Most of Kelly’s concert get good reviews, but too bad there are some negative ones. This is one!

Thank goodness for the second half of Kelly Clarkson‘s concert Thursday night at Allentown Fair‘s grandstand. My life would suck without it.

Had the last nine songs of her 18-song show not been as good as they were, this review would have had to explain why, despite the apparent satisfaction of the crowd of 5,141, the first half of Clarkson’s show consisted of her bludgeoning through songs with not a hint of the subtlety that made her the first ”American Idol.”

And with significant singing problems: Her vocals were either buried beneath her extremely loud, nine-piece band and two backup singers, as on the opening ”All I Ever Wanted”; seemed electronically enhanced, as on ”Miss Independent”; or simply were off, as on ”Breakaway,” on which her voice cracked, she sang off key and she let the audience sing the soaring chorus while not even trying for the high notes. She did the same on ”Behind These Hazel Eyes,” saying she forgot the words(!).

But halfway through the show, Clarkson pulled back on the reins of her band and did an acoustic version of Patsy Cline‘s ”Walking After Midnight” that, while far from as good as the original, still allowed Clarkson’s voice to come through.

After that, her performance got progressively better. ”Cry” started beautifully with acoustic guitar and violin. She sang even better on ”I Want You,” and finally hit the high note on ”Because of You.”

On ”Walk Away,” the music and singing finally meshed, and the closing ”Since U Been Gone” — enhanced by a horn section — had the crowd so frenzied, they jumped en masse on Clarkson’s command.

She began her encore with her current single, ”Already Gone,” on a stool with singing that again shone, not surprisingly, because the band was muted. After ”If I Was Your Girl,” she closed with a powerful ”My Life Would Suck Without You.”

It’s not that Clark can’t be the rock chick she thinks she is — it’s just that if she wants to do that instead of the songs that really let her voice shine, she should realize there are many others who are far better at it.

Take, for example, opening act Krista, a 22-year-old New Yorker who mixed Amy Lee-like histrionic vocals with mean, ripping rap rhymes in her five-song, 25-minute set. Krista not only had the voice, but attitude galore. The best of her set was her single, ”Temporary Insanity,” from her debut disc, ”Taking Back Brooklyn,” due out Sept. 15.

But the night’s best act by far was Eric Hutchinson, who sweated through a white suit in an eight-song, 40-minute set that by turns was jazzy and poppy but always fun.

Hutchinson bopped in his seat while playing keyboards and danced while playing guitar. ”You Don’t Have to Believe Me” had a great groove and great beat, ”All Over Now” great pop sensibilities, and the closing ”Rock and Roll” a great hook.

He constantly stretched and reached with his vocals.

Nothing about his set sucked.