to the concert, and we blasted it out the windows of Malibu as he we headed out of the parking lot. Everyone walking back to their cars sang along. That's community!