2 Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, the Dakota. For their 20-year “American Idol” anniversary tour, their patter was a little too scripted and corny (however, Aiken’s ad lib about Studdard’s best friend sitting at the bar and not in the empty front-row seats was spot on), but their friendship and rapport was palpable. Studdard remains a remarkable vocalist, as exemplified on a Luther Vandross medley and “Kiss and Say Goodbye” while Aiken stood out on “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
3 Rosanne Cash and John Leventhal, the Dakota. Seldom has downtempo music felt so nourishing. Focusing on material from 1993’s “The Wheel” (celebrating its 30th anniversary) and 2014’s Grammy-winning, Southern-centric “The River & the Thread,” Cash helped us navigate through life’s challenges, with apt seasoning from Leventhal’s expressive acoustic guitar. They tossed in a taste of the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Hank Snow for a change of pace.