Friday, December 5, 2003
Shania fans Up! for show
Sold-out crowd loves Twain
By LISA WILTON, CALGARY SUN
Thousands OF Shania Twain fans were feeling pretty Up! last night after attending the Canadian superstar's sold-out Saddledome concert.
But 11-year-old Kaysha Nelson was especially excited about Shania's show, as she was able to get up close and personal with the 38-year-old native of Timmins, Ont.
Nelson was the lucky winner of the Sun's Get Up! Close with Shania contest.
In addition to two front-row seats, Nelson was given a camera to shoot the concert (watch for her photos on
www.calgarysun.com) and got a sneak-peek of the show during the singer's soundcheck yesterday afternoon.
"It's been cool and exciting," says Nelson, who also received a VIP limo service and a Twain CD library.
While concert-goers weren't able to buy Twain's music at the 'Dome, there were several other items they could blow their paycheques on.
A Shania poster was the cheapest at $15, while the hockey jersey went for a wallet-denting $120. Fans could also pick up a black toque ($40), T-shirts ($43), zip-up hoodie ($90) and a Shania calendar ($20).
"It's worth it," said a shivering 29-year-old Jason Coutts of Calgary, standing outside the venue clutching a black T-shirt in one hand and a cigarette in the other. "I just paid rent, so I didn't have enough money for anything else but this ... I would have bought it all. She's so talented and so beautiful."
That sentiment was shared by many, including Harlow and Lori Otto, who drove 4 1/2 hours from their ranch in Elk Water to attend the concert.
"We wouldn't miss this for the world," said Lori.
"For a Canadian to do what she's done, to get into the American market, is tremendous," her husband said.
Though Twain has been criticized for watering down country music and dragging it into realm of mainstream pop, the couple said she has nothing to apologize for.
"You gotta have variety and that's what she's providing," he said.
"You'll never take the country totally out of her."
It was the first time the couple had seen Twain live in concert and Lori hoped it would be a spectacle -- at least fashion-wise.
"I don't want to see any of the sweat-shirty stuff she wore to the Grey Cup," she said. "I want to see some hot clothes."
Paulette Truman of Brooks was also looking forward to seeing what styles Shania had in store.
"For that age, she's got it," Truman exclaimed.
http://www.canoe.ca/CalgaryNews/cs.cs-12-05-0014.html