Hi all,

Chris has done a good job of describing things he's knowledgeable about. Gives those who weren't at the concert, a real good sampling of flavors of experience we enocuntered; with good range of the overall subject, and good detail on the specific items described.

I just got home a few minutes ago. No time or facility to do any posting in Chicago.

Went to bed around 1:00 am and had to get up only 4 hrs later to get back home with rental car in time to avoide another day's fees.

I half expected Chris (CBSPOCK) and FV to be bounding around Chicago this morning. They're the only two I know of who stayed the next day after the concert Sunday night. But I guess I should know better by now. Chris loves his computers and the internet almost as well as he likes Shania Twain.

Thanks for that fantastic review, chris. It so great. Sounds like the show was like Hyde Park. Full of energy!!!

God! I wish I was there! That Sunday was hard to come through here in Europe! Your review doesn't make Monday/Tuesday more easily

Looking forward to see some of the pics from those disposable cameras

...or just maybe nbc will post some pix or give them to the wire services to publish and/or post on the net.

__________________
Indubitably Certifiably ShAnIaNuTs! since 1993!
The irresistible red hot belly button barin' mama and quintessential lean mean singin' machine has surprised and enraptured us and conquered our hearts, minds and souls repeatedly.

Thanks very much for your time and effort in telling us about the concert, Chris.

I bet NBC starts their promo ad blitz for the special today on their network - that may be where we first see some professional footage or photos of the concert, eh?

__________________
Indubitably Certifiably ShAnIaNuTs! since 1993!
The irresistible red hot belly button barin' mama and quintessential lean mean singin' machine has surprised and enraptured us and conquered our hearts, minds and souls repeatedly.

For me, the trip to Chicago was about as expected for most matters EXCEPT for the concert portion of the trip. I have never been to a concert before. So I really didn't know what to expect. I did get Shania Live from the Dallas Concert in Shania's previous Tour, very soon after I first knew about her in late 2000. And that tape is simply stunning, no matter how many times I see parts of it as I do my weight lifting. Not only is it stunning, it is virtually flawless. Maybe the editing removed any flaws.

So here's what I thnk I'll do. I'll just describe things kinda in sequence as they happened for me on the trip. And the specifics of my view of the concert will be included in that.

Those of you who have seen my "Tales From Timmins 2001" know you may be in for a long read. This thread may need splitting again at some point to keep it manageable and accessible.

One thing different than Timmins though, is that I don't have my pictures developed yet, to use as story board. And since they had signs all over about no cameras allowed into the concert, I won't have any for that. (Am I the ONLY person who follows the rules on this planet any more?). Also, I'm writing this nearly live from memory this time, in contrast to waiting until a year after the Timmins experience to rummage thru my memories and write about it. (Well, I didn't really WAIT a year, I was darned busy & a year later was the first opportunity I had to write. I'd have done it much sooner, cuz I love to write.)

WOW!!!

I'm so excited!!
so wish i was there!!

Glad you all had a great time!!!

Joeleen

__________________
Don't think I'm lying when i'm crying at night
There's no need to worry I'm really alright
It's not so bad I'm not that sad
It only hurts when I'm breathing!

My drive from Lansing, Michigan to Chicago went well. Except the car rental was late getting me started. And the toyota corolla had unusually poor low back support, giving me a backache, far quicker and worse than my usual minor stiffness.

The freeways in Chicago were all congested with construction, accidents and traffic jams 2-5pm. So I had to get off and use side roads and streets the last 25 miles to the hotel near downtown on S Michigan. Those last 30 miles took me as long as the first 180 miles did. The other concert goers in our group, who came by car the same day, described the same problem. I usually find some way to get thru Chicago on freeways and avoid traffic jams by listening to WBBM 780 am radio, on my way from Michigan to Wisconsin a couple times a year, where my relatives live. But this day, there was no way clear except side streets. Amazing when 35-40 miles per hour seems refresshingly free and FAST!.

I had expected to arrive at Best Western Hotel across street from Grant Park in early to mid afternoon, and go see if there were any rehearsals for the concert. Well, due to traffic, I didn't arrive until 5pm, after rehearslas were expected to be over. So I checked in, and survived the complex parking shenanigans in/near downtown.

I hurriedly unpacked for a 2 day stay, and changed to more comfortable clothes for the weather. It was kinda warm, maybe 85F, and very humid, and powerfully windy. 20-45mph. If I were to let go of my car door when I opened it in the wind tunnel between the tall buildings, damage to the car was likely. While still in my room, preparing to go check on the subway locations and other things I'd need to get to our group dinner and the concert etc, I was kinda surprised to hear music coming thru my wall. This is not exactly unusual in a hotel or motel. Usually it's from the people in next room who like their volume loud. Somehow this was different. It was more muffled, yet more substantial. Also, it started raising question marks in my head. "What IS that?" I thought. It's somehow friendly, nurturing, familiar.

Hey! Isn't that kinda like Shania Twain music? Wow, somebody's playing her music. Cool! It's ALWAYS a pleasant surprise to find someone else likes her music too. But then, this one stopped and soon afterward, I heard another one. What the heck IS this, I wondered. Then it dawned on me, could they still be having rehearsals nearby? I looked outside. No, I had the "senior citizen" discount room on the back side of the hotel, away from the park. Also, the wind was blowing fiercely in the wrong direction. And this "park" is about 3 blocks wide and a mile long, with multiple streets, railroad tracks and other stuff between the concert site and where I was. No way could rehearsal sounds be coming all the way from there, through the whole doggone building to my room. But I kept hearing other things, new things, of the same kind, but not old ST songs. It was darned puzzling. I kinda figured the sound might be coming down the street canyon betweent he buildings, during lulls in the wind. I determined to check this out as soon as I could get outside.

Once out on the sidewalk, sure enough that's exactly what it was. Rehearsals about a half mile away. Kinda overwhelming to feel the power of something I like, being projected so far into so many people's lives. Half of downtown Chicago's near south side could hear it. And now I recognized why I'd been puzzled. Some of the new songs and new variations, would stop and start over again to "fix" something that didn't get done quite right the first try, probably.

Thank you so much Chris and others for the first reports from Chicago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chris, so cool you met Tracy and the good folks of Timmins too!!!
Oh, and wasn´t JDs solo brilliant!!!!??!!!

Seems like it was the same, yet with a twist as the Hyde Park concert! Can´t wait to hear what FV has to say, as she saw both.. oh and Doc Bill, was he in Chicago too?

__________________
Signature on holiday.

Don't Know if Doc Bill was in Chicago for this one Kirpu. I think he would've contacted us if he was going.

Bob

Thanks for the reviews, Chris.They are really good
I felt like I was in the Concert.Shania really rocks!!!!!!!:cool:

"Work before play," my parents and teachers always used to say. If you do it the other way round, work will never get done and you'll never have much to play with.

I wanted to find my way to that ST rehearsal if I had time. But our group agreed to meet at the Essex hotel at 6pm, then go to diner at the Rock Bottom Brewery at 7:00. And I needed to verify subway info, and get my bearings. It would hustle me to track down the subway station I'd referenced, get a transit card and still do anything other than just get to the Essex. Well, the subway station was 3 blocks west by south west, on State St near Roosevelt, right where it should be. But the nearest place that would sell the discounted "visitor pass" was another 2 blocks past that, thru a construction zone of rubble of tall building being dismantled. And I never did find a door I could get into.

Time was running out. So back the other way 6-7 blocks to the Essex. There with 5 minutes to spare. Nobody I recognize. A group of people are waiting for a shuttle bus. A couple little 3-4 yr old kids, loose from their parent and enjoying discovery, asked me who I was looking for. I answered, and they were cute in their responses. But they didn't know what "group of Shania Twain fans" meant. Probably something to cool otf with in the heat, or to swat flies.

A mental picture of the place. South Michigan Avenue runs in front of about 15 blocks of tall Chicago hotels, often with stores at street level or in between. The Congress, the Blackstone, The Hilton, Essex, and many others make an impressive front, with many of them towering 30 stories or more with wide fronts and unique, old time architecture. These are the old hotels of Chicago's waterfront area, I guess. The newer & taller sky scrapers are another 10 blocks or so north on North Michigan, across the river, and include almost as many hotels, but scattered among a higher number of even taller business buildings.

In front of this impressive if dated wall across South Michigan Ave, toward the east, is nothing but flat tho beautiful gardens, walk ways, statues, and occasional streets, railroad tracks, parks and beach going out to lake Michigan. The flowerbeds were expansive and magnificent. The softball parks, tennis courts, water fountains etc were all nice, with mature trees and shrubs creating a pleasant mix of shade and sun.. Also were quite a few ornate walk bridges, stairs etc in the park. This is Grant Park. Hutchinson Field where the concert is scheduled, is south central in the park, a combination of softball fields.

But there were street people, some sleeping in the shade, along a concrete railing or stairs, who I saw in same place both days. Also others constantly circulating and plying the panhandling trade. It kept us alert. Most of them were not aggressive. They'd read your body language, including whether and how you made eye contact. If you gave clues of being a tourist or possible benefactor, such as being courteous to them, they'd switch to a whole new set of ever more plaintif and persistent come-ons."

After waiting for 10-15 minutes around 6pm at the Essex for other members to show as planned, and finding none, I guessed they might have "had an offer they coulldn't refuse," in the beckoning sounds of the Shania Twain concert rehearsals, wafting strongly through the air from 3-4 blocks away to the east. So I headed over that way.

About half way there, I met our group coming back from watching the rehearsals. FV, Tee & Greg, their three girls, Warrior and her mom Judy. It was a warm and excited reunion, first time I'd seen most of them since Timmins in 2001. Got introduced to Debbie who I knew by message board only, up to now. They were full of excited descriptions of what they'd seen at the rehearsals. Been listening since nearly noon. Couldn't see up close, but through a wire fence about 150-200 yards away on one side of the stage.

Speaking of wire, Warrior and some others as well, were clearly "wired" in anticipation of the weekend and concert. After a rapid fire updates, they headed for the Essex lobby and I said I'd follow 10 minutes behind, in order to run another block and a half and take a quick peek at the rehearsals. Could clearly see Shania going through her routines on stage, with breaks to sort things out and give instructions.

Bob you are painting a wonderful picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


You may have to submit an article or two about this experience to a magazine or two eh?

__________________
Indubitably Certifiably ShAnIaNuTs! since 1993!
The irresistible red hot belly button barin' mama and quintessential lean mean singin' machine has surprised and enraptured us and conquered our hearts, minds and souls repeatedly.