Carrie Underwood performed live at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College on Friday, Feb. 10. The show started at 7:30 p.m., with headliner Jimmie Allen singing “Be Alright” from his 2022 album Tulip Drive.
Allen sang several of his top hit songs, including his second single “Make Me Want To” and “Good Times Roll,” which features singer Nelly in its 2020 original release. Also on Allen’s setlist was a cover of “Gone” by Montgomery Gentry.
Allen was a very engaging performer. He jumped off the stage twice to give high-fives to the audience on the floor, who were excited about the experience. He wore dazzling glitter boots while he was on set, embodying Underwood’s theme of “Denim and Rhinestones.”
After a 30-minute intermission, during which a DJ kept asking “Are you ready to meet Carrie?,” she finally emerged. The curtain which had been concealing the back of the stage finally fell away, revealing Underwood’s talented band and accompanists.
Underwood rose up through the stage on a piece that was mechanized, lifting up like a mountain. Her opening song was the catchy tune “Good Girl,” followed by several other classics, such as “Church Bells” and “Undo It.”
Throughout her nearly two hours on stage, Underwood sang eight songs from her new album “Denim and Rhinestones” and 15 of her previous hits. Underwood’s set featured at least five complete costume changes, long ribbons falling from the ceiling about halfway into the performance, and various pyrotechnic effects – including fire shooting from the sides of the diamond-shaped stage during her song titled “Burn.”
After one costume change, Underwood emerged from beneath the stage on a swing decorated with flowers and greenery. She rode the swing the entire way past the end of the stage, above the floor standing and seated sections, to a small stage at the opposite side of the arena.
Before she began her next song, Underwood explained that what she loved about her previous shows was being able to engage with the entire audience, and it was important to her to continue to do so when designing this show, but to create a new and exciting experience. She performed several songs on the smaller stage, where she was about 20 feet away from the audience in floor seating.
While singing her new song, “Crazy Angels,” Underwood was carried back to the main stage in a metal gyroscope that was followed by a large pair of neon wings.
Before wrapping up her show, Underwood did a cover of “Welcome to the Jungle,” originally sung by Guns N’ Roses. Her setlist ended with a crowd favorite, “Before He Cheats.”
The following Spotify playlist is representative of Underwood’s album “Denim & Rhinestones” in which the tour was names after.
