Underwood show showcases talent still fit for an Idol

TV’s American Idol has hung up its microphone for good, but Carrie Underwood, one of the show’s brightest products, marches on.

On Thursday night Underwood, out in front of about 10,000 fans in Verizon Arena on her Storyteller Tour, had no issues showcasing the otherworldly voice that rocketed her out of obscurity in Checotah, Okla.

One of the evening’s many highlights was her hit, “Blown Away,” a song about the destructive force of a tornado. It’s an anthem demanding sustained vocal power that perhaps no performer other than Underwood possesses.

It is an interesting moment in Underwood’s already dazzling career. At 33, and 11 years removed from her Idol victory in 2005, Underwood is a certified country music veteran, not to mention the host of award shows and the star of makeup commercials. She’s also a young mother.

Maybe that’s why the energy and sheer razzle-dazzle of Thursday’s show, done in the round with buckets of laser lights and smoke pots, along with having Underwood disappear on four separate occasions to change outfits, was a bit surprising. It’s probably fair to say that a majority of her male country music counterparts don’t show as much initiative.

The singer, sporting short blond hair, was backed by a band that would appear and disappear via risers that dropped beneath the stage floor. The early winners in the set were forceful takes on “Undo It” and “Good Girl.” Underwood’s main subject — cheating and its discontents — is a theme that clearly resonates and Verizon’s crowd, which appeared to be dominated by females, sang along loudly, especially to “Before He Cheats.”

Of course there were ballads. Underwood slowed down most notably on a lovely cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” and her own “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” The latter song, her first big hit, has not lost a bit of its compelling pull or plaintive appeal. The song, like the singer, would appear to be a modern-day mainstay.