Just shy of a decade ago Cher said goodbye to Calgary (her second go round on her Living Proof Farewell tour.) Now 68 the ageless icon returned to Calgary on June 25th "for the last time" (said with a wink and fingers crossed... and she has already added a second leg and return dates in some markets.) Always the master of spectacle, Cher brought it all to the "Dressed 2 Kill tour" from athletic and scantily clad dancers to elaborate sets and even a Trojan horse. The pop spectacle was long ago mastered by Cher and such was the case with this return to the road.
She kicked off the show risking her life, she later joked, on a 20 foot pedestal for Woman's World followed by Strong Enough. Then the costume changes and interludes began – a black headdress spinning on a chandelier for Dressed To Kill, a 60's inspired getup for The Beat Goes On and a video screen duet with Sonny Bono of I've Got You Babe. A gypsy outfit and curly red wig for a medley of Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, Dark Lady and then a quick costume change into a long headdress for Half Breed. In between songs and costume changes were either video segments such as a tribute to the Sonny and Cher show, clips from her films, or dancer interludes.
In fact this could be the one criticism of the show. At slightly over 90 minutes and just 15 songs it was very short and shorter than her previous tour. Cher may be 68 but that is still short, especially when so much of the show didn't actually feature Cher - she was offstage for nearly half of it. Adding on a few more songs like Bang Bang (which was teased in an instrumental) or Heart of Stone would have given fans more value for the $170 per ticket (more for those who bought VIP.)
That may be the jaded reviewer/concert goer in me, as the audience didn't seem to care and drank in every moment, singing along to Walking in Memphis and Just Like Jesse James and going crazy over set finales If I Could Turn Back Time (complete with the outfit, but no sailor hats) and Believe. The evening ended on a high note, literally, as Cher floated on a platform above the audience singing I Hope You Find It.
When you go to any current pop diva, from Katy Perry to P!nk to Rhianna to Britney Spears, you can see the influence that Cher, along with Madonna and Janet Jackson, had on the concept of the pop show. Will any of those ladies still be able to pack arenas, sing live and put on this kind of show in their 60's? Probably not. There is only one Cher, and if this is the last time she does come to Calgary she has said farewell as only she can. "I've pissed off just about every female singer on the planet saying follow this you bitches!" she said. A tough act to follow indeed.
Cher brought another icon with her in Cyndi Lauper. Marking the 30th anniversary of her breakthrough She's So Unusual album she made an entrance through the audience wearing a Mountie hat and singing She Bop. It is rare that the dome is mostly full for an opening act but fans turned out to catch her and it was worth the early arrival. Lauper's infectious energy and genuine banter mixed with hits like Time After Time and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun made for a memorable kickoff to the evening. In fact she vocally outperformed the headliner, displaying stunning vocals on Money Changes Everything, a cover of Etta James' At Last and set ender True Colours. She may have celebrated her 61st birthday in Edmonton this week, but just like Cher, Cyndi Lauper is timeless.