July 06, 2010 Jordin Sparks Comes Home a Headliner

The Arizona Republic, Joe Golfen - July 2, 2010

Jordin Sparks received a hometown welcome when she arrived in Tempe Thursday night, with the massive crowd roaring as the pop diva took the stage. Though the show took place at the mid-sized Marquee Theatre, Sparks and her top-notch band played every song like they were rocking the largest stadium. The result was a show full of slick, top-notch performances, but one that left the crowd feeling a little ignored.

Originally from Glendale, Sparks rose to national fame when she was 17, winning the sixth season of "American Idol." Originally earning fans with her charming good nature and powerful voice, Sparks has come a long way since that 2007 victory - with two Top 10 albums, visits to the White House, her own clothing line and the National Anthem gig at Super Bowl XLII.

Sparks arrived at the Marquee as part of her first headlining tour, supporting her 2009 release, "Battlefield." As the house lights fell, two burly men wearing Roman soldier helmets arrived onstage and proceeded to move like syncopated robots before holding up their arms and ushering a smiling Sparks to the stage.

To read the entire article, click here.