| Recently appointed Utah Valley University president Matthew Holland told a large and energetic crowd at Brent Brown Ballpark on Thursday night that his kids were disappointed when they found out that the family would be moving to Orem for dad's new job. Then he told them that moving would involve a Kelly Clarkson concert. "They called the moving van for us," Holland joked.
UVU and Orem City hosted Clarkson, winner of the inaugural season of FOX-TV's "American Idol," to jointly celebrate UVUphoria! and Orem's Summerfest. Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn followed up Holland's brief remarks by saying that Orem is "a city of happiness," and the 27-year-old Clarkson proved it by having thousands of eager fans literally jumping for joy during her one-hour-and-change, 15-song set.
Heavy showers earlier in the day prompted fears that the event might be rained out -- fitting, if it had happened, for a concert held in a baseball stadium. A huge double-rainbow showed up at roughly the same time as the guest of honor, however, and there was only light rain during a handful of songs before the clouds broke for good.
Several thousand people found a place to sit before the show, with fans of all ages in attendance. Orem resident Kathy Miller brought her three granddaughters -- 17-year-old Andrea, 12-year-old Sadie and 8-year-old Maddie -- but Miller had her own interest in seeing Clarkson.
"I even saw the show where she became the first American Idol," she said.
With the stage set up in deep center field, it was mostly standing-room-only in the outfield. Fans preferring to sit thronged the grassy slopes above the outfield wall, and those with a wary eye on the slate-grey skies sacrificed proximity to sit in the bleacher seats, within easy reach of the covered upper rows.
A selection of local performers kicked off the evening shortly after 6:30 p.m., with five acts competing to claim the top prize -- $2,500 -- in the "Utah's Got Talent" competition sponsored by Utah Community Credit Union. An outfit called Imagine Dragons was the big winner, but nobody was picturing fiery serpents by the time a white van with tinted windows rolled up behind the stage shortly after 8 p.m.
Clarkson took the stage wearing a sleeveless T-shirt and black vest, and belted out the ironically titled "Walk Away," a suggestion that no one heeded despite the aforementioned light rain falling hardest during that first song.
Her set included something borrowed -- Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain" -- and several songs that were very blue (including "Never Again" and "Because of You" sung back-to-back), before the evening concluded with something old (her biggest hit, "Since U Been Gone") and something new (her most recent hit, "My Life Would Suck Without You").
Never less than upbeat, Clarkson confined her between-song banter to perky observations like, "All right! Y'all are a fun crowd." Someone like Bruce Springsteen would have had more to say, but Clarkson's tight pacing ensured that her youngest fans could be in bed before 10 p.m. Atta girl, K.C. That kind of behavior will definitely get you a return engagement in Family City, U.S.A.
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