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Shania Twain has fun in ACC show

By Jane Stevenson, Toronto Sun | June 24, 2015 10:42 PM EDT

TORONTO - Turns out blondes do have more fun.

Or so a lighter-haired Shania Twain would have us believe as she brought her pyro-packed, over-the-top costumed Rock This Country tour to the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night for the first of two back-to-back homecoming shows before she returns for a third show Oct. 11.

The 49-year-old Canadian country-crossover singer claims she’s on her farewell trek after a successful two-year Las Vegas residency and a performing history that goes back four decades, not to mention 75 million in album sales over the last 20 years, but we shall see.

With the big 5-0 coming up for Twain in August, maybe she’ll have a mid-life epiphany and keep on touring.


All we know for sure is that she’s working on a new record and she’s definitely having the time of her life on stage right now, appearing looser and more energized than in her Vegas show which I caught on opening night.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ I Love Rock N’ Roll heralded Twain’s arrival Wednesday night before sexy black and white images of her played on two large video screens towering over a slick looking stage holding seven musicians.

Eventually, Twain emerged from beneath the floor of the stage on a riser decked out in red sunglasses, a fringed black leather jacket and matching thigh-high boots and a sparkling red sequined mini-dress.

It was a lot to digest and if the retro-rocked out vision of her wasn’t enough there was plenty of pyro as the show kicked off with Rock This Country! and Honey, I’m Home before she delved into You Win My Love and crowd favourite Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?

“It’s just so great to be back in my home province - I love Ontario,” said Twain, after sustained applause from the crowd.

“A little tomboy girl from Timmins, Ontario - look at me now! It’s still crazy. I cannot believe it. I’m so grateful to be back with you. It’s very touching. ... It’s been a long time since I’ve been here - 11 years. It’s like a reunion.”

Twain, who said the night was going by too fast, continued with I Ain’t No Quitter, which featured a chiselled male dancer in a black and white video behind her; Don’t Be Stupid, with her venturing out onto the catwalk, and Any Man of Mine, which saw her get wheeled around the floor of the arena in a portable mini red stage so she could high-five concertgoers.

After a break for a costume change into a silver sequined top, black short shorts, a black duster coat, and heels straight out of Frederick’s of Hollywood, Twain cranked up the pryo again for I’m Gonna Getcha Good!, and Any Man of Mine before opening act Wes Mack joined her in a duet for Party of Two.

Then she saddled up - literally - for Up! a song that saw Twain fly around the arena seated on a red-fringed saddle attached to an extended arm.

That moment was topped only when she spotted a man wearing a “Kiss me I’m 82” T-shirt near the front of the stage and stopped to do just that before Twain strapped on a acoustic guitar for a three-song acoustic set of Today Is Your Day, No One Needs to Know and You’re The Still one, the latter which she dedicated to, “all of you who are still around - you’re still the one Toronto!”

Twain finally took her fashion and the concert down a notch with a black sequined cape and gown ensemble for From This Moment On, definitely the most dramatic and classiest moment in the hour and 45-minute show as she sang on the rotating end of the catwalk,

But she quickly went back to shamelessly sexy with a red sequined black off-the-shoulder mini dress and thigh-high red sequined boots for That Don’t Impress Me Much, a song that usually sees her wearing leopard print - the leopards were featured on the large video screen behind her instead - and the set ending (If You’re Not In It For Love) I’m Outta Here!

Twain’s encore saw her return in black thigh-high boots, black leather gloves and a black and silver metallic body suit that left little to the imagination for Man! I Feel Like A Woman!

Like the song says, “The best thing about being a woman is the perogative to have a little fun.”

And boy did Shania ever.

 ---

SET LIST: 

• Rock This Country!
• Honey, I’m Home
• You Win My Love
• Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?
• I Ain’t No Quitter
• Love Gets Me Every Time
• Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)
• Any Man of Mine
• I’m Gonna Getcha Good!
• Come on Over
• Party For Two (with Wes Mack)
• Up!
• Today Is Your Day (Acoustic)
• No One Needs to Know (Acoustic)
• You’re Still the One (Acoustic)
• From This Moment On
• That Don’t Impress Me Much
• (If You’re Not in It for Love) I’m Outta Here!

ENCORE

• Man! I Feel Like a Woman!

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/06/24/live-shania-twain-at-the-acc

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

I'm so excited about my new #RockThisCountry merch. New t-shirts, hoodies, koozies, hats & more. Check it all out: http://www.shaniatwainshop.com

2:34 PM ET - 25 Jun 15

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Music review: Shania Twain 'grateful' to be back and Ottawa glad to have her

By Lynn Saxberg | Ottawa Citizen | June 28, 2015

Shania Twain christened Ottawa’s newest festival site at Wesley Clover Parks on Saturday with a concert extravaganza that pulled in a youthful party crowd of 24,000 people.

It was the biggest single night, and the only outdoor show, of the country-pop superstar’s first tour in more than a decade. Whether her Rock This Country excursion is a comeback or a farewell seems to be up in the air, but to the fans caught up in the moment, it made no difference.

In thigh-high boots, a red-sequined mini dress and black-fringed jacket, the first of several glamorous costumes, the 49-year-old singer made an eye-popping entrance, strutting her way through the anthemic Rock This Country and the sassy Honey I’m Home before slowing things down a tad for You Win My Love. A terrific band, including three fiddle players, backed her, while the huge stage pulsed with lasers and blasts of pyro.

In the crowd, it was a massive girls’ night out. Of course, there were men in attendance, too, but the vast majority of the audience consisted of smiling cowgirls singing along to every word, unified by the power of sisterhood (and probably a few beverages).  Their favourites were the feisty ones: Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?, Don’t Be Stupid, Any Man of Mine, That Don’t Impress Me Much and especially, Man! I Feel Like a Woman.

After the string of big bro-country shows that have passed through town in the last year or so, it was not only refreshing to hear a female perspective but also surprising to see the music connect with the same young demographic. After all, Twain hasn’t released a new album since 2002’s Up!

Despite some technical issues with the mic that made her voice sound choppy, Twain performed with the confidence of a seasoned diva, a stage persona honed over the last two years of her Vegas residency. Between songs, though, the Timmins tomboy revealed a vulnerable side, relieved that fans remembered her.

“It’s been 11 years since I’ve been on tour,” Twain said. “I’m just so grateful that all of you are still here. I wasn’t sure I would ever sing again. I really thought that was it. Over. Done. It’s just amazing how life goes sometimes. I’m very happy to be back. There’s no way but up from here.”

Twain also expressed her happiness at being back in Canada, and sent out a greeting to her aunt and cousins from Timmins who were in the audience. At one point, she brought opener Wes Mack, a Calgary lad, on stage for a fun duet on Party for Two.

Twain’s concert was the first show to be mounted at the recently redeveloped Nepean equestrian centre, now known as Wesley Clover Parks. Although the grassy field has plenty of space, there were some crowd flow issues and long lineups for food, beverages and washroom facilities.

And in one of the most unexpected concert pairings of the year, warmup duties fell to the Doobie Brothers, the California boogie rockers from the 1970s. New country artists Wes Mack and Dan & Shay were also on the bill.

The current configuration of the Doobies features just two original brothers, singer-guitarists Patrick Simmons and Tom Johnston, but they came with an extended lineup of veteran musicians, including two drummers, who were able to recreate the sound with just the right balance of polish and groove.

“We are the Doobie Brothers, in case you aren’t sure,” joked Simmons as he surveyed the vast young crowd.  Judging by their inattention, it was a valid comment.  Jesus Is Just Alright, Rockin’ Down The Highway and South City Midnight Lady barely warranted a reaction from anyone over 25, which was too bad because the songs sounded fantastic. Takin’ It To The Streets, Black Water, China Grove and Listen to the Music fared better, earning a round of appreciation from the baby-boomer minority.

http://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-reviews/music-review-shania-twain-grateful-to-be-back-and-ottawa-glad-to-have-her

Concert Review: Shania Twain at the Bell Centre; June 28, 2015

By Erik Leijon | Montreal Gazette | June 29, 2015 7:15 AM EDT

On Sunday night at the Bell Centre in front of an audience of 15,581, Shania Twain found herself back in the saddle again – both literally and figuratively.

At one point during the near two hour-long set – her first in Montreal since 2004 – the Canadian country pop superstar was lifted on a stationary mechanical bull attached to a moving crane as she performed the cheery title track to 2002’s Up!

More importantly, though, the 49-year-old’s Rock This Country tour marks a return to touring after an extended hiatus. Outside of a Las Vegas residency, her last spate of shows occurred over 2003 and 2004. In the years following Up!, Twain lived largely outside of the public eye, until the dissolution of her marriage to husband and longtime collaborator Robert “Mutt” Lange.

She tiptoed around the subject of her dark post-divorce days once during the show, before an acoustic rendition of her 2011 comeback single Today Is Your Day, a song she told the audience was for when she was having a bad day and required a kick in the butt. “Before I start to cry I’m going to cheer things up,” a choked up Twain said afterwards, before moving on to the more upbeat No One Needs to Know from her 1995 breakthrough record The Woman in Me.

With no new material to promote, Twain’s 21-song setlist focused on the records that made her the best-selling female artist in country music history. She saved her biggest hits, That Don’t Impress Me Much, (If You’re Not in It for Love) I’m Outta Here! and Man! I Feel Like a Woman! for a strong denouement that left concertgoers humming towards the exits. Twain didn’t deviate from the recorded versions, but given the time elapsed since her last show here and the vocal cord problems that nearly robbed her of her singing voice, an easygoing hits-only set from the Canadian singer was what the audience was looking for. Not known for bombast, Twain’s steady performance did nothing to suggest she had been beset with vocal ailments in recent years.

Twain addressed the crowd in English and French, saying she wanted everyone in the audience to understand, yet her in-between song banter was not overly revealing.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been up on stage,” she said after Party of Two, a duet she performed with the night’s opener, Wes Mack, but she didn’t elaborate much beyond that. Instead, the night felt like a low-key celebration of an artist’s unexpected return from self-exile.

Her backing band wielded muscular guitars, hands-free mics for en masse harmonizing and produced two fiddle players when required. A lap steel was used sparingly, so the amount of twang heard during the set was limited.

Hot flames emanated from beneath the stage, as did other pyrotechnics. If a song’s raw emotional power inversely correlates to the amount of pyrotechnics allotted during its performance, Twain’s no-frills version of You’re Still the One while sitting with an acoustic guitar proves it remains her most direct, resonant love song and the ideal showcase for her understated vocals. Power ballad From This Moment On, on the other hand, was delivered with all the fireworks and artificial mist they could muster.

On her Up! tour, Twain started her sets with Man! I Feel Like a Woman! and ended with Rock This Country! This time, their positions were switched. Twain wasn’t ready to make wholesale changes for this long-awaited comeback tour, but Sunday night’s performance felt like a positive start to a new chapter in Twain’s decorated career.

http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/words-and-music/concert-review-shania-twain-at-the-bell-centre-june-28-2015

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

Let's go @TheGarden! #RockThisCountry

8:45 PM ET - 30 Jun 15

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Shania Twain rocks MSG: Sparkling set marks whopping farewell

By Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com | July 1, 2015 at 9:47 AM

New York — She's still the one.

Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood may be credited with the most recent blurring of pop and country lines, but Shania Twain is indisputably the queen of crossover.

Notching the best-selling country album of all time -- and launching most of its tracks into regular rotation on Top 40 radio stations -- deserves a tip of the 10-gallon hat. 

And Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, the lovely Canadian songstress and longstanding genre icon celebrated her success, as well as the bittersweet conclusion of her career as a touring artist. 

Twain, 49, has publicly said this roadshow, titled the Rock This Country tour, will be her last. If she holds to her word, at least she gave her fervent supporters one more chance to dance and sing to "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!" and "Come On Over." 

Tuesday night's concert was only the second U.S. show of the tour so far, as Twain just wrapped a 13-date stint Sunday north of the border. But with her newly blonde locks in tow, she seemed prepared for the long, American leg ahead and delivered an engaging and infectiously fun two-hour set for the big city crowd. 

Twain will ride into Newark July 7 for a date with Prudential Center and a new batch of loyals anticipating the brassy synth of "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!"

HIGHLIGHTS

- No, Twain has not toured in the traditional sense since the Up! tour in 2003 -- in support what's still her most recent album 13 years later -- but that's not to say she hasn't been performing. At Caesar's Palace, her three-year residency pumped out 105 shows, which featured virtually the same, crowd-pleasing set list as Tuesday's show, just re-ordered a bit.  

Consequently, Twain's purpose on this tour is certainly not to promote new material. It is meant to remind her '90s-nostalgic fans why they fell in love with her to begin with, and to produce a whopping sendoff as she heads for a quiet, family life and the land of "special guest" award show cameos. 

Tuesday's set absolutely achieved both objectives. Twain was endearing and gracious, thanking fans for their longtime support and unafraid to joke about her age. After spotting her grand-niece in the front row, Twain jabbed "who wears fishnets and has a great-niece?" 

But she was also the lively, commanding frontwoman who told the crowd early on: "This is my last go-around and I'm going to make the most of it." Strutting and bouncing in her shimmering mini-dresses and leather shorts, she was captain of the farewell party cruise on "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)" and her smash "That Don't Impress Me Much." Her platinum-white smile radiated throughout the venue -- she had a ton of fun up there.  

- Twain's production crew spared no expense in upping the visual "wow" factor and bolstering the singer's bon voyage. Fireworks and showy pyrotechnics accompanied many songs, and her seven backing musicians were constantly rearranged. She worked in two costume changes, and for the buoyant "Up!" Twain rode a leather-clad mechanical bull, which was attached to a huge steel arm that lifted her three stories high and swung out over the cheering crowd. Most everyone was able to get at least one good snapshot of her. Huge theater curtains were hung from the rafters for an acoustic session incorporating "You're Still The One" and the oldie "No One Needs To Know." Of course, this was a concert, but it was also a show -- there was much to see. 

- During "Any Man Of Mine," Twain traded the stage for a small, plexiglass cart and sang as roadies pulled her through the crowd and around the edge of the arena to greet her fans. The spectacle came with mixed emotions, like watching Wade Boggs ride the police horse around Yankee Stadium after winning the 1996 World Series. It was fantastic to watch the victory lap, but it signified the end of a sensational run. 

- Twain swung through nine tracks off 1997's "Come On Over," the genre's best-selling country album of all time (40 million copies worldwide) and country music's "Thriller" equivalent. Of the record's 12 singles -- 12 singles! -- the only ones she didn't touch were "When," "You've Got A Way" and "Holding On To Love." And for the ones she did revisit, the crowd never faltered. "From This Moment On" and the closer "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" were sweeping sing-alongs. 

THE SET LIST 

1. Rock This Country! 
2. Honey, I'm Home 
3. You Win My Love 
4. Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? 
5. I Ain't No Quitter 
6. Love Gets Me Every Time 
7. Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) 
8. Any Man of Mine 
9. I'm Gonna Getcha Good! 
10. Come on Over 
11. Party For Two (with Gavin DeGraw)
12. Up! 
13. Today Is Your Day 
14. No One Needs to Know 
15. You're Still the One 
16. From This Moment On 
17. That Don't Impress Me Much 
18. (If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!
    Encore:
19. Man! I Feel Like a Woman! 

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2015/07/shania_twain_at_msg_throwbacks_abound_on_final_tou.html

Shania Twain's Rock This Country Tour Brings Her Timeless Talent to MSG

By Kenneth Partridge | Billboard | July 1, 2015 11:35 AM EDT

Given all that’s changed over the last 10 years, both in her personal life and the corner of the pop universe she helped design, Shania Twain could’ve put together a very different farewell tour.

It’s called Rock This Country, her triumphant return to touring after 11 years away, and yet on Tuesday night, as the 49-year-old singer and songwriter once crowned the Queen of Country Pop took the stage at Madison Square Garden, it never felt like forced reclamation of the throne.

Sure, the concert began with Twain rising up from under the floor on a pedestal that shot 50 feet into the air. But once she came back to earth and started strutting and air-guitaring through “Rock This Country!” in a fringed black jacket and matching thigh-high boots, Shania was as playful and disarming a diva as she’s ever been.

Maybe she’s not worried about Taylor Swift or Kacey Musgraves or where she fits into a country landscape filled with bros and bad girls and talk of “tomatoes.” And for good reason: If and when Twain releases her long-awaited fifth album, it won’t feature any Kendrick Lamar guest verses, and it won’t be some anti-Nashville bid for rootsy credibility. It’ll be the same Shania that came through at the Garden -- one that never goes out of style.

Twain followed “Rock This Country!” with the fiddles ‘n’ fireworks of “Honey, I’m Home” -- in many ways a quintessential Shania jam. It goes from stomping Def Leppard verses (signposts of ex-husband and producer Mutt Lange) to more classically minded country. And by playfully flipping traditional gender roles, the lyrics reveal a flirty everyday feminism that is her trademark.

A couple of tunes later, on the honky-tonk-ska rave-up “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” Twain returned to another of her common songwriting themes: not suffering fools. The song has arguably taken on added significance following her divorce from Lange -- who reportedly had an affair with her best friend -- but here’s another thing Rock This Country isn’t: a “Coming Out of the Dark”-style celebration of overcoming adversity.

During the show, Twain made only passing reference to her divorce (she’s since remarried) and the vocal problems that kept her sidelined throughout the late ‘00s after she’d gone pop (on her terms) with 2002’s mega-selling chart-topper Up! One place she alluded to her struggles was just before “Up!” -- a tune she sang while circling the arena on a saddle affixed to a crane. It was splashy and a little hokey, also Shania hallmarks, and yet the flying saddle wasn’t quite the motorcycle she swooped down on night after night during the two-year Las Vegas residency that began her comeback in 2012.

There were a couple of other Vegas-style moments, like when the onstage video screen flashed clouds and moons as she sang her monster ballad “You’re Still the One,” which began as an a cappella showcase for her renewed vocal powers and went on to involve the entire audience. And then there were the costume changes -- each an opportunity for Twain to put on another long jacket or cloak that would inevitably be discarded in that tastefully sexy way she’s always favored. 

“Still the One” concluded a mini acoustic set that also featured “Today Is Your Day,” the inspirational comeback single Twain released in 2011. It wasn’t her strongest moment -- the background vocals verged on overpowering -- but when Twain introduced the song by calling music her “best friend,” it felt like the most genuine bit of stage banter from a show filled with the usual talk about how she came to party and have the best night ever.

“Man, I Feel Like a Woman!” -- an anthem for folks of all ages, genders, sexual preferences, races, whatever -- served as the natural encore finale, the only tune fit to follow arena-rocking set closers “That Don’t Impress Me Much!” and “If You’re Not In It For Love (I’m Outta Here).”

In her black-and-silver dominatrix/superhero outfit, Twain was, indeed, a super woman, leaping tall cultural discussion points (how a middle-aged woman is allowed to dress, what feminism looks and sounds like, at what point is a country-pop artist no longer be considered country) in a single bound. And she did so in tall boots only she’s fit to wear. 

Rock This Country MSG Set List

“Rock This Country!”
“Honey, I'm Home”
“You Win My Love”
“Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”
“I Ain't No Quitter”
“Love Gets Me Every Time
“Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)”
“Any Man of Mine”
“Ka-Ching!”
“I'm Gonna Getcha Good!”
“Come on Over”
“Party For Two” (with Gavin DeGraw)
“Up!”
“Today Is Your Day”
“No One Needs to Know”
You're Still the One”
“From This Moment On”
“That Don't Impress Me Much”
“(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!”

Encore:

“Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"

https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/6613212/shania-twain-rock-this-country-tour-msg-nyc-setlist

Shania Twain's Agent Says She Will 'Very Likely' Extend Her Tour Overseas

By Melinda Newman | Billboard | July 1, 2015 5:00 PM EDT

Shania Twain, who is on her first North American tour in a decade, will “very likely” take her outing overseas in 2016, a source close to the superstar tells Billboard.

“We’re busy exploring an international tour,” says Marc Dennis, Twain's agent at CAA Nashville. “I think next spring and summer you’ll see a fairly substantial international tour. I’m not so sure it will be 75 shows like this one in [North America], but it will be substantial.”

Dennis says the negotiations are ongoing for next year’s global swing. In the meantime, Twain is busy with her AEG-promoted Rock This Country tour in North America. The arena outing has already extended its North America portion with an additional 19 fall dates announced in May. The final date is now Oct. 11 in Toronto.

The North American tour, which will gross $75 million according to Dennis, follows Twain’s two-year residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The circuit, which is marketed as Twain’s last major tour, started June 5 in Seattle. Wes Mack opened the first portion; Gavin DeGraw took over the support role Monday (June 30) through Aug. 23.

Twain stressed in May that she is not retiring. “I will be doing music for sure until the day I die,” she told reporters in a conference call. “As much as I’m overdue for the touring, I’m overdue for new music.” Twain’s last full studio album was Up! in 2002. A new 2011 track, “Today Is Your Day” -- which was recorded as the theme for her OWN reality show, Why Not? With Shania Twain -- peaked at No. 36 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Earlier this year, Twain released Still The One: Live from Las Vegas, an 18-track CD and 25-track DVD, which bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/6613281/shania-twain-rock-this-country-overseas-tour

Would be awesome if she'd come to Europe! So I finally can show my mom why I went all the way to Vegas to see Shania live. If she comes to Europe, I'll make sure I'll get tickets. Got some money put aside for emergencies like this ;) .

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

Hi @MoheganSun.

5:02 PM ET - 3 Jul 15

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Concert Review: Shania Twain makes some noise at Mohegan Sun Arena

By Donnie Moorhouse | Special to The Republican | July 4, 2015 at 12:48 AM

UNCASVILLE - Never has an "unplugged" set been as welcomed as the one delivered by Shania Twain during her 90 minute set at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night.

The country star, coming off an 11 year touring hiatus, stepped back into the spotlight with her "Rock This Country" tour, a career-retrospective for the once-reigning queen of the genre.

It was a heavy-handed approach to a greatest hits performance, with pyrotechnics whizzing around a seven-piece band and Twain bleating out the songs. To be fair, she was in fine voice but the victim of a sound mix that was over the top, even for an arena setting.

She opened the show with "Rock This Country," rising out of a gap in the stage wearing rose-colored glasses and the first of three different costumes she would don during the night.

Sparks accompanied "Honey, I'm Home" and "You Win My Love," was borderline abrasive.

The shake and rattle in Twain's performance was by design. It was loud enough to shake loose some over-anxious pieces of confetti from the rafters which were meant to discharge at the end of the show.

The sound settled in for "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under," and introduced "Ain't No Quitter" a song she had yet to perform live in concert.

"I can feel you getting into it, it's coming," she said. "I need to carry on making a lot of noise."

She rode a chop-shop version of the Popemobile, pushed by roadies around the perimeter of the floor during "Any Man of Mine."

The band played through Twain's costume change and she returned to duet with opener Gavin DeGraw (who had no such sound issues during his opening set) for "Party for Two."

The unplugged mini-set came just in time, with the band fiddling through "This is Your Day," and Twain's best song of the night "No One Needs to Know."

Twain turned the microphone to the crowd for "Still the One," while the band plugged in to get ready for "From This Moment On."

The volume returned (yet now with a pristine mix) for a triumphant run to the close with "Don't Impress Me Much," and "(If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here," which closed the set. Twain encored with her signature "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," letting loose the confetti cannons on the crowd.

The highlight of DeGraw's strong opening set was the co-mingling of his hit "Not Over You" with Bryan Adams' "Heaven."

http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/07/concert_review_shania_twain_ma.html

From one of Shania's band members. I wonder if they sell these at the concert???

Jason Mowery @jason_mowery

Shania Rock This Country M&M's anyone?

4:47 PM ET - 7 Jul 15

http://twitter.com/jason_mowery

7 things you need to know about Shania Twain's 'Rock This Country Tour'

By John Serba | MLive.com | July 9, 2015 at 5:31 AM

Shania Twain recently joined the ranks of superstars embarking on high-profile "final" tours.

Cue the cynics, who will undoubtedly express their disbelief and cite the likes of KISS, Cher and Ozzy Osbourne, who all sold mountains of concert tickets teasing their retirements, only to double back and un-retire later. (Or Motley Crue, who signed a "cessation of touring" legal agreement as a publicity stunt in 2014; their tour stretches deep into 2015.) But Twain, speaking to reporters during a May conference call, seemed earnest in her intention to call it quits.

"The performance side of (music) is a phase in my life," she said. "I've been doing it for so long. I'll be 50 this year, and I've been on stage since I was eight years old. I've done my fair share."

The "Rock This Country Tour" launched June 5, and consists of 48 concerts, including stops at Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena July 11, and The Palace of Auburn Hills July 25. During the conference call, she promised big-yet-intimate live performances on the run, as well as a commitment to a refurbished career as a songwriter. Here are seven things you need to know about Shania's career, tour and life in 2015:

1. It's her last tour, but not the end of her career in music. "I'll be doing music until the day I die. I love music too much," she said. "It's time to do different things – I want to write more. I miss making records. I haven't made enough records in my career. ... I want to write songs for other artists that are coming up, and sit back and enjoy them, be part of their success. I''s a whole other exciting phase for me. I see it as an evolution in my career, really."

2. Her time away from the stage wasn't entirely her choice. She experienced a highly publicized health scare via dysphonia, an affliction of the voice box that not only threatened her singing, but her speaking voice as well. It can be a psychological affliction, and a few years ago, she cited the stress of her high-profile split with then-husband, music producer Mutt Lange, as a factor. (He reportedly had an affair with her close friend Marie-Anne Thiébaud; in 2011, Twain would re-marry, to Marie-Anne's ex-husband, Nestlé executive Frédéric Thiébaud.)

"I wasn't sure I was ever going to sing again," she said. "Initially, (I took the sabbatical in 2004) more so just for the break and to be a mom. The first few years after the tour were deliberately to concentrate on my son and my home. The shorter sabbatical became a long one, and the problem with my voice compounded.

"It was very, very scary. It went way beyond not being able to perform, beyond concerns for my career as a singer. It was a part of me I was losing, like losing a hand. I really thought that I had lost the voice that I knew. It was something I was having a terrible time coming to terms with. Before I gave up completely, I found the courage to tackle it and take it on. For a period I believed I would never sing again, and it was incredibly depressing. "

3. High-tech, but also small. In March, Twain announced her current string of dates, her first full-blown tour in 11 years. It follows a two-year, 105-show residency in Las Vegas, dubbed "Shania: Still the One." The venue she played, The Colosseum at Caesar's Palace, holds 4,300, and the singer says she wants to bring the small-room vibe to the arenas and sheds she's playing this summer, while still offering audiences a dynamic, modern, flashy stage show.

"What I've missed the most is the connection with the fans," she said. "The audiences (in Vegas) were very close to the stage, one of the luxuries I enjoyed. It was really cool to touch the people, mingle with them, and enjoy that theater environment. I thought, 'I have to do more of this. I want to do more of this.' ... It won't be as easy to do because of the scale of the rooms, but we're going to do it. It's part of the plan, and built into the production."

4. Expect a new album, maybe even this year. "On my days off, I'll be recording vocals or working on songwriting," she said. "I'm not going to get out much, working between the stage and the new album."

5. But don't anticipate any new songs in the current set. Not yet, at least. "There won't be any new music on the set list, at least at this point," she said. "Maybe by the end of the tour. I don't want to bore people with songs they don't know, either. When I go to a concert, I want to hear the songs that I know and have memories with. If it's close enough to when I'm going to release something, it would be fair to do one or two songs off the new album. If the album progresses quickly enough, I might put one or two new songs in, close to the end of the tour."

6. In other words, expect all the hits. "The music is bringing us back together," she said of her relationship with the audience. "It's a chance to reminisce and celebrate, and play all the hits that they know. A lot of the kids that were listening years ago are adults now, so it's exciting for me to be reunited with them."

7. Twain is taking a more personal approach with her songwriting efforts. She said she never stopped writing during her time off. "It's a creative outlet that I'd do wehter I was touring or recording or not," she said. "The spirit of the songs is very relatable, more communicative. They're not obscure or anything like that. I'm writing it all myself, with no other writer or producer directing it. So it's naturally going to give a different spirit to the music.

"It's very personalized songwriting, a very therapeutic process for me. I'm pouring my heart out in the music, literally in the lyrics, or in the melodies and chord progressions. It's been a great experience and I want to do more of it. I don't want to stop, just want to keep going. I could just do that – write music – and be very satisfied. I'm learning that about myself. I'm feeling less extroverted about my music, and more content just creating it."

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/07/7_things_you_need_to_know_abou_1.html

Shania pours out the fan favorites in return to touring

By Kellie B. Gormly | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | July 11, 2015, 12:01 a.m.

In one of the most delightful and memorable moments of Shania Twain's Friday concert, the Canadian country-pop singer played on the saying “getting back in the saddle” by, literally, mounting a saddle.

An extended leg of the stage at Consol Energy Center raised Twain into the air and, astride the saddle, she sang the uppity-up, happy hit “Up” while rotating over the audience.

The “Up!” performance was a metaphor for Twain who, after an 11-year break from touring, is embarking on her Rock This Country Tour, which she says is her final one. After she completes this tour, Twain says she will retire from concerts and focus just on songwriting and recording new music. But who knows? At almost 50, Twain is looking and sounding fabulous, and she sang every word like she meant it. Maybe she will change her mind in the future and return to the stage for encore touring.

In her almost 20-song set, Twain — who most recently spent two years performing at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas — gave us most of the fan favorites from the 1990s and early 2000s, when she became the crossover queen from country into rock/pop music.

Surprisingly, the show included extensive pyrotechnics, including showers of fireworks and even many full-bodied flames shooting from the stage in a technique usually reserved for hard-rock outdoor concerts.

Twain's multiple glittery, sensual outfits — which included thigh-boots and sequined bodices, complementing her sparkling red microphone — brought a Vegas touch to the show.

With a sometimes raspy voice that survived a throat illness and still sounds mostly great, Twain sang classics including the rip-roaring honkytonk dance songs “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” — backed by images of colorful boots on the stage screen — and the pre-encore finale with arguably Twain's biggest hit, “(If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here!”

Twain showed her more soulful side with an acoustic, self-strummed version of “You're Still the One,” and the powerful “From This Moment On,” a song accompanied by a smoky stage and backdrop.

The audience adored Twain and, according to a sign one fan held high, came from as far away as Thailand to see her perform. Other fans held up the red and white Canada flag to honor Twain's home country.

Twain sang “Happy Birthday” to two fans having birthdays in the audience, and the audience sang it back to her, since Twain turns 50 on Aug. 28. She interacted with the audience in a way that made people feel like they were in Twain's living room, even though they were crammed into a large venue with thousands of other fans.

During “Any Man of Mine,” Twain went out into the audience to shake people's hands, and during “(Don't Be Stupid) You Know I Love You,” she brought a woman from the audience onto the stage to sing with her.

“This is like a reunion,” Twain told the audience in between songs. “I could just talk to you all night.”

http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/8718469-74/twain-audience-stage

Concert review: Shania Twain flashy fun, but a musical featherweight

By John Serba | MLive.com | July 12, 2015 at 5:24 AM

REVIEW: 2 ½ OUT OF 4 STARS

What: Shania Twain with opening act Gavin DeGraw

When and where: July 11, 2015, Van Andel Arena Highlight: (Song name or describe a moment)

Length: 100 minutes for Twain, 40 for DeGraw

Attendance: Sold out (number not available)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" blared out of the Van Andel Arena speakers as the lights went down. The audience roared. From below the stage rose Shania Twain, clutching a metallic-red microphone to match her lipstick and sparkling minidress, accessorizing with rose-colored glasses and leather fringe from here to February.

As the erector-set platform lifted her above the heads of her backing band, they launched "Rock This Country!" – Twain's exclamation point, not mine – re-establishing the Canadian singer as new-country royalty after a decade-long absence from the touring circuit. It's a statement we've heard before from Twain, who crossed over long and hard and fast during the 1990s and early 2000s, and now returns to remind us of the pre-hick-hop era, a kinder, gentler, less embarrassing time.

She has nothing new to say; the current slew of dates, which she's calling her last, is a greatest-hits tour, a nostalgic run-through of her signature tunes before she says goodbye to the stage. The opening number, however, also set the baseline for a show that delivered plenty of visual flair, but lacked musical oomph. Her voice was thin, the sound mix lacked dynamic and her seven-piece backup band was a faceless unit, notable only for one of the three guitarists playing a flying-V lap-steel, a reminder of how they can, you know, rock the ol' country.

The evening's fourth song was one of Twain's signature hot-sass tracks, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" (see also: "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)" and "That Don't Impress Me Much"). It's the perfect type of number to bat clean-up, a sizzler with a big hook, but like many of her performances of big hits Saturday night, it lacked sonic punch. The choruses blended into the arrangements when they should pop like fireworks.

Truth is, the specter of her former husband and producer, Mutt Lange – the man who pushed AC/DC to stadiums, turned Def Leppard into hit-producing robots and rendered Twain a multi-genre superstar - hangs over the songs like a big, bland fog of homogeneity. Lange's first co-writing credit with Twain was "Boots," ironic considering his footwear reportedly ended up under another woman's bed. But, evidenced by the rose-colored glasses, Twain has moved on, and so should we.

The crowd, eager to love Twain, didn't seem to mind, and sang along loudly and contentedly. She reciprocated the love verbally, and by singing "Any Man of Mine" from a rolling platform pulled around the periphery of the venue by roadies, slapping hands and leaning into the crowd for fan photos. Earlier, a gentleman in the front row gave the singer a massive bouquet of flowers; she nearly mooned half the sold-out arena when she crouched to give him the microphone, into which he revealed that he's 93 years old.

Twain also handed the reins to the audience for her acoustic performance of "You're Still the One," letting fans carry the chorus. Her voice sounded best with less accompaniment - her three-song acoustic mini-set also featured "Today is Your Day," an emotional affirmation that works best presented without the pyro, flashpots, digital-video presentation and other gimmicks punctuating the likes of "(If You're Not in it for Love) I'm Outta Here!" and "Honey, I'm Home"; for "Up!" she rode a mechanical bull, albeit the non-bucking variety, primarily because it was on the end of a rotating extension crane that lifted her above the crowd.

She also brought out opening act Gavin DeGraw to duet with her on "Party for Two," which she originally recorded with Mark McGrath or Billy Currington, depending on what radio-format you listened to in the '90s. DeGraw's 40-minute set featured tight, skillfully executed vanilla pop made an even lighter shade of pale by a cover of Billy Joel's "Big Shot," and by sandwiching "Not Over You" within references to Bryan Adams' "Heaven." DeGraw is best known for the hit "I Don't Want to Be," which features an irrepressible descending melody during its chorus, and the song proved to be just as infectious live.

Unsurprisingly, Twain upheld her status as a pop star with plenty of style but not a lot of musical meat on the bones. After a mid-set costume change, she rose out of the stage and yelled "Let's go!" as the band mushed into "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!", another mildly underwhelming performance boosted by the singer's strut and a high-wattage light show. Truth is, no one was gonna get got unless they wanted to. That's not a bad thing, considering Twain's cheery accessibility and the swagger she brought to show-closing encore number "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!", during which she wore an armored, high-and-low-cut leotard rendering her a country-rock dominatrix. It's hard not to expect a little more such attitude from Twain and volume from her cohorts. It'd be much more rock 'n' roll that way.

Note: Shania Twain will play the Palace of Auburn Hills July 25, 2015

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/07/concert_review_shania_twain_he.html

matteotempo wrote:

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Tommy, why the tour attendances aren't available yet? I'd like to know if she sold out any shows

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I haven't seen any attendance numbers posted anywhere. Venues Today's Hot Ticket page used to post all of Shania's Vegas show attendances but they haven't posted any numbers for her "Rock This Country" tour. The concert review posted above says the concert was sold out in Grand Rapids on Saturday night.

If anyone finds a website that has Shania's concert sales & attendance let me know. In addition to Venues Today, I already checked www.pollstar.com and www.tourintel.com.

Kenaibull wrote:

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Tommy wrote:

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ROCK THIS COUNTRY TOUR BOXSCORE (June 5-30)

 

KeyArena, Seattle, Wash., June 5, 2015 - Sales: $1,123,180 - Attendance: 11,428 / Capacity: 11,428 - Shows: 1 [SOLD OUT]

 

Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 7, 9, 2015 - Sales: $2,436,050 - Attendance: 26,418 / Capacity: 26,418 - Shows: 2 [SOLD OUT]

 

Rexall Place, Edmonton, Alberta, June 11-12, 2015 - Sales: $2,709,440 - Attendance: 26,892 / Capacity: 26,892 - Shows: 2 [SOLD OUT]

 

SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, June 14, 2015 - Sales: $1,271,280 - Attendance: 12,927 / Capacity: 12,927 - Shows: 1 [SOLD OUT]

 

MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 15, 2015 - Sales: $1,145,700 - Attendance: 11,265 / Capacity: 11,265 - Shows: 1 [SOLD OUT]

 

Budweiser Gardens, London, Ontario, June 19-20, 2015 - Sales: $1,977,840 - Attendance: 16,901 / Capacity: 16,901 - Shows: 2 [SOLD OUT]

 

FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, June 22, 2015 - Sales: $1,375,830 - Attendance: 13,197 / Capacity: 13,197 - Shows: 1 [SOLD OUT]

 

Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, June 24-25, 2015 - Sales: $2,819,350 - Attendance 29,259 / Capacity: 29,259 - Shows: 2 [SOLD OUT]

 

Wesley Clover Field, Ottawa, Ontario, June 27, 2015 - Sales: $1,672,780 - Attendance: 18,426 / Capacity: 18,426 - Shows: 1 [SOLD OUT]

 

Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, June 28, 2015 - Sales: $1,380,360 - Attendance: 14,141 / Capacity: 14,141 - Shows: 1 [SOLD OUT]

 

Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y., June 30, 2015 - Sales: $1,425,847 - Attendance: 12,395 / Capacity: 12,395 - Shows: 1 [SOLD OUT]

 

**TOTAL SALES: $19,337,657**
**TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 193,249**
**TOTAL SHOWS: 15 [ALL SOLD OUT]**

 

http://www.billboard.com/biz/current-boxscore

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 I am very happy to see that she is selling out. Yes she grossed nearly $20 million, but how much of that does she get to "pocket"? I hope she gets as much as she possibly can! However, after expenses, taxes, and "agent fees" are taken out, I would be surprised if she even saw $2 million. 

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 i don't see your point. That goes the same for every single big time artist, And i am sure before Shania went on tour she figured out what she would be taking home lol to make it worth her while, she is not stupid. But why do you care what Shania takes home? She is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and didn't need to tour.  I just don't care what money any artist takes home, Shania is very rich and we don't have to worry about her.  I am glad she is doing well though.

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

I'm throwing a party at @jaxevents tonight, who's coming? #RockThisCountry

6:16 PM ET - 15 Jul 15

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

With nothing to prove, Shania lets it rip Wednesday night in Jacksonville

By Tom Szaroleta | Florida Times-Union | July15, 2015 @ 11:33 pm

Shania Twain doesn’t have a new album to promote. No TV show or CMT special or movie to push. No real reason at all for going out on what is reportedly her final tour.

That sets her free to do pretty much anything she wants, to really let rip with all her hits and not worry about playing the stuff nobody wants to hear anyway.

Wednesday night at a packed Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, she did just that. For nearly two hours she threw a party, complete with fireworks and flamethrowers and laser beams and confetti cannons.

She hasn’t toured in more than a decade (unless you count a couple of years of shows in Las Vegas), but she sure didn’t seem rusty on Wednesday night. She was all over the stage — all over the arena, in fact, thanks to a wheeled mini-stage that she rode in a complete circuit of the floor, pushed by burly security guards — for the whole night, high kicking and tossing her hair and leaning back to hit those really big notes she’s famous for.

Her voice was often muddled and sometimes drowned out by her seven-piece band on Wednesday. But when the band quieted down during the slow numbers and during a short acoustic set midway through the show, it became clear that Twain’s still got it. When she needs to, she can still toss in a in a hiccup or a plaintive wail or one of those curious warbles that are all over her biggest hits. She was particularly good on an acoustic take on “You’re Still the One.”

Back in her ‘90s heyday, she was often criticized by country fans for being too pop, which is kind of ironic when you consider what passes for country today. There certainly were pop overtones to parts of her show on Wednesday, but there’s no question that it was a country show (what else could you call “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”). Two fiddlers (three on at least one song) and a pedal-steel guitar will do that. And if there were any doubts at all, they were settled when a red-fringed saddle rose out of the stage on the end of a crane and carried her in a big circle out over the crowd.

Her set was heavy on hits from the ‘90s, when she dominated the country and pop charts — “You Win My Love,” “Any Man of Mine,” “Come on Over,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “(If You’re Not In In for Love) I’m Outta Here!” — many of which have big, heavy beats perfect for playing really loud in an arena.

Her band, all dressed in black, showed a lot of versatility, jumping from one instrument to another with each new song — guitars, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, pedal steel and keyboards. They also had to keep the crowd going during three costume changes.

They played on just about the most complicated stage imaginable. Pieces would rise and shift and slide so that, from song to song, it sometimes seemed as if you were watching on TV and someone switched the channel.

Gavin DeGraw opened the show with a pleasant enough 40 minute set, but he was an odd choice as an opening act because there is nothing even a little bit country about him. He’s a piano-playing rocker whose style didn’t really translate into a big arena setting. He might be great headlining his own show in a smaller theater, but he seemed out of place opening for a big country star on an arena tour.

http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/music/2015-07-15/story/nothing-prove-shania-lets-it-rip-wednesday-night-jacksonville