One set. Two outfits. And a whole lot of soul.
Albeit a week later than originally planned, Kelly Clarkson recently kicked off her Studio Sessions residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace with a stripped down show that focuses more on the charismatic singer’s voice than the over-the-top frills Las Vegas residencies are known for.
If Clarkson was battling voice issues or illness, there was no evidence of it on opening night. She brilliantly belted out song after song with force and engaged with the audience with stories throughout the over two-hour performance.
The Studio Sessions stage replicates a recording studio. It’s a simple set that remains in place for the duration of the show. Clarkson says it’s inspired by what her “party barn” in Montana looks like. Framed photos of artists she idolizes are tacked onto the studio walls: Bonnie Raitt, Reba McEntire, Steven Tyler, Lauryn Hill, Janis Joplin and, of course, Dolly Parton (who will perform six shows on the very same stage this December).
“All these people are big musical influences for me,” she told fans on opening night. “This is literally my shit on these walls. That’s my Dolly,” she said, pointing to the photo of Parton hanging on the wall.
Clarkson dressed for comfort and arrived “in studio” wearing bell bottom jeans and a sparkly sequined Stevie Nicks T-shirt, which she sported until her encore. After opening the show with stirring renditions of “Me” and “Walk Away,” Clarkson dug deep and sang “Heat,” a single she said “feels like a modern day Tina Turner song” before breaking into a Bowie-esque version of “Dance with Me.”
Not surprisingly, Clarkson is a bit of a gabber. The multiple Emmy Award-winning talk show host spoke often to praise her band—a large ensemble with a string and horn section, backup singers and other musicians—as well as to talk about the set (the furniture is available on Wayfair) and how this residency was all about giving fans a glimpse into the fun associated with recording.
“We gave you a sneak peek of what we do. There’s nothing like getting into studios with a bunch of musicians and vibing with each other. It’s electric,” Clarkson said. “This is my favorite show I’ve ever put together, because I love being in the studio and that’s where this whole idea came from.”
I heard some folks criticize her opening night performance for singing a couple songs with her back turned to the audience seated stage left. It was a detail I didn’t initially notice because she was facing me the whole time. She also remained center stage the entire show so those in the front rows didn’t get the up-close experience they may have expected. Both are easily correctable, though.
Clarkson’s only costume change came at the very end of the show when she ditched the jeans and returned in a white gown to perform her final three songs of the evening, which concluded with her hit song “Since U Been Gone.”
“Damn right I’m going to sing this song in this dress!” she told the audience.
When and where is Clarkson performing Studio Sessions?
When: July 25, 26; Aug 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16; Nov 7, 8, 14, 15
Where: The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
What’s on the Studio Sessions setlist?
The setlist for Clarkson’s Studio Sessions Vegas residency includes 19 songs that span her career and a few bonuses during the encore.
– “Me”
– “Walk Away”
– “Heat”
– “Dance With Me”
– “Behind These Hazel Eyes”
– “Heartbeat Song”
– “Breakaway”
– “Didn’t I”
– “Because of You”
– “Mine”
– “Catch My Breath”
– “Beautiful Disaster”
– “Piece by Piece”
– “Miss Independent”
– “Sober”
– “Favorite Kind of High”
– “My Life Would Suck Without You”
– “Tightrope”
– “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
Encore
Her encore includes one Kellyoke cover song that will rotate. On the first weekend she sang Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” opening night and on night two, she sang Måneskin’s version of Frankie Vallie & the Four Seasons’ “Beggin.”
– “Where Have You Been”
– Kellyoke cover
– “Since U Been Gone”