Carrie Underwood Plays on in Washington

Rain isn't unusual in the Pacific Northwest, so it didn't keep anyone from heading to the Comcast Event Arena in Everett, WA for a night of good music. Headlining the bill was Carrie Underwood, but she had a couple special guests with her to get the crowd ready.

Sons of Sylvia is a band fronted by brothers Ashley, Austin and Adam Clark. Along with three other brothers, they are former members of the Clark Family Experience which disbanded in 2000 following the release of a self-titled album earlier in the year. It spawned four singles, one of which (Meanwhile Back at the Ranch) made it to number 18 on the US country charts. In 2007, the next incarnation of the band, known simply as The Clark Brothers, won top honors on the American Idol-inspired The Next Great American Band. The boys are also cousins of OneRepublic frontman, Ryan Tedder.

Ashley is well-known to Ms. Underwood having sung background vocals and played fiddle in her band prior to the stint on the television show. Austin and Adam are also music veterans having toured with SheDaisy. They recently released an album called Revelation which raced to the top of the iTunes pop album chart after their appearance on American Idol.

The audience seemed to enjoy their performance and what's not to like? An interesting mix of genres from bluegrass to country to rock, the brothers displayed a ton of musical talent with the mandolin, guitar, dobro and fiddle. Their vocals are tight, but one wonders how long Ashley has practiced his soulful gazes in the mirror. They definitely appeal to young girls though some of their more rocking tunes might also make the boys take notice.

Next up was Craig Morgan. A veteran of the US Army, Craig signed with Atlantic Records in 2000 which released his self-tiled debut album. After the label closed the Nashville division, he signed with the independent label Broken Bow Records and released three albums. And in 2008 he moved to BNA Records. He's had seven top ten hits including That's What I Love About Sunday, which spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard country chart. His highest selling album, That's Why, has been certified gold by the RIAA.

Craig puts in a stellar performance, never taking himself too seriously, but always giving the audience everything he has. And judging by the reaction of the crowd, they were there to see him as much as the evening's headliner. He took the stage by way of the small wall that separated the risers from the floor seats - starting at the back of the arena, he ran on the top never missing a beat and displaying an impressive sense of balance.

Morgan snuck in covers of the Commodores Easy and The Steve Miller Band's Joker among his own songs, including the new single, This Ain't Nothing. Eliciting the biggest reactions were the hits Redneck Yacht Club and International Harvester. Once he finishes up his time on this tour, Craig will be headlining his own shows.

Carrie Underwood rose to fame after winning the fourth season of American Idol. She's become a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has received multiple Grammy awards and has already been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. She's also the first female artist to win back-to-back Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year awards.

Her debut album, Some Hearts, has been certified platinum seven times over and is the fastest-selling debut country album in SoundScan history. Three number one hit singles were released from the album including her biggest hit to date, Before He Cheats.

Carrie co-write the first single from her third and current album, Cowboy Casanova, and released it nearly two weeks early after it was leaked on a Seattle radio station. It's her 11^th number one single and got her show started. Dressed sharply in a bow-tie and tails, Carrie took the stage to the delighted screams of the sold-out crowd.

The 27-year old newly engaged singer has a lovely voice and a theatrical bent. The nearly two-hour show featured several costume changes and stage backdrops that ranged from images of Las Vegas to an old warehouse and even a carnival - whatever fit the subject of the song. She sang This Is Just A Dream while on a rope swing with a fairytale garden in the background. And covering John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads, Carrie was in the back of a pick-up truck suspended from the hall's rafters.

Perhaps the weather is even a fan because the rain stopped during her performance. The Play On tour continues into December when it makes a quick stop back in Washington before heading into Canada.