Carrie Underwood's "Cry Pretty Tour 360" at the STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles was a celebration of not only women in country music, but also of their relationship to L.A.
The headliner of the all-female lineup recalled auditioning for "American Idol" fifteen years ago, and subsequently taking her first plane ride ever to Hollywood, as Los Angeles became the first place she'd ever spent a significant amount of time in, other than her hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Maddie & Tae were making their STAPLES Center debut, and two of the ladies in the trio Runaway June are from Southern California, so there's no doubt that they had plenty of personal friends and family in the stands Thursday night (September 12th).
All three acts made use of the "in-the-round" stage setup, effortlessly moving from one end of the venue to the other, surrounding by a standing-only pit section, allowing fans to be very close to the stage. Sparkling scrims, risers, and stunning costume changes were part of the production, but didn't come close to overshadowing the powerhouse vocals of Carrie Underwood, particularly on "Church Bells" and the sultry "Drinking Alone."
She invited a local cancer survivor to rap the Ludacris part on "The Champion" and her opening acts Maddie & Tae and Runaway June returned to the stage for a beautiful medley, giving a nod to arguably the most legendary females in the genre. "We grew up idolizing some of the most talented women, and they just happened to be sing country music!" Carrie explained as an introduction, and a powerful statement was made as one of country's contemporary female superstars teamed with future female stars to pay tribute to the ladies who have paved the way.
Carrie's setlist was balanced out between playful songs like "Southbound" and "Last Name," and inspiring tunes like "Temporary Home" and "Something in the Water." She closed out her set with her mainstay "Before He Cheats," "Cry Pretty," and the always-moving "Love Wins."
Setlist:
1. Southbound
2. Cowboy Casanova
3. Good Girl
4. Last Name
5. Backsliding
6. Church Bells
7. Two Black Cadillacs
8. Blown Away
9. Drinking Alone
10. End Up with You
11. Flat on the Floor
12. Wasted
13. Temporary Home / See You Again
14. I Know You Won't / Just a Dream / Dream On (Aerosmith cover)
15. Jesus Take the Wheel
16. The Bullet
17. Something in the Water
18. Low
19. Medley with Maddie & Tae and Runaway June: Stand by Your Man (Tammy Wynette cover) / Walking After Midnight (Patsy Cline cover) / Coal Miner's Daughter (Loretta Lynn cover) / 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton cover) / Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain (Judds cover) / She's In Love with the Boy (Trisha Yearwood cover) / Independence Day (Martina McBride cover) / Wild One (Faith Hill cover) / Why Haven't I Heard from You (Reba McEntire cover) / Man! I Feel Like a Woman (Shania Twain cover)
20. Undo It
21. The Champion
22. Before He Cheats
23. Cry Pretty
24. Love Wins
1. Tourist in This Town
2. Bathroom Floor
3. Friends Don't
4. Fly
5. Die from a Broken Heart
6. Meet in the Middle
7. New Dog Old Tricks
8. Girl in a Country Song
1. Lipstick
2. Head Over Heels
3. Fast as You (Dwight Yoakam cover)
4. Trouble with This Town
5. We Were Rich
6. Buy My Own Drinks