You never know where Shania Twain is going to pop up. Fans towards the back of the floor and left side of the dome suddenly found themselves front row when she popped up in a box to sing the opening number Waking Up Dreaming from the album her Queen of Me tour is named after. It was the start of an evening full of surprises, comfortable hits, and Canada’s country icon living her best life.
It was clear from the start that Twain was fulfilling her prerogative to have a little fun. While the setlist remains the same, Twain has been wearing different outfits and even wigs on the tour. At the May 9th show she wore a blonde wig. The next night she had her natural hair. Different outfits from different videos were dusted off. She sang I’m Gonna Getcha Good stretched out over a motorcycle. Having done everything from riding a horse on stage to being on a crane floating over the audience, Twain brought a bit of Vegas (where she has had 2 residencies) to the show.
The staging was spectacular, with a digital screen stage broadcasting images on camera and for those looking down at the stage. Giant screens showed rocket ships blasting off, Alien’s chasing musicians, and other videos that may have been random, but were fun. Twain was backed up by a fantastic band, including 2 singers that often nearly stole the show with their choreography and having fun.
Behind all of the bells and whistles however, the important thing is the songs. For 30 years Twain has been releasing music, exploding in 1995 with her second album The Woman in Me and it’s those songs that sold out 2 back-to-back nights, with another show scheduled for November. Fans wanting hits were not disappointed, singing along to Any Man of Mine, Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under, and Up! It was the more stripped-down moments like doing acapella to start Honey I’m Home or when she sang to fans in the audience without the band that were truly special. Considering there was a time that it was questionable if she would ever sing again, you can tell Twain takes every moment in and enjoys it. That transmits to the audience, who was enraptured all the way to the arena shaking finale of That Don’t Impress Me Much and Man! I Feel Like a Woman.
Speaking of taking in every moment, Calgary’s Lindsay Ell was absolutely beaming, taking the stage in the same arena where she mentioned seeing Metallica and Twain herself growing up.
A spectacular guitar solo that had her lying on the stage looking upside down at the audience was just one of the highlights of her 30-minute sets. Calgarians showed up for her, and gave her an ovation that rivaled the one Twain would receive later in the night.
Shania Twain Queen of Me Setlist
May 9 2023
"Waking Up Dreaming"
"Up!"
"Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)"
"I'm Gonna Getcha Good!"
"Roll Me On the River"
"You're Still the One"
"Giddy Up!"
"Any Man of Mine"
"Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?"
"Honey, I'm Home"
"Last Day of Summer"
"Inhale/Exhale AIR"
"Rock This Country!"
"Nah!" / "She's Not Just a Pretty Face" / "Waiter! Bring Me Water!" / "When" / "Thank You Baby! (For Makin' Someday Come So Soon)"
"Pretty Liar"
"From This Moment On"
"Number One"
"Party For Two"
"Forever and for Always"
"Queen of Me"
Encore
"That Don't Impress Me Much"
"Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"
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Contributor Jason Clevett |
Locale Calgary |
Person Shania Twain | |
Topic Concert Review |
