By STEVE TILLEY, EDMONTON SUN
Saturday, December 6, 2003
Ah, Shania. Or, to put it another way: Shani-ahhh. Gathered for your musical pleasure, a medley of memories from last night's show, each tagged to the title of a Twain tune.
MAN! I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN! -- Not that we didn't appreciate the baggy Eskimos jersey she wore from the git-go, but it sure was nice to see Shania finally switch into that lime green tank top and those skintight pants about half an hour into the show. Bare midriff! At long, long last!
WHOSE BED HAVE YOUR BOOTS BEEN UNDER? -- But even after the jersey was pitched, those weird boots remained. They look like they belong to a sport of some kind. Rock climbing? Polo? Speedwalking?
ANY MAN OF MINE -- Hopefully somebody got that two-year-old kid in the Harley shirt on video, because when he's older he's going to want to see how he was picked up by Shania Twain during a concert and squished into her chest. Oh, to be a toddler again.
WHAT A WAY TO WANT TO BE! -- Speaking of adorable kids, the little gal who waggled the "Can I sing with you Shania?" sign finally got some satisfaction when Shania did indeed pull her up on stage. Young Tennille accompanied the chestnut-lock'd goddess on, well, What a Way To Want to Be! How very appropriate. Tennille, dressed like a mini-Shania herself, then sang a bit of Honey I'm Home before gushing, "Thank you so much! This was a dream come true! You are my hero!" Our stone hearts were heard to crack. A little.
IN MY CAR (I'LL BE THE DRIVER) -- You don't hurry Shania Twain. When she needs to go offstage to change outfits, you will be entertained by her nine-piece band, and you'll LIKE IT, dammit. (Actually the sole Canadian, fiddler Cory Churko from Moose Jaw, got the biggest laughs of the night with zingers like "Moose Jaw is exactly eight feet from the moose's butt.") And when she wants to bring a pair of raffle winners on stage for a photo that all but kills the pacing and momentum of the show, well, you'll like that too.
I'M GONNA GETCHA GOOD! -- Has anyone else noticed that half of Shania's songs have exclamation points in the titles? Anyway, we were collectively suckered when the circular white scrim surrounding the stage before Shania's entrance showed the top-hatted singer in silhouette, but then was raised to reveal ... nothing! David Copperfield is in the house! Moments later, Shania appeared walking through the audience, dressed not in a top hat and bustier but that formless football jersey. Drat.
I'M NOT IN THE MOOD TO SAY NO! -- Shania can do no wrong in the eyes of her fans, who ran the gamut from middle-aged hockey dads down to sweet young fillies in tight jeans and tube tops. Lots of moms with young daughters, too, including a mother and adorable little girl who got to sit right behind Shania when she entered the audience to do an acoustic version of The Woman in Me. But although Shania's allegedly a country act, we counted only a dozen or so cowboy hats in the entire audience. And that's including the fiddler from Emerson Drive. Rock This Country indeed.
http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonExpress...12-06-0051.html