WINNIPEG - As the comedienne who opened last night's show pointed out, country queen Reba McEntire and alt-popster Kelly Clarkson are like the musical equivalent of chocolate peanut butter cups.

You wouldn't necessarily think to put the two together, but once you do, you can't deny their compatibility.

And while their concert sometimes struggled against the confines of its own gimmick, it also offered a great showcase for two of the best belters in the biz (not to mention exposing both to a new audience while satisfying the collective sweet tooth of 9,000 fans).

Having first collaborated on an episode of CMT Crossroads -- the same show that gave us such unlikely pairings as Elton John with Ryan Adams, and Dolly Parton with Melissa Etheridge -- the duo has since spun a successful single and a co-headlining tour out of the stunt.

And last night, the older/younger dichotomy worked in their favour, not just because both women share the same no-frills approach to their music, but also because they genuinely appear to be such fans of each other's work.

Their opening number (a mash-up of the old country classic Sweet Dreams, and the Eurythmics song of the same name) was a clunker, but the ladies quickly rebounded with versions of McEntire's Why Haven't I Heard From You and Clarkson's Walk Away -- both angry, aggressive tunes that gave them a chance to trade fiery harmonies and stellar solo turns.

After McEntire tore through The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, Clarkson took the lead on her hit Behind Those Hazel Eyes, at one point hitting a high note so dazzling, McEntire burst into applause like a beaming stage mom.

And while Clarkson continued to impress -- channelling both a big band chanteuse on Stuff Like That There, sexy spitfire Christina Aguilera on Miss Independent, and Pat Benatar on the rocker Never Again -- the concert's real high points occurred when the two sat on stools together at centre stage, melding their voices as one on unadorned versions of the Everly Brothers' Cathy's Clown, Reba's How Blue, and the Patti Griffin ballad Up to the Mountain, which gave Clarkson a chance to leave all those American Idol wannabes in her dust with another display of spine-tingling vocal acrobatics.

Eschewing a traditional opening act, the ladies instead opted for a set by actress/comic Melissa Peterman, who managed to take some of the credit for last night's lineup.

"If it weren't for me, Kelly wouldn't even know Reba," she quipped. "I voted for her (on American Idol), like, 10,000 times."