Concert Review: Carrie Underwood at Hollywood Bowl

Carrie Underwood fans believe she can do no wrong. And that's okay, because that's the way some fans are. Now me,  I'm up front when I've thought any of those I admire in music or other art forms don't live up to expectations. But, as it's been said, none are so blind as....well, you get the idea. 
Underwood and Kelly Clarkson are the two most popular singers, certainly sales-wise, to come out of American Idol. And in country, no female singer is hotter on the charts than Underwood, except perhaps, Taylor Swift (but Underwood fans hate it when you bring her up). 
With just three albums and a career that launched on Idol five years ago, Underwood has racked up a score of #1s and other hit singles, along with multi-platinum album sales that include her most recent release, last year's Play On. This has all sent her into the land of arena tours and also recently brought her to the landmark Hollywood Bowl (Oct. 2) for a concert that certainly had its moments, but showed she still has much growing to do on the concert stage as a performer. 
There were two opening acts: The Sons of Sylvia are longtime friends of Underwood and came off a touch more organic than typical commercial country, sort of on the Americana side of things.  Second-billed Billy Currington was another story.  A somewhat predictable country hit-maker with some southern rock riffing along with pop bits and a central theme of....beer.  "I like my night life and my bud lite," he sang, showing he has poor taste in brew, sorry. A few of his tunes were mildly catchy, but really, he's one of those journeyman types if he keeps that career going down the road. 
Underwood's 90-minute-plus performance began with some off-center musical vamping from the band with what looked like, well, wormholes on the video screens - shades of Doctor Who! Then, the band kicked into "Cowboy Casanova," one of her spunkier tunes and she walked on on stage to grab the mic stand and it seemed, take charge.  A good start. The more pop-rockish title song from her 2005 debut album Some Hearts, recalled - just a bit - the band that had just played the Bowl the night prior - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  Again, a winning tune.  
But some other songs in-between them and following weren't as solid, despite hit status.  She talked about appearing at the Bowl and watching performances on TV and did seem awed to being back by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The ensemble added extra touches - especially through strings such as cello, to several of her ballads, bringing a torchy feel as during "I Now You Won't"   Yet at times, she really didn't take advantage of the special setting to deviate far from her usual tour setlist.  Underwood may be entrenched in country stylings overall, but she has the potential to stretch out more and this was her opportunity, unfulfilled. Also, her voice too often fought, rather than flowed with the orchestral additions.
Before the pining "Temporary Home," she talked a bit about coming out to Hollywood for Idol.  the winsome "All-American Girl"  was certainly chipper, though cliche-loaded, but "Undo It," just came off clumsy. 
Her biggest hit, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" combined with "How Great Thou Art," drew a standing ovation from a good part of the venue, but genuine spiritual depth was lost in a over-emoting. Far better was the surprise appearance of Randy Travis for their low-key, enrapturing duet "I Told You So," and also the Songs of Sylvia returning to the stage for their collaboration with her from Play On, "What Can I Say."
Between songs, she actually was at her most charming when her guitarist experienced an equipment malfunction, telling the crowd these things happen (and indeed they do through no fault of an artist) and then teasing the musician a bit: "Couldn't you just go chucka-chucka-chucka?" That was cute, really.
The sort of country-rocking "Last Name" was a good-time slice of bar regret matched by the gal-pal therapy "Before He Cheats."The final number, "Songs Like This," was marred - at least from our vantage point - dead center, behind the boxes - by hi-volume fireworks. The dazzling display would've been a capper had it comes a few minutes later. 
The crowd skewed female to a high degree. In fact, on our shuttle bus there from the park and ride (my guest was a friend's 10-year-old daughter who cupped her ears during the fireworks finding them too loud to ooh and ahh at all), it looked like girls night out. And riding back on that bus, one didn't hear a lot of post-concert rah-rah, either; none of "how about when she did this or that?" 
It certainly wasn't a poor show. Far from it. But Underwood was underwhelming. Nice? Sure.  Pleasant?  Yes. Of course, saying she wasn't less that total godhead is going to make her fan's blood boil, but that's the way it goes. It's easy to sings for the fans your already have. But winning over someone perhaps indifferent or better yet, making them a true believer?  That's her challenge now. And it's about being more than an Country Music American Idol.