Phoenix Concert
 

Although written by a writer from the Denver Post - it appeared in the Arizona Republic.


Twain at the top
George Holz
Shania Twain confidently conquers the pop and country music charts. She'll be in Phoenix on Friday.

Shania Twain

WHERE: America West Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

ADMISSION: $45-$80. Available at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or (480) 784-4444.

DETAILS: (602) 379-7800 or www.americawestarena.com.
Ed Will
Denver Post
Dec. 18, 2003 12:00 AM

Singer Shania Twain seems to be everywhere.

The pop/country star this year appeared on several magazine covers, including those of Rolling Stone, Maxim, Glamour, Lifetime and Next.

In November alone, her TV credits included 60 Minutes, Intimate Portrait, Country Music Across America, CMT: 40 Greatest Fashion Statements, CMT News Special: Power List 2003 and The CMA Awards.

CBS is planning a two-hour movie of the week that traces Twain's rise from poverty in Canada to worldwide superstardom, and NBC recently aired the hourlong special Shania Twain Up! Close and Personal.

Up! is the title of Twain's latest CD, which, a year after its release, sits at No. 8 on Billboard's country album chart. Up! also serves as the name of one of the year's hottest tours -the Up! World Tour 2003 - which stops at America West Arena on Friday.

All this comes during a challenging time for female country artists, according to Rick Taylor, group managing editor for Country Music Media Group, which publishes the nation's top-selling country music magazine, Country Weekly.

"Post-9/11, country music sort of turned back a bit more traditional, and traditional usually means men," Taylor said. "In other words, traditional means less pop. . . . So a lot of females are not achieving the same level of success that they did before."

Twain's pop sound, however, probably helped her through the country downturn, because she took over mainstream pop in 1999 with the release of Come on Over.

It has sold more copies in the United States, 14.8 million, than any other single album released since 1991, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

"It just absolutely shook the nation," Taylor said.

Actually, it shook the world. Worldwide sales have passed the 34 million mark, tour press manager Jill Boles said.

Twain's husband, "Mutt" Lang, is one of the most successful rock/pop producers of all time. He has guided her career since the second CD, 1995's The Woman in Me.

"She clearly crossed over, and truly, if you look back, all the female stars followed in her path," Taylor said.

COO shook the nation and the world - others tried to follow her path. Shania is a leader but there are so many jealous of her success that they have to bash her - the mark of a true champion and innovative artist.

Yep!

The critic got something wrong it is the CBC, not CBS...get the facts straight. This is a cobbled peice from other articles, I recognize it.


-Chris

Shania Twain reconnects with Phoenix fans
 

Larry Rodgers
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 20, 2003 02:47 AM



Country-pop superstar Shania Twain has been off the road for four years, and she's putting extra effort into reconnecting with fans on her "Up!" tour, which visited Phoenix on Friday night.

From her entry into America West Arena, attired in an Arizona Diamondbacks jersey, to her inviting a couple and later a young girl onstage to the many laps she ran around the circular stage, high-fiving fans and giving autographs, Twain made it clear that she appreciates the people who made her a multi-millionaire and wants to keep her relationship with them tight.

Sometimes it seemed that the music in her 110-minute set was merely a vehicle for Twain to interact with her fans, who offered up flowers, cowboy hats, even jackets. The always-smiling, energetic singer, who became a mother during her hiatus, politely said, "Thank you" for every gift she received.

All the good vibes seemed to satisfy the sold-out crowd, even if much of Twain's catalog has the musical staying power of a Chinese meal.

To her credit, Twain on Friday chose not to play up the sexy image that helped launch her career, which took off in 1997 when she released her "Come On Over" album, which has sold an astounding 19 million copies. The Diamondbacks jersey and blue jeans that she started the concert in made her look like the girl next door -- if that girl had a flowing mane of brownish hair and shoes that glittered.

She later changed into a tight green shirt and dark slacks that made her look like she was ready to hit the gym. A baggy Phoenix Coyotes jersey capped her final costume change, for her encore. Bottom line: Twain's belly button, a small part of a her amazing physique, peeked through only occasionally as she ran around the stage, pumping her fist and sometimes happily marching in place.

Backed by a fun-loving nine-piece band, whose fashion sense leaned more toward '80s MTV than a gym in 2003, the Canadian-born Twain hit the highlights of a career that holds too many hits for one concert.

Ear candy such as the show-opening "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," the triple-fiddle-fueled "Honey, I'm Home" and the recent radio hit, "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" had concertgoers popping up out of their seats often.

With a raised platform as home base, Twain, 38, worked the in-the-round audience like the pro she has become with the help of her husband, producer Robert "Mutt" Lange. Frequent bursts of fireworks were launched around the main stage, which was surrounded by a huge catwalk that stretched along two-thirds of the arena floor.

Although her latest album leans heavily in a pop direction, Twain showed she still can handle country with a tight, toe-tapping take on the infectious "Love Gets Me Every Time" and a rollicking encore of her early mega-hit, "Any Man of Mine." Her voice sounded a bit flat in a few places, including another twangy tune, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" and her crossover hit, "You're Still the One."

Another huge hit, "That Don't Impress Me Much," suffered from a heavy, bass-filled mix, but the new "C'est La Vie" flowed smoothly on strong harmonies from several band members.

Twain, who came off as very down-to-earth onstage despite her glamorous image, added to that friendly feel by inviting members of marching bands from two high schools in the northwest Valley, Ironwood and Willow Canyon, to help her pound out "(If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here!"

The evening's most fun moment came with the help of a young girl from Flagstaff who held up a sign reading, "Will sing for a hug." Twain invited her onstage and twirled with glee when the small singer fearlessly belted out respectable versions of "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman."

Twain was seen still shaking hands and high-fiving after the show ended and her exit music played with the lights up, leaving no doubt that she had successfully reconnected with her Phoenix fans.

Reach the reporter at larry.rodgers@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8043.

http://www.azcentral.com/ent/music/...220twain20.html

The pictures made by Deidre Hamill/Arizona Republic

All the good vibes seemed to satisfy the sold-out crowd, even if much of Twain's catalog has the musical staying power of a Chinese meal.


Okay, that is why people go nuts over hearing her sing all her hits, and use her songs at their weddings, etc.


-Chris

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaanks!!!

Arizona Diamondbacks jersey
Phoenix Coyotes jersey :D

Got the nice pics here :D
But of course the hockey jersey I am most interested is missing hehe
Oh, it will turn up, I'm sure :D

You're welcome!

And another great review!

"Eja look at the mess you made" ...lol :p

:LMAO

Bad hair day?


-Chris

That's odd the newspaper didn't post any pictures of Shania wearing the Phoenix Coyotes jersey. :confused: :confused: :confused:

- Tommy

I WENT TO THIS CONCERT!!!:D :D THIS WAS MY FIRST CONCERT EVER AND I DON'T THINK THAT I COULD HAVE PICKED A BETTER ARTIST TO GIVE ME MY FIRST CONCERT EXPERIENCE!!! HAHA, I SANG SO MUCH AND "WOOPED" SO MUCH THAT I LOST MY VOICE MOMENTARILY:p SHE LOOKED AWESOME AND SOUNDED AWESOME AND MAN THE TIME BY REALLY FAST! IT WAS REALLY FUNNY TO WATCH THIS ROW OF GUYS SINGING THEIR HEARTS OUT TO "ANY MAN OF MINE":) SHE WORE THAT D'BACKS JERSEY AND THAT 'YOTES JERSEY REALLY WELL!:)
DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO ANY OF THOSE DUMB REVIEWS. ON OUR DRIVE HOME WE HEARD THE COUNTRY STATION AND EVERYONE WHO CALLED IN WAS SAYING HOW GREAT OF A TIME THEY HAD, NO ONE COMPLAINED, ITS ALWAYS THE CRITICS THAT SEEM TO HAVE SOME SORT OF PROBLEM:rolleyes:

SHANIA REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY ROCKED PHOENIX LAST NIGHT! :D

ok, so i've somewhat collected myself after last night. shania's sense of humur came out to play last night at the concert:p in the front rows there were people wearing santa hats and she said, "i've got a santa hat around here somewhere and i'll put it on later because if i put it on now it would ruin my fabulous hair":) and then she tossed her hair backwards and gave one of those shania faces. it was funny.
she also invited this little girl up to sing with her, cambria, because she had a sign that said "will sing for hugs" she was really cute and a really good singer, watch out shania:p

Glad you had a GREAT TIME!!!


-Chris

Thanks Rufus! So happy to hear of your first concert, it certainly gives you a whole new perspective, huh? :D