Where Interstate 35 meets Interstate 40, Carrie Underwood took center stage for her first major headlining tour Wednesday night in Oklahoma City at the Oklahoma City Arena.

The Checotah native reached through her catalog of No. 1 hits to a delighted group of fans of all kinds during her nearly two-hour and 20-song setlist.

Underwood’s impressive Play On Tour is her finest touring performance to date and her vocal ability was proudly put on display in front of the Oklahoma City audience.

What makes Underwood stand out from her peers is her ability to not only belt out her massive hits like “Cowboy Casanova” and “Undo It,” but her restraint and empathy on songs like “Temporary Home,” and “Change.”

Not every part of the show played second fiddle to Underwood. During “Change,” the overhead circular lighting display came down and encircled Underwood forming the shape of a dress.

It allowed her to appear interactive with the visual display of the large video screens behind her.

The stage set up throughout the show was extravagant using hydraulics in the center stage piece to let Underwood tower above the audience on quite a few songs.

From the bed of a flying pickup truck that towered at least 50 to 60 feet off the arena floor, Underwood performed two songs in it to the amusement of not only herself, but also the audience.

Underwood used the truck to tour around the audience in a departure of the traditional catwalk used by most performers.

The times that Underwood took out to interact with her Oklahoma City fans captivated them. It was the intimacy of those moments that show Underwood’s growth as a performer.

Especially when she jokingly asked, “What else does a senior (in college) do, but try out for a reality TV show?”

Underwood was a student at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, majoring in journalism, when she tried out for “American Idol.”

She also credits her major with helping out her career now.

“Who knew my journalism skills would help with my songwriting?” Underwood asked.

Underwood has come a long way from her time in the single stoplight town she made famous, not only becoming Oklahoma’s sweetheart, but America’s Sweetheart.

“I feel like I’m the luckiest girl in the world,” Underwood said.

Using a backdrop of the famous Grand Ole Opry for the song “I Told You So,” one of the shows finest moments belonged to the duet between her and Randy Travis.

No, the country legend was not at the event, but digitally enhanced and superimposed into the video wall and his vocal track rang out as if he was on stage with Underwood.

Underwood finished the night with an encore that included her breakthrough hit “Before He Cheats” and a medley of her song “Songs Like This,” that included parts of Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar” and Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”

By the time she departed the stage, saying how good it is to be in Oklahoma, she had made her statement.

She’s not in Checotah anymore; Underwood has taken her place among the stars of country music and as a female vocalist, she has no rival.

— Peter Davis, journalism junior