06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Review: Shania Twain proves yet again that she is masterful at giving audiences what they want
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'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.