CONCERT REVIEW

The Florida Times-Union

July 8, 2004

Is Shania 'still the one?'

By EYDER PERALTA
The Times-Union



Shania Twain spent a good part of her show Wednesday at the Veterans Memorial Arena signing autographs. She sang, too, while she delivered what seemed a senseless scribe to adoring fans. It was like she was cooking, while she talked on the phone and threw out the trash.

Maybe that's how easy performing has become for her. Her vocals were spot on all night and she even nailed her signature bark, every time she tried it.

She opened the set with the self-loving Man, I Feel Like a Woman, and there were fireworks as she moved around the circular stage. She was wearing waist-high pants, and a Hi-Liter green top with boots -- an astronaut tried and true. She looked less than stunning: Nothing like the glorious black and white figure in her You're Still the One video. She looked mundane, with her hair simply dragging behind her like a lazy child.

Maybe it was meant to be that way. The whole show was very interactive and she wanted badly for the audience to get to know her. She even allowed a 10-minute digression where she introduced her band members and each got a chance for a shout out or a bad joke. She took pictures with her fans and high fived people around stage. She led a sing-along of You're Still the One, with the lights turned on, and she made sure that everyone got the point that this was the third to last show on the tour, and that she wasn't going to be touring for a long time to come.

The music lingered like smoke on a ceiling. She ran through hits like Up! and Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under, but they were both emoted with the same carefree nature, with the same blase charm of a white-toothed belle.

The Shania Twain of the country album, delivered Whose Bed... with the fire of a woman whose had enough. But Wednesday, the furious, "So next time you're lonely / Don't call on me / Try the operator / Maybe she'll be free," was delivered with the same emotion as the victorious, "She's not just a pretty face / she's got everything it takes."

That Don't Impress Me Much had her signing autographs, again and she was distracted. The words came out but the meaning stayed behind.

Maybe it is that she's comfortable. She's got an 8 piece band that drops high harmonies with perfect timing; her guitarists can go through scales without breaking a sweat; and she can go through the motions while making hats and programs into eBay gold.

Twain has sold more records than most people will during their whole career. Even her latest offering, Up!, which hasn't made an immense showing on the airwaves, has sold well over 10 million copies. She is at the top of the pop game.

She knows that well: She knows that what it takes to get there is to deliver a set that's high on hits and loaded with crowd-pleasing moments, like wearing a Jaguars jersey or bringing local high schoolers on stage to play with her.

But in the end, that's not what makes a good show. She's forgotten that her songs mean a lot to a lot of people, and if she's not feeling them how could we.

She rushed the stage, mad and full of energy -- a gun fired, bang, but no blood, no glory, just a blank.

eyder.peraltajacksonville.com, (904) 359-4288


This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-nlin..._16047686.shtml