Things I Like
I have compiled this page so you can learn a little more about me — things that have impacted me, the best performances by Kelly Clarkson (such an angel as she is), and whatever else strikes my fancy.
It’s a page of pure self-indulgence. Enjoy. |
The Top Five Live Performances
by Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson is America’s sweetheart. She is down-to-earth, came from nothing, and embodies the American Dream. But most of all, she has the voice of an angel, and these are my favorite examples.
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5. Home (Marc Broussard)Orlando Mardi Gras
March 29, 2009 The first winner of American Idol, Kelly is a power-house vocalist. Talent enchants me. And here, her vocals are insane. She slips effortlessly between belts and head voice. And it drips with soul, even if her bluesy rasp doesn’t take center stage here.
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4. My Country ‘Tis of Thee (Traditional)Inauguration of Barack Obama
January 20, 2013 This performance sends chills down my spine. I have a soft spot for patriotic songs. In this performance, one personal hero of mine is welcoming another hero into office. Two American heroes, together on one stage.
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3. Since U Been GoneMTV Video Music Awards
August 28, 2005 What fun. What silliness. Jumping around in the rain. Never mind that the vocals are trash. Here, she is unleashed and just having fun. Also, I may or may not have sung Since U Been Gone in the shower as a moody teenager pretending to be all that.
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2. Piece by PieceAmerican Idol: The Farewell Season
February 25, 2016 Who didn’t see this? It’s so touching. The song, written by Kelly, is about how her ex-husband is a better father than hers was. It’s about doing right by her children. And she is singing it while pregnant. It’s raw. She emotes. I am crying with Keith Urban.
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1. Up to the Mountain
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Bonus: Medley of 2017’s hitsBillboard Music Awards
May 20, 2018 I’ll keep this “bonus” slot open for recent favorites. In 2018, Kelly hosted the Billboard Music Awards. And if the previous videos didn’t convince you that she’s the Queen of Live Covers, this medley definitely will.
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Did I mention that I met Kelly Clarkson?
Stronger Tour in Champaign, Ill.
February 25, 2012
February 25, 2012
My Favorite Book
To the Lighthouse (1927)
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My Favorite Artwork
The Slave Ship (1840)
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“The Slave Ship” was painted during Europe’s
late Romantic period. Romanticists aimed to capture the “feeling” of an event or phenomenon, with special emphasis on the battle between nature and mankind that dominated the Industrial Revolution. This scene depicts the disgusting practice during the slave trade when traders would throw (living) slaves overboard to collect the insurance money. The mood is frantic. Urgent. The rough seas toss about the ship and drown the overthrown slaves, whose limbs and shackles we see bobbing in the waves (man vs. nature). We are burdened with its utter depravity without the power to change it. When I first saw the work in person, it overwhelmed me. It had been a favorite already — I saw it in a European history textbook — but when I stumbled across it in the M.F.A. Boston without expecting to, the emotion arrested me. Such cruelty. It begs us to answer, What can you do to stop the cruelty? In this painting, the answer is: nothing. For those slaves, it is too late. But we cannot settle for “nothing” in the present. For people suffering today, “The Slave Ship” urges us to do all we can. |