Review: Shania Twain proves yet again that she is masterful at giving audiences what they want
'Fellow Canadians, we are in this together,' Shania Twain told the enthusiastic crowd at the Saddledome Saturday night.
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It was hardly a political treatise, but it was a nice and subtle call for unity of the third day of the Calgary Stampede. It was also telling that Twain had just proudly told the Calgary crowd — during Stampede, no less — that she was from Ontario and was still loudly cheered.
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The Timmins, Ont.-raised superstar started the festivities with a jolt of patriotism, offering a fiery run through Rock This Country! (NOTE: All exclamation marks in this review are Twain's). With its pounding, pop-metal drums and double guitar-crunch, the song sounds like a Def Leppard-Bryan Adams hybrid and all the geographic shoutouts in the 2000 original are actually to American states.
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Nevertheless, Twain and her four-piece backup band came bounding out to a backdrop of flapping Canadian flags projected on the jumbotron and risers. Granted, she may not have been quite as Canada-forward a few nights ago when she opened the tour in Montana.
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But after years of global success, stadium tours and Las Vegas residencies, Twain is nothing if not masterful and giving audiences what they want.
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Twain's performance on Saturday is the lone Saddledome concert at the Stampede this year. For context, last year the Stampede presented back-to-back concerts by Motley Crue, Miranda Lambert, The Jonas Brothers and Nickelback. Presumably, the thinking this year by programmers was that they would give the Stampede crowd a concentrated dose of superstardom right out of the gate. (Twain was also the marshal of the Calgary Stampede parade Friday morning.)
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The night started with a blast of energy, as Twain and her bouncing backup band — everyone was dressed in matching white attire and Twain sported some sparkling red cowboy boots — followed the opener with equally revved-up runs through Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You), You Win My Love, Waking Up Dreaming and Up!
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Other than a few strange, momentum-muting segments late in the set, the show offered steady pace and a polished if predictable song list. Even the most cynical naysayers have to admit that Twain's songs all have remarkably sharp and endearing sing-a-long hooks that are nicely sweetened by those ABBA-esque gang-vocal harmonies and counter-melodies and powered by pummelling hard-rock beats and guitar riffs. They simply sound great in a stadium.
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Still, it could be argued that the nicest musical moments were also the ones that showcased the band's nuance and subtlety. Early on, Twain sat on a stool with her band surrounding her for tender versions of You're Still the One and No One Need to Know. Both were highlights.
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