Published Wednesday
May 26, 2004
Review: Shania Twain gives fan-friendly concert
BY KIM ROBERTS-GUDEMAN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Concert Etiquette 101: It is generally considered bad form to slap the backside of the headlining performer.
Yes, a few ornery fans stood out among a record-setting crowd of 17,139 who showed up to watch Shania Twain's concert Tuesday night at the Omaha Arena. Emerson Drive opened the show.
After singing "The Woman in Me" from a seat in the lower deck, Twain gently chastised several people for smacking her "in places they shouldn't" on her way back to the stage.
A short time later, she asked for volunteers who knew the words to sing the romantic ballad "You're Still the One" with her on stage. The chosen volunteer was not well-versed on the lyrics.
Through it all, the pop-country superstar remained gracious. She even invited one of the quick-handed perpetrators - who admitted his action and apologized - on stage.
The extracurricular activities didn't overshadow Twain's solid performance.
She gave fans a concert that showcased some of the best hits from her most recent album, "Up!," along with older favorites.
She began her 11/2-hour set with "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" and then segued into the title track of "Up!"
From then on, she went from hit to hit, including "Honey, I'm Home," "Forever and for Always," "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" and a medley: "When," "You Win My Love," "Come on Over" and "I'm Holdin' on to Love (To Save My Life)."
She changed clothes in the middle of the set, trading her sheer green camisole and turquoise undergarment for a hot pink T-shirt.
Twain invited on stage the winner of a raffle that raised money before the show for the Second Harvest food bank.
She ended her set with songs including "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!," returning to the stage for an encore of "Any Man of Mine" and "Rock This Country!"
Not everything about the show was perfect.
There was very little country in the performance; this was pop through and through. While she graciously signed autograph after autograph during the show, it did begin to detract from her singing after a while. And twice she said "Iowa" instead of "Nebraska" when speaking to the crowd.
But it's hard to be critical of a musician who was so gracious and thoughtful of her fans.
At the end of her performance she said, "We gotta come back to Omaha. You guys are good."
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Shania Twain performs to a record-setting crowd of 17,139 fans at the Omaha Arena on Tuesday evening