by Nate Gustafson ’29 on October 8, 2026
Opinion
On Saturday night, more than 10,000 Friars, families, and friends packed the Amica Mutual Pavilion for Providence College’s annual Late Night Madness. The night started with performances from several PC student groups, followed by introductions of the men’s and women’s basketball teams and the men’s hockey team. Finally, just after 9 p.m., Kelly Clarkson took the stage in a Friars jersey and delivered an exceptional hour-long performance to cap off an amazing night.
When Clarkson was announced as the performer for this year’s Late Night Madness, I was hesitant to buy tickets. Sure, I, like most of you, have heard many of her songs over the years, but I was worried that wouldn’t translate into having a particularly good time at the concert because I wouldn’t be able to sing along to most of the songs. Last year, I felt similarly about Carrie Underwood and ultimately ended up staying on campus with no regrets after the so-so reviews of her performance, which further discouraged me about this year.
But I decided this year I would give in to the FOMO and give it a shot, and boy, am I glad I did. Clarkson put on an incredible show that demonstrated her immense vocal talent and the impressive skills of her backing musicians throughout. Additionally, Clarkson’s down-to-earth personality was on full display. She took time between many songs to talk to the crowd, give recognition to her band, express her gratitude to the audience, take a selfie with the students, and even read the impromptu signs on cell phones from students in the pit. I mention this last piece because it led to perhaps the best, loudest, and most unexpected two minutes of the entire evening.
Midway through the show, Clarkson knelt down to read the words on a student’s phone, and, upon reading it, said over the microphone, “That’s a Christmas song.” Immediately, the crowd erupted louder than it had all night, cheering for nearly 30 seconds straight before Clarkson gave in to the madness. She stepped back on stage and paused for a moment as the cheers grew louder before looking back at her band and having her engineer play the beat for her famous Christmas song, “Underneath the Tree,” over the speakers. As the entire arena sang the holiday hit in unison, the already-incredible energy in the building was taken to another level. Clarkson’s band, not expecting the festive addition, managed to improvise perfectly and made the moment that much more magical with their impressive musicianship.
While I’m sure this is not a hot take, I firmly believe that “Underneath The Tree” might just be the greatest modern Christmas song there is. So great, in fact, that if Spotify decides to play it off-season, I leave it on and belt out every word no matter what month it is, just like we all did at the AMP last weekend. In the days leading up to the concert, I had secretly hoped, but in no way expected, that this song might somehow make the setlist, and her decision to give in to Friartown truly made it a night I, and many others, will never forget.
But beyond the music, if there’s something we should all take away from Late Night Madness this year, it’s that one thing is now abundantly clear: the energy in Friartown is back, and it’s never been a better time to be a Friar.