The Piece by Piece Tour was the seventh headlining concert tour from American pop recording artist
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
in support of her seventh studio album, ''
Piece by Piece'' (2015). It began on July 11, 2015, in
Hershey, Pennsylvania and concluded on September 10, 2015, in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. The tour placed 106th for
Pollstar
''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017.
History and profile
Founded in 1981 in Fre ...
's Year End Top 200 North American Toursfall of 2015, grossing $9.7 million.
Background
![Kelly Clarkson Live in Austin Texas 2015 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Kelly_Clarkson_Live_in_Austin_Texas_2015_3.jpg)
On February 2, 2015, during an interview with Canadian radio station
CHFI, Clarkson was asked about the tour. She replied that she just got the routing for the tour, and they would do the United States, part of Canada, then a full run in Canada, with further dates to follow at a later time.
On March 3, 2015, Clarkson formally announced plans for a tour while promoting ''
Piece by Piece'' (2015) during an appearance on ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
''. An official release confirmed dates across North America. Additional Canadian dates were released on March 16, 2015. Tour dates for the United Kingdom were announced on Clarkson's website on August 3, 2015.
Supporting Clarkson in the United States and Toronto were planned opening acts:
Eric Hutchinson
Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his songs " Rock & Roll", "OK, It's Alright with Me", "Not There Yet", "Watching You Watch Him", and "Tell the World". Hutchinson was named an AOL "About t ...
and
Pentatonix
Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, currently consisting of vocalists Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements ...
. On Clarkson's
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page, she showed her excitement about opener Pentatonix. She stated she hoped to convince them to sing with her during her set.
Nick Jonas
Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
and
Tyler Shaw
Tyler Shaw (born April 8, 1993) is a Canadian singer and actor. After winning the "MuchMusic Coca-Cola Covers Contest 2012" organized by the Canadian music cable channel MuchMusic, he released his debut single, "Kiss Goodnight", through Sony M ...
were scheduled to open up for Clarkson in October 2015 in Canada, before dates were ultimately cancelled. On May 21, 2015, it was announced that singer
Abi Ann would also be opening up for Clarkson.
Clarkson confirmed plans to include ''Piece by Piece'' singles "
Heartbeat Song" and "
Invincible" in the set list for the show, alongside album-only tracks, "Dance With Me" and "Tightrope", with the latter promised to be a highlight for the show. Speaking to ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'', Clarkson stated: "Because of an element I've never done on tour, it makes sense to incorporate that song. I'm not flying or on a tightrope – there's not that – but it makes sense with that song and how it sounds on the record that it will fit into the show."
;Cancellations
In September 2015, Clarkson tweeted that the last six shows of the U.S. leg of the tour were cancelled. The singer was placed on vocal rest ordered by her doctors. She said, "So bummed that I have to cancel some of my tour dates. This kills me." "I am truly sorry to my fans that have been excited to see this show. Please know that I never cancel anything unless it's absolutely necessary." Two weeks later, the remaining dates of the tour was cancelled. Clarkson commented, "I am truly sorry that I have to cancel the remainder of my tour dates. I was looking forward to sharing this tour with all my amazing fans in Canada and the U.K. Unfortunately my doctor is telling me I have to stay on vocal rest, but I am working hard to get better as fast as possible." Tickets will be refunded.
Show
The show was mixed with her greatest hits, new material off her seventh album ''Piece by Piece'' and covers. Clarkson brought back "Fan Requests" which is something she did on the
Stronger Tour
The Stronger Tour was the sixth headlining tour by American pop recording artist Kelly Clarkson. Beginning on January 13, 2012, the tour supported her fifth studio album, '' Stronger'' (2011). With over fifty dates, the tour traveled to the Americ ...
and
2012 Summer Tour. For "Fan Requests" Clarkson picks a song that was requested via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
from someone in the audience each night and her and her band learn the song that day. Starting on July 16, in New York City, Clarkson started doing "KC Classic" in which Clarkson picked a different song each night from her catalog that is not used in the setlist.
Also for this tour Clarkson had an "Open Mic Night" where she gave fans the opportunity to perform a "cover" song on stage. Fans submitted a video of themselves through various social media websites and Clarkson then selected one winner for each city.
Some highlights from the show are Clarkson singing "Heartbeat Song" with opening act Pentatonix and "Walk Away" being mashed up with
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...
and
Bruno Mars' hit song "Uptown Funk". She opened the show with "Dance With Me", a track off ''Piece by Piece'' and closed with her hit "Since U Been Gone".
Commercial reception
General sales for the tour will begin on Saturday, March 14, 2015.
Citi has been listed as the official bank for the tour, with a special pre-sale access will be given to Citi's Private Pass Program members on March 10, 2015. Members of Clarkson's fan club, Kellebrities, will also be given special pre-sale availability. The toured placed 106th on
Pollstar
''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017.
History and profile
Founded in 1981 in Fre ...
's "2015 Year End: Top 200 North American Tours", grossing an estimate of $9.7 million.
Critical reception
Jewel Wicker from ''
The Patriot-News
''The Patriot-News'' is the largest newspaper serving the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area. In 2005, the newspaper was ranked in the top 100 in daily and Sunday circulation in the United States. It has been owned by Advance Publicati ...
'' says: "There's singing and then there's 'sanging.' Clarkson does the latter." Sarah Rodman of ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' said: "the Texas native was in peak form, delivering the hits with gusto, raising otherwise overlooked album cuts to memorable heights, and remaking the case for the restorative powers of pop music on a hot summer night." and "Although Clarkson was joking when she remarked that she is improving with age like fine wine, she was right on the money."
Amy Brooks from the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
'' says that "the Idol winner launched into a stream of catchy hits that begged to be sung along to, had no problem digging up the emotion to put into the songs." Ben Siegel of ''
The Buffalo News
''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...
'' describes the concert as "vocally and musically fantastic.
Adam Graham of ''
The Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...
'' says, "Kelly Clarkson has an innate reliability that makes her Not Just Another Pop Star." and "Idol" never produced another star as fresh and off-the-cuff as Clarkson. She speaks her mind, doesn't do the canned banter thing, and chits chats with the crowd like they're a couple of old friends hanging out on her back porch. There's no explanation for it other than she's Kelly, she's an original, and she's our original."
Christopher Rosa from
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
, "she sounded fantastic, but that's nothing new. Kelly has one of the most underrated voices in pop, and her pitch-perfect delivery throughout the evening—even during lyric flubs—was pretty awe-inspiring. However, the glittery rock-pop romp revealed other nuggets about Kelly—as a person and artist—that may surprise you."
Reporter ''
The Oakland Press ''The Oakland Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Oakland County, Michigan with headquarters in Troy. It is owned by 21st Century Media, with which its parent company merged in 2013 after filing for bankruptcy. The local historical society t ...
'', Gary Graff states: "it may be time for Kelly Clarkson to have her pop diva credentials re-evaluated." ''
Dallas Observer''s Amy McCarthy says "those vocals are so powerful and affecting — it's hard to miss."
''
Phoenix New Times
''Phoenix New Times'' is a free digital and print media company based in Phoenix, Arizona. ''New Times'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ...
''s Amanda Ventura reports that "Kelly was downright incredible. Her pipes. Those pipes." According to Michael Escoto of ''
The Arizona Republic
''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
'', "Kelly Clarkson put on a fantastic show. She really showed her range as an artist who is capable of making you dance and sing along with her more fun, upbeat songs but who can also a few songs later make you reach for the tissues to dry your eyes after an emotional punch to the stomach."
Opening acts
*
Pentatonix
Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, currently consisting of vocalists Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee. Characterized by their pop-style arrangements ...
*
Eric Hutchinson
Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his songs " Rock & Roll", "OK, It's Alright with Me", "Not There Yet", "Watching You Watch Him", and "Tell the World". Hutchinson was named an AOL "About t ...
*
Abi Ann
Setlist
Fan Requests
KC Classic
Tour dates
Cancelled shows
Box office score data
Personnel
Band
* Lead vocals: Kelly Clarkson
* Keyboards & musical director:
Jason Halbert
Jason Halbert (born June 3, 1974) is an American producer, music director, musician, engineer and songwriter. He has been Kelly Clarkson's music director since 2003, shortly after her ''American Idol'' win. He has also served as music director for ...
* Guitar: Jaco Caraco &
Aben Eubanks
Aben Eubanks is an American Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter, and producer. Eubanks began his career as a guitarist for Matt Nathanson in 2004 and for Graham Colton in 2005. In 2006, Eubanks joined Kelly Clarkson's band and together co-wrot ...
* Bass: Einar Pedersen
* Drums:
Lester Estelle
Lester Estelle, Jr. or Lester Estelle II (born April 28, 1981) is the drummer and backing vocalist for the Christian rock band Pillar. He currently plays drums for singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson and Jacob Whitesides.
Early life and first ...
* Backup vocalists: Jessi Collins, Nicole Hurst, Bridget Sarai
Other
* Assistant: Ashley Arrison
* Booking:
CAA
CAA may refer to:
Law
* Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 of India
** Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Protests regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act
* Copyright transfer agreement, Copyright assignment agreement, to transfer copyright to ...
* Management: Narvel Blackstock & Starstuck Management
* Tour Manager: Dennis Sharp
* Production Manager: Allan Hornall
* Artist Production Manager: Chris Dye
* Production Assistant: Tricia Farrow
* Lighting Director: Fraser Mckeen
* Security: Brian Butner & NPB Companies, Inc.
* FOH Engineer: Chris Michaelessi
* Monitor Engineer: Shaun Sebastian
* Photography: Weiss Eubanks
* Hair & Makeup: Ashley Donovan
* Stylist: Steph Ashmore
* Wardrobe designer: Sylvio Kovacic
References
{{Kelly Clarkson
2015 concert tours
Kelly Clarkson concert tours