Country music superstar Carrie Underwood plays to a sold-out Moncton Coliseum tomorrow night
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By Cole Hobson
Times & Transcript Staff
Carrie Underwood is set to take Moncton on a Carnival Ride.
The American Idol season four winner and multi-platinum selling recording artist performs in Saint John tonight before taking to the Moncton Coliseum stage for a sold-out show tomorrow.
Her first performances in Atlantic Canada, the Carnival Ride Tour has Carrie Underwood fans from
New Brunswick bubbling with excitement.
"She's a really wonderful singer, a really raw talent and I love country music so that made me kind of pay attention to her immediately. I just love her voice and she just seems like a really nice person -- someone you want to root for," said 25-year-old Maria Lawrence of Fredericton, who will be attending the Moncton show.
When Lawrence found out Underwood would be performing in Moncton, she wanted to make sure it would be a show she wouldn't miss.
"I joined her fan club the day I found out, so that I could get the pre-sale tickets and get the seats before they actually went on sale," Lawrence explains. "I was worried it was going to sell out and I wanted to get really good seats, because I couldn't believe she is actually coming to Canada -- let alone obviously to the East Coast."
Anna Paradis, 13, of Moncton is also pumped up to see one of her favourites perform in her hometown -- and to cash in on a promise.
"I remember a couple of years ago we were watching her on TV and my dad promised me I could go to one of her concerts if she ever came," she said. "It was crazy when I found out she was coming -- I didn't believe it at first that she was going to come here, because she's such a big name. It's crazy, I was really happy."
Excitement has also been building for the show online. A fan page specifically created for the Moncton show on the popular social networking site Facebook has seen Underwood fans collectively gather to count down the days before the big show.
The singer's official website has also been a place of building enthusiasm for the singer's first visit to Hub City, with several fans leaving comments regarding the show on
Carrie Underwood Home | The Official Carrie Underwood Site
"I've been dying to see Carrie Underwood since her journey on American Idol . . . it will finally happen," reads one comment from the website, signed by 'Jesse'. "I got a front row seat, I can't wait till October 11. I wish I could meet her so badly, it would make my life."
Another commenter replied to simply "thank whoever is in charge on this tour for making some dates in the Maritimes."
Along with shows in Saint John and Moncton, Underwood will also visit Halifax on Oct. 12 before heading back south of the border.
The Carnival Ride Tour began Sept. 23 and will see the country music superstar hit 51-cities with special guest Little Big Town, in support of her sophomore album by the same name, which was recently nominated as CMA Album of the Year.
Underwood was recently nominated for two 2008 CMA awards, Female Vocalist of The Year -- a title she currently holds for 2006 and 2007 -- and Album of The Year.
In May, she was inducted as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry and named Top Female Vocalist at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards for the second consecutive time.
Carnival Ride contains several popular tracks, including "Just A Dream" as well as the No. 1 co-written smash hits "So Small," "All-American Girl" and "Last Name."
Since her debut in 2005, Underwood's two albums have sold nearly 10 million copies and she is the all-time U.S. top-selling American Idol contestant.
Although she has fans all over North America, her New Brunswick contingent of supporters is certainly happy they will get the opportunity to see her up close and personal.
"It's just great to see the big acts keep coming and coming and they can realize that there are fans here as well that make it worth their while to come all this way," Lawrence said. "I'm really excited that Moncton is able to draw all these big names. I think this will be the best so far."
Shane Porter, with the City of Moncton, says Carrie Underwood performing in Moncton is another sign of the area's strength as a concert destination.
"We've had an excellent year and to have Carrie Underwood added onto the list, it's just a great event for the Coliseum," he said. "We're very pleased. We were very pleased obviously when the show got booked and it's going to be a fantastic weekend for her fans and Moncton."
Carrie's pointing to me! Just Got My Pick. 
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