Carrie Underwood has a few things in common with Dorothy Gale.

Both are country girls whose small town lives took a fantastical, unexpected turn – one from a tornado, the other from a reality show. And Underwood played up the parallel in the opening of her “Blown Away” tour, which touched down Wednesday at the Covelli Centre for her second sold-out appearance there.

With an old-style farm windmill on stage, video monitors showed a sepia-toned Underwood fleeing a tornado across the open prairie. Later in the night she soared over the crowd like the Wizard in his hot air balloon as Underwood and three of her band members performed a four-song set (“Get Out of This Town,” “Nobody Ever Told You,” “All-American Girl,” “One Way Ticket”) on a backporch-sized stage.

Underwood’s show is a massive, polished production. Shifting panels served as monitors for visual accompaniments for the songs. They could pull in to create an intimacy on the stage or pull back to make it feel even more expansive. Her seven-piece band and back-up singer also were on four sliding risers that created different looks for each song.

But despite all of the high-tech, Underwood still felt more country than many of the acts that join her on the country charts. Instead of covering rock and R&B songs like many of her contemporaries, she sang Randy Travis’ “I Told You So” (which she recorded for her album “Carnival Ride”).

During her between-song patter, Underwood said, “I do sing a lot of cheating songs. I sing country music. It happens.” And while some of those songs have a pop sheen and she sings ‘em in designer duds (there were about five outfit changes), she still comes across as pretty genuine.

Old favorites like “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “Before He Cheats” got responses just as boisterous as they did when Underwood played them at the venue in 2008. But new songs “Good Girl,” “Two Black Cadillacs” and “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun” equally were well-received.

Opening act Hunter Hayes returned to stage to sing “Leave Love Alone” with Underwood after a 45 minute set of his own that was full of pop influences. “Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me” had a Jason Mraz-y feel to it, and the way Hayes syncopated his vocal to his guitar playing a last verse of “Somebody’s Heartbreak,” it sounded as if he was trying to ape Stevie Wonder.

He clearly won over many of the young women in the audience. One girl was waving a large pink sign that asked a one-word question in big black letters – “Prom?”

Credit – Trib Today

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 9, 2013 – Six-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood took the stage at the 2013 ACM Fan Jam, immediately following Sunday’s 48th Annual Academy ofCountry Music Awards, to join Brad Paisley for a rousing rendition of their No. 1 smash hit “Remind Me.” Off Paisley’s 2011 This is Country Music record, the sweeping romantic ode is certainly a crowd pleaser, provoking cheers and satisfaction from the onlookers.

During the 2013 ACM Awards, Paisley headlined the 3rd Annual event, alongsideHunter Hayes, Dierks Bentley and John Mayer throughout the live telecast. Underwood, meanwhile, was present at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the awards ceremony, even taking to the stage there for her deliciously dark “Two Black Cadillacs.” Even before the show wrapped up, Underwood bolted to The Orleans Arean for the once-in-a-lifetime performance.

“Now over at the Orleans to sing with my good buddy Brad Paisley! Yay!” Underwoodtweeted moments before surprising fans onstage.

She added, attaching a photo of the jumbo screen, “BRAAAAAD PAISLEYYYYY!!!!!”

For the post-show performances, Paisley was also rejoined by Bentley and another surprise appearance by Sheryl Crow.

Check out Underwood and Paisley’s performance below.

PORTLAND – An attractive young woman flew through the air with the greatest of ease at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Tuesday night.

No, the circus isn’t in town until next week. It was Carrie Underwood on her amazing flying stage.

Fresh from appearances on the Academy of Country Music Awards show and “American Idol,” Underwood brought her “Blown Away” tour to Portland.

A highlight of the tour is when Underwood performs a few songs from a section of stage that rises above the crowd as if lifted by hot-air balloons.

It did make for an impressive show-biz moment Tuesday. And it certainly visually complemented Underwood’s soaring style of pop/country singing. The megastar belted out “All-American Girl” as her many fans craned their necks to follow her moves.

A bit of rhythmic diversity was also welcomed as the crowd swayed to the reggae-flavored “One Way Ticket,” with its one-word message for the “boss man” (hint: rhymes with ticket).

From tough-minded good ol’ girl to sentimental sweetheart, the Oklahoma native established the musical identity that, along with an amazing voice, has made her one of the most popular artists performing today.

“I sing a lot of songs about cheatin’, don’t I?” she mused at one point, following up with a rousing version of “Before He Cheats.”

She showed her softer side on such tunes as “Temporary Home,” for which she had one female backup singer onstage and several thousand in the audience.

Underwood added a remarkable soulfulness to several tunes. “Undo It” was an early gem, as was “I Know You Won’t” later on.

“I told You So” established her links to classic country, as did the fiddle, mandolin and steel guitar work turned in by her band on several songs.

“Jesus Take the Wheel,” “Two Black Cadillacs” and an encore featuring “Blown Away” were also fan favorites.

Credit – Press Herald