If you could hear a faithful rendition of “Since You’ve Been Gone” blasting from Lower Lonsdale Wednesday night, it wasn’t an American Idol classics tribute show.
Music star Kelly Clarkson put on a private show at the City of North Vancouver’s Shipyards for attendees of a convention.
New Jersey-based AEGIS Insurance Services booked the entire Shipyards, including the Tap & Barrel restaurant, the Pipe Shop and Shipbuilders’ Square as well as the multi-Grammy Award-winning American Idol winner for their 2017 policyholders convention.
LoLo resident Gwen Farley said she knew something was up when she saw the roadie crews coming.
“We were watching them set up for the last two days. It was incredible. There had to have been hundreds of boxes and the sound system was the most spectacular sound system I’ve ever seen. We knew something was going to happen that sounded good,” she said.
By Wednesday, the word was out that Clarkson was coming to town.
“Before I knew it, my phone blew up with notifications that people heard Kelly was currently doing her sound check,” said Craig Boyle, who has been a fan since Day 1 of American Idol and has all of her albums. “I was so excited. After she had to cancel her last concert in Vancouver, it’s been a dream to hear Kelly sing live.”
Clarkson played almost all her hits and maintained a good banter with the crowd, Farley said, some of it not fit to print. And Clarkson sounds as good as she ever did, Farley added.
“Awesome, is what my daughter would say,” she said.
Boyle couldn’t see the stage from outside the fence... “But it didn’t matter. The experience of an outdoor concert in North Vancouver was incredible,” he said.
Farley said she’d love it if the venue was more accessible to the public during the private event, but, she’d love to see more stars play Shipbuilders’ Square.
Still in disbelief over last night's surprise @kelly_clarkson concert in #NorthVan @CTVVancouver @CTVMorningLive #WalkAway pic.twitter.com/8bTkkuwkB2
— Craig.Mc.B (@Craig_Mc_B) July 20, 2017
