My December Tour

The My December Tour was the fifth headlining concert tour by American pop rock artist Kelly Clarkson, and followed the release Clarkson's third studio album, My December. Originally a large-scale summer tour timed to coincide with the June 2007 availability of the album, public career battles and poor ticket sales in North America led Clarkson to cancel it before it began. A considerably smaller-scale tour commenced in September 2007 and ran to April 2008, with the international legs in Europe and Australia remaining at arena venues.

My December Tour
Tour by Kelly Clarkson
Promotional poster for the tour
Associated albumMy December
Start dateSeptember 28, 2007
End dateApril 13, 2008
Legs4
No. of shows8 in Australia
27 in North America
18 in Europe
53 Total
Kelly Clarkson concert chronology

Background

First incarnation
Promotional poster for first incarnation of tour

The tour was initially announced by both Billboard.com and Clarkson's official website on April 26, 2007.[1] It was scheduled for almost 40 dates in North America, running from July 7 to September 28, 2007,[2] beginning in Portland, Oregon's Rose Garden Arena, including such venues as the TD BankNorth Garden in Boston and Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey, and concluding at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.[3] For the first time, Clarkson would be playing in arenas instead of the smaller amphitheatres that her previous tours were staged in. Describing the tour, Clarkson stated, "This will be the biggest tour I’ve ever done. It's all about the music – we’re bringing extra musicians and we’ll be making an arena environment intimate because I want the fans to be part of the show! And you’ll hear all your favorite hits too!!"[2] The show would feature a 36-row catwalk and b-stage, in order to make the large arenas more intimate for fans.[4] Mat Kearney would be her support act for the tour.[5]

The tour was to be sponsored by Vitamin Water.[6] The company set up an exclusive website, kellyallaccess.com, which offered a pre-sale through Ticketmaster as well as other cross-promotional activities with Clarkson.[7] Tickets went on sale on May 12 and prospects for the tour got caught up in Clarkson's very public career drama concerning the contents and commercial potential of My December, her relations with record company boss Clive Davis, and her falling out with her own management.[8][9][10]

On Thursday, June 14, the tour was cancelled per Clarkson's official website, with her statement saying:

I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to getting out there to perform for y'all. In the craziness of the music business, performing is what I look forward to doing the most, so it really is disappointing for me to have to tell you that I won't be coming out to tour this summer. The fact is that touring is just too much too soon. But I promise you that we're going to get back out there as soon as is humanly possible to give you a show that will be even better. Thanks for all of your love and continued support.[11]

However, low ticket sales were acknowledged by promoters and her representatives as the reason for the cancellation. LiveNation CEO Michael Rapino said: "Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew. In the end, we are in the Kelly Clarkson business and for that reason we believe that this decision will only benefit her and her fans in the long run."[12]

The My December album itself was finally released on June 26, 2007, and within a few weeks it was clear that its sales would be considerably less than those of her previous two albums. The only public performances to survive the tour cancellation were her five-song set at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium on July 7, 2007, and various promotional appearances on morning and late-night television programs in conjunction with the album's release.

Second incarnation

On September 4, 2007, a new My December Tour for Fall 2007 in North America was announced on via Billboard.com.[13] It was specified to play 26 dates in 3,000- to 6,000-seat theatres rather than the previous arenas.[13] Ticket sales, when they happened, were now more fitting to the venue; her three shows at New York City's Beacon Theatre were all sold out,[14] while her performance at the Tower Theater outside Philadelphia was virtually so.[15] Shows in Toronto, Minneapolis and Chicago also sold out.

Clarkson then added Australian and European legs to the tour, to take place starting March 2008, after the first leg of her 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour with Reba McEntire. The singles from My December had gotten a somewhat better reception in Australia than in the U.S., and Clarkson was following the strategy of scheduling dates there that the Dixie Chicks had following for their similarly sales-challenged Accidents & Accusations Tour of 2006. Tickets for the Australian tour went on sale October 8, 2007.[16][17] On October 23, 2007, the full European lineup was announced and tickets went on sale immediately. German, Swedish and Dutch tickets went on sale for fans through a number of different ticketing websites and stores across the continent. Although Sony BMG UK set up an official pre-sale for fans through Live Nation, Ents24.com and Seetickets, Orange UK set up a "reserve ticket" system through WAP on their website, for registered Orange users within the UK. There was a high demand for Glasgow and Manchester fans and a further date was added for each within a week. Clarkson scheduled an appearance on the UK TV show This Morning on December 12 to promote the UK leg of the tour.[18]

The show
Clarkson performing "Miss Independent".
Clarkson on April 6, 2008.

As in the past, Clarkson's concerts held more in common with traditional rock concerts than with pop- or R&B-oriented "diva" productions. The show began with a stage tableau of the cover of the My December album, complete with staircase laced with gnarly tree branches and Clarkson sitting in the big red dress[19] while the band was frozen like mannequins.[20] Clarkson immediately shed the bulky red dress, however, and performed in an understated black pants and back top outfit.[19] Halfway through the show the main curtain closed, and Clarkson and selected band members performed a quieter mini-set of "Because of You", "Up to the Mountain", and "Be Still" in front of the curtain.[20][21] A mash-up of "Miss Independent" and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" AC/DC's "Back in Black" then played for a while over the sound system;[21] when the curtain opened the set had been stripped to a techno-modern look, while Clarkson had undergone the minimal costume change of adding a black sleeveless vest. The single encores segment began with a respectfully delivered "Sober" followed by the informal "Chivas" and then her biggest hit, "Since U Been Gone",[20] the last of which typically featured sing-alongs or dancing fans pulled up on stage.[22] In all she typically performed for 75 to 80 minutes.[19][21][22]

The show's set list was dominated by My December and Breakaway material, with only "Miss Independent" and "Beautiful Disaster" appearing from her first album Thankful and the only indicator of her American Idol heritage her introduction to the Idol Gives Back showstopper "Up to the Mountain".[22][23] Clarkson's concert audience in the U.S. was sometimes composed of high school and younger college age people, predominantly female, and preteen girls accompanied by one or both parents, but also sometimes connected with her radio audience, which includes widespread play on adult contemporary stations.[24] The music presented in the show was more conventionally rock-oriented than her concert audience profile might indicate. Clarkson's between-songs stage patter typically made only a few allusions to her career adventures with the My December album.[24] At the start of the tour, she introduced My December material carefully. Near the close of shows, she thanked the audience for giving this chance to her to perform her songs, saying that all the other facets of the music industry paled in importance. She gave more extensive introductions for "Hole" and "Up to the Mountain",[24] which she said did not fit her normal sound.

Rock critic Greg Kot analyzed the show as portraying three possible career paths for Clarkson: Goth vixen, pop princess, and ballad singer.[22] He suggested that the last of these was where her best chance at artistic growth lay, saying that her mid-concert quiet set had been "a revelation".[22]

Opening acts

Set list
Clarkson and band perform during the early part of the set on October 18, 2007 at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
  1. "Untitled I" (contains elements of "Irvine" and "Never Again") (Instrumental Introduction)
  2. "One Minute"
  3. "Behind These Hazel Eyes"
  4. "Don't Waste Your Time"
  5. "Never Again"
  6. "Maybe"
  7. "Gone"
  8. "Hole"
  9. "Addicted"
  10. "Because of You"
  11. "Up to the Mountain" (Patty Griffin cover)
  12. "Be Still"
  13. "Miss Independent"
  14. "How I Feel"
  15. "Breakaway"
  16. "Walk Away"
  17. "Sober"
  18. "Chivas"
  19. "Since U Been Gone"
Notes
  • "Beautiful Disaster" was performed during concerts in Europe and Australia.
  • During the concert at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, Clarkson performed "Can I Have A Kiss" and "Home". The songs were also included during the show at the Massey Hall in Toronto.
  • During the concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Clarkson performed "No Bad News".

Tour dates
Clarkson and band perform during the later part of the set on October 18, 2007 at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
Date City Country Venue
Australia Leg 1
September 28, 2007 Melbourne Australia Palais Theatre
September 30, 2007 Sydney The Forum
North America[26][27]
October 10, 2007 Verona United States Turning Stone Event Center
October 12, 2007 Atlantic City Borgata Event Center
October 14, 2007 New York City Beacon Theatre
October 15, 2007
October 16, 2007
October 18, 2007 Upper Darby Township Tower Theater
October 21, 2007 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena
October 23, 2007 Boston Orpheum Theatre
October 24, 2007 Washington, D.C. DAR Constitution Hall
October 26, 2007 Niagara Falls Seneca Niagara Events Center
October 28, 2007 Detroit The Fillmore Detroit
October 30, 2007 Toronto Canada Massey Hall
November 1, 2007 Chicago United States Chicago Theatre
November 2, 2007 Minneapolis State Theatre
November 5, 2007 Denver Paramount Theatre
November 10, 2007 San Jose Event Center Arena
November 12, 2007 Seattle Paramount Theatre
November 14, 2007 Sacramento Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
November 16, 2007 San Diego San Diego Civic Theatre
November 18, 2007 Los Angeles Gibson Amphitheatre
November 20, 2007 Tempe Gammage Memorial Auditorium
November 23, 2007 Grand Prairie Nokia Live at Grand Prairie
November 25, 2007 Houston Verizon Wireless Theater
November 27, 2007 Atlanta Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
November 29, 2007 Boca Raton Count de Hoernle Amphitheater
December 1, 2007 Clearwater Ruth Eckerd Hall
December 3, 2007 Nashville Ryman Auditorium
Australia Leg 2[28]
March 1, 2008 Perth Australia Challenge Stadium
March 3, 2008 Adelaide Adelaide Entertainment Centre
March 4, 2008 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
March 6, 2008 Sydney Sydney Entertainment Centre
March 8, 2008 Newcastle Newcastle Entertainment Centre
March 9, 2008 Brisbane Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Europe
March 14, 2008 Manchester England Carling Apollo Manchester
March 17, 2008 Glasgow Scotland Carling Academy Glasgow
March 18, 2008
March 20, 2008 Wolverhampton England Wolverhampton Civic Hall
March 22, 2008 Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions
March 23, 2008 Bournemouth Solent Hall
March 26, 2008 London Hammersmith Apollo
March 27, 2008
March 29, 2008 Cardiff Wales Cardiff International Arena
March 31, 2008 Brighton England Brighton Centre
April 2, 2008 Mannheim Germany Mannheimer Rosengarten
April 3, 2008 Cologne Palladium Köln
April 5, 2008 Antwerp Belgium Lotto Arena
April 6, 2008 Amsterdam Netherlands Heineken Music Hall
April 8, 2008 Manchester England Carling Manchester Apollo
April 9, 2008 Copenhagen Denmark Vega Musikkens Hus
April 11, 2008 Stockholm Sweden Annexet
April 13, 2008 Helsinki Finland Helsinki Ice Hall
Cancellations and rescheduled shows; (original tour dates)
July 11, 2007 Portland Rose Garden Arena Cancelled[29]
July 13, 2007 Seattle KeyArena Cancelled[29]
July 15, 2007 Sacramento ARCO Arena Cancelled[29]
July 17, 2007 San Jose HP Pavilion Cancelled[29]
July 19, 2007 Anaheim Honda Center Cancelled[29]
July 21, 2007 Denver Pepsi Center Cancelled[29]
July 22, 2007 Kansas City Kemper Arena Cancelled[29]
July 25, 2007 Saint Paul Xcel Energy Center Cancelled[29]
July 27, 2007 St. Louis Scottrade Center Cancelled[29]
July 29, 2007 Rosemont Allstate Arena Cancelled[29]
July 31, 2007 Columbus Value City Arena Cancelled[29]
August 2, 2007 Toronto Air Canada Centre Cancelled[29]
August 4, 2007 Boston TD Banknorth Garden Cancelled[29]
August 5, 2007 Albany Times Union Center Cancelled[29]
August 10, 2007 Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills Cancelled[29]
August 12, 2007 Cleveland Quicken Loans Arena Cancelled[29]
August 14, 2007 Philadelphia Wachovia Center Cancelled[29]
August 16, 2007 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Wolf Den Cancelled[29]
August 18, 2007 Uniondale Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Cancelled[29]
August 19, 2007 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center Cancelled[29]
August 22, 2007 East Rutherford Continental Airlines Arena Cancelled[29]
August 24, 2007 Cancelled[29]
August 26, 2007 Nashville Gaylord Entertainment Center Cancelled[29]
August 28, 2007 Duluth Arena at Gwinnett Center Cancelled[29]
August 30, 2007 Sunrise BankAtlantic Center Cancelled[29]
September 1, 2007 Orlando TD Waterhouse Centre Cancelled[29]
September 2, 2007 Tampa St. Pete Times Forum Cancelled[29]
September 5, 2007 Dallas American Airlines Center Cancelled[29]
September 7, 2007 Houston Toyota Center Cancelled[29]
September 9, 2007 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena Rescheduled to September 28, 2007
September 13, 2007 Calgary Pengrowth Saddledome Cancelled[29]
September 14, 2007 Edmonton Rexall Place Cancelled[29]
September 16, 2007 Vancouver Pacific Coliseum Cancelled[29]
September 19, 2007 Fresno Save Mart Center Cancelled[29]
September 21, 2007 San Diego iPayOne Center Cancelled[29]
September 23, 2007 Phoenix US Airways Center Cancelled[29]
September 26, 2007 Los Angeles Pauley Pavilion Cancelled[29]
September 28, 2007 Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena Cancelled[29]
March 15, 2008 Manchester O2 Apollo Rescheduled to April 8, 2008

Box office score data
Venue City Tickets sold / available Gross revenue
Borgata Events Center Atlantic City 2,232 / 2,978 (75%) $115,895[15]
Beacon Theatre New York City 8,553 / 8,553 (100%) $364,539[15]
Tower Theatre Upper Darby Township 2,882 / 3,064 (94%) $114,550[15]
The Fillmore Detroit Detroit 2,599 / 2,900 (90%) $94,800[30]
Massey Hall Toronto 2,567 / 2,567 (100%) $62,837[31]
Chicago Theatre Chicago 3,413 / 3,413 (100%) $134,814[32]
State Theatre Minneapolis 2,049 / 2,049 (100%) $80,936[32]
Event Center Arena San Jose 4,613 / 4,666 (99%) $168,525[30]
TOTAL 28,908 / 30,190 (96%) $1,136,896

Personnel

Band

  • Lead vocals: Kelly Clarkson
  • Keyboards, Musical director: Jason Halbert
  • Guitar: Aben Eubanks
  • Guitar, backup vocals: Cory Churko
  • Bass: Einar Pedersen
  • Drums: Chris Deaner
  • Backup vocalist, acoustic guitar: Jill Pickering
  • Backup vocalist: Kate Rapier

Other

  • Management: Narvel Blackstock & Starstuck Management
  • Tour Manager: Tim Krieg
  • Production Manager: Allan Hornall
  • Hair & Makeup: Ashley Donovan
  • Security: Brian Butner & NPB Companies, Inc.
  • Booking: CAA

References
  1. "My December Tour!!!". Clarkson's Official Website. 2007-04-26. Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  2. "Kelly Clarkson sets summer tour dates". China Daily. Associated Press. 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  3. "Details emerge for Kelly Clarkson tour". LiveDaily. 2007-05-09. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  4. "Kelly Clarkson on Tour – 'My December' Tour 2007–2008". Generation Kelly Clarkson. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  5. "Bloomingdale's, Mat Kearney and John Varvatos Partner for VH1 Save The Music" (Press release). Save the Music Foundation. 2007-07-24. Archived from the original on 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  6. See first incarnation tour poster.
  7. "Kelly Clarkson Promo With vitaminwater & Wal*Mart". Popdirt.com. 2007-04-10. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  8. Karger, Dave (2007-05-14). "Kelly in Control". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  9. Glock, Allison (2007-06-02). "Rebel Yell". Elle. Archived from the original on 2009-01-12. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  10. "Kelly Clarkson Fires Manager". Us. June 12, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  11. Emily Fromm, "Kelly Clarkson Tour Shelved – For Now", People.com, June 14, 2007.
  12. Mike Bruno, "Clarkson Postpones Summer Tour", EW.com, June 14, 2007.
  13. Jonathan Cohen (2007-09-04). "Kelly Clarkson Unveils Fall Tour Plans". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  14. "Kelly Clarkson". The New York Times. Pop and Rock Listings. 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  15. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine. New York City. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  16. Ticketek Australia
  17. SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT :: Australia :: News
  18. Official Ticketmaster site. Kelly Clarkson tickets, concerts and tour dates
  19. "Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson Massey Hall, Toronto". 2007-11-05. Archived from the original on 2013-07-06.
  20. "Kelly Clarkson's 'My December' Comes To Life at Massey Hall". 2007-10-30.
  21. Danton, Eric R. (2007-10-22). "Review: Kelly Clarkson at Mohegan Sun". The Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on 2012-07-07. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  22. Greg Kot (2007-11-02). "Kelly Clarkson juggles pop, Goth and ballads as she tries to outgrow 'Idol'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  23. Allison Glock (June 6, 2007). "Rebel Yell". Elle. Archived from the original on July 10, 2007. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  24. "Concert Review: Kelly Clarkson's My December Tour". 2007-11-02.
  25. Jon McLaughlin gears up for solo tour and guest spot with Kelly Clarkson – Music Archived 2007-08-24 at the Wayback Machine
  26. Boehm, Kristen (2007-09-04). "Kelly Clarkson Announces U.S. Fall Tour Dates". People. Time Inc. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  27. Kilgore, Kym (2007-09-04). "Kelly Clarkson announces scaled-down tour". Live Daily. Archived from the original on 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  28. "My December Australian Tour 2008". LiveGuide. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  29. Sources for original tour itinerary and cancellation:
  30. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine. New York City. 2007-11-24. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  31. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine. New York City. 2007-12-01. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  32. "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard Magazine. New York City. 2007-11-17. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
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