A two-and-a-half-hour traffic crawl to get from the Blossom Music Center gates to a parking spot did not deter the fans from an incredible night with Shania Twain and her “Queen of Me Tour”. Her fans, some ditching their drivers and walking the final distance to the gate, flowed in droves into Blossom at a quick pace, laughing and partying along the way. Shania can still sell out a show and her fan base has a following of more than a few generations. This was not just a ‘girls’ night out,’ there were plenty of men cheering, dancing, and singing along shamelessly.
Shania opened the show by entering the pavilion singing “Waking Up Dreaming.” She slowly walked through the audience, stopping to sing to fans along the way. Her signature locks, the color of purple now, were highlighted by the spotlights as she snaked her way through the audience and made her way onto the stage. QUite an entrance, indeed!
For those new to her music style, Shania’s song lyrics have a story to tell and share. Some stories are short and sweet as in “Giddy Up”. Some are more melodic like “You’re Still the One” and of course who can sit through “Who’s Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”
With her career starting at the age of 8 years old, she has enough songs in her arsenal to easily sing for over two hours. In between segments, she would interact with the audience. It is evident that she loves her fans. She would often bring a select few onto the stage. This night,t it would be a young fan who also had purple hair. She also selected a father who brought his young daughter to the show. She took time to chat with them on stage, introduced them to the audience, and even sang “Happy Birthday” to a few.
There has been some internet chatter about Shania lip-syncing during part of the show. I noticed once that on one of the large video screens her lips seemed out of sync with the audio. I’ve seen the exact same thing on occasion with some other artists. Blossom is a very large venue, and the sound can be delayed in various places considering the amount of time it takes for the pavilion sound (above the stage) to reach the grass and can be very noticeable (around ½ seconds). The lawn speakers have delays built in to help synchronize with the pavilion source to compensate for the delay. It’s very possible that the sync issue I noticed could be caused by these adjustments to the audio (lawn feed instead of the stage feed for example). I can’t say either way for certain, but her voice tone sounded consistent throughout the amazing show.
Her 6-piece band moved to different stage locations based on the song being played. She also had two talented singers/dancers who were very entertaining with their choreographed dance moves and humorous antics.
The stage was very elaborate and interesting to watch. The lights followed the action very well. The lighting was complex and very well executed adding excitement to the show. Behind the stage was a giant video screen used to pair various scenes in tune with the music. For example, when she performed “Rock This Country” the American flag was on the video screen the entire song. During “Pretty Liar” the screen was engulfed with a video of flames. The audio was the typical rock volume peaking at about 110 decibels (enough for fans to wear some ear protection) but was very clean (as most concerts at Blossom are) in general, except for Shania’s voice, which was, at times, not as clear. Mostly at the times when she had guests from the audience on stage. Her performance sound was mostly very clear.
Shania is an energetic performer and still sings effortlessly. Her voice was strong throughout the show and kept the concert at high energy until the end. She moves around the stage that was set with different tiers and levels. Her short purple silk dress showcased her long legs and the back of the dress flowed behind her like wings taking her on a journey.
There was a motorcycle on stage that she stretched out on while she sang “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!”. She can be soft and delicate and yet tough as nails…just like her music. You can’t put her into one category. She’s country to be sure, but there’s more to her story. Her goal was to cross over and encompass all types of music and to be known as a great performer worldwide. She reached that goal early on in her career. She had had a few interruptions along the way to either develop more as a musician or to take time for other priorities. One thing is certain, she still enjoys writing and singing music and loves entertaining a crowd.
For the encore, Shania performed two songs, “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Man, I Feel Like a Woman.” For this, she had changed into what appeared to be the same outfit she wore in the original video. How fitting! She really didn’t have to sing this last song since the audience did this very well. Yes, we were “impressed much.”
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