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Meet Bastian Baker, Shania Twain’s Opening Act

By Jordan Kopsky | Grand Rapids Magazine | July 17, 2018

It’s only been seven years since Swiss singer Bastian Baker met Shania Twain at the Montreux Jazz Festival. She loved his music and they became friends. Today, Baker is the opening act for her world tour, NOW. The tour visits Van Andel Arena on Wednesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. GR|MAG had a chance to talk with Baker ahead of the performance.

GR|MAG: You’re from Switzerland. How was it growing up there?

Bastian Baker: Growing up in Switzerland, I can only tell you amazing things. I grew up on the lakeside with two loving parents, two beautiful sisters. Switzerland is an awesome country. It’s organized, clean, pure air. I’ve got a glacier half an hour away from where I lived. We spent the summer on the lake, we skied in the winter. It’s great food, great people. It’s a little piece of heaven in Europe. I really, really like Switzerland. It’s still my favorite place on Earth.

GR|MAG: How has America been?

BB: It’s been really good to me. I’ve always loved coming here. I started coming by myself or with friends or for business six or seven years ago. It was mostly at first New York or LA, and then I discovered Nashville, where I spend a lot of time now.

Thanks to this tour now, I’m seeing literally every part of the U.S. I have to say the audience is my favorite so far. They just respond so well to my music and it’s so much fun to just play every night and interact with those people.

GR|MAG: How is being on tour with Shania Twain?

BB: Opening for Shania Twain is definitely a dream come true. Because when I was a kid, I wanted to play music in every arena in the world. She and I met seven years ago in Switzerland because that’s where she lives. We actually live about 10 minutes away from each other. I was playing a little showcase before [The Montreux Jazz Festival] at one of their private events and Shania Twain was there and apparently, she liked my music. They invited me for lunch and we had the best time, and from this moment, we are really good friends. She kind of became a mentor for me.

And when she started thinking about going back on tour, I said, ‘Hey, if you need someone to open for you, you know I’ll just come with me and my guitar, it’s not a big deal. We can have fun and be like a little family on tour.’ And that sounded good and here we are and so far, it’s been amazing. We travel together, we play this duet every night that is so much fun, and I get to play in front of an amazing crowd and get exposure. I can only say great things about her.

GR|MAG: How did that make you feel knowing that she liked your music?

BB: See it’s a very interesting thing because I knew about her but I just knew a couple of songs and I didn’t know about the 100 millions of records sold and the Grammy’s at first. I got introduced to her and was told a Canadian singer wants to meet you and I didn’t freak out and I didn’t think ‘oh my God, I really have to be her friend.’ I didn’t see the potential behind that. I think that’s why we clicked. I was just being myself, my dad was with me . . . It’s just always been nice and easy. I’m getting to know her through my experience with her.

GR|MAG: How did you get into singing? I know that you were a hockey player before.

BB: I actually started both things at the same time. I was seven years old when I started playing the guitar and I was seven years old when I started playing hockey. I kind of have always done the two things at the same time. I always had this need of writing, this need of performing.

GR|MAG: What made you want to pursue music instead of hockey?

BB: The hockey thing was more of a family thing. My dad used to play. I was pretty good at it and it was pretty promising and then this music thing was this unexpected thing that I was doing. I kept on doing it and then I got discovered and that’s when I realized I had a real opportunity to make this dream my job. I’ve been working really hard every day knowing that I’m one of the lucky ones.

GR|MAG: In your own words, how would you describe your music?

BB: I think my music is a crossing of many different genres. My music varies from pop to folk to a little touch of country. I think maybe it’s a Swiss thing. We have four different national languages and a lot of different cultures. I’ve never felt like I had to be stuck in one particular genre.

GR|MAG: What has been the best thing about touring? You mentioned you get to visit all of these different places.

BB: There’s many great things about touring. As I said, discovering new places and I’m a very curious person so I’ll always try to make the most out of my stay. The best thing about it is I get to play music every day.

GR|MAG: Do you ever get nervous before a performance?

BB: I’m rarely nervous. It’s really helpful. I just love to go up there, I know what I’m doing. I just love to be on stage and do my thing . . . I always try to tell myself to always make everything the best memory I can.

GR|MAG: What has been the highlight of your year so far?

BB: I guess it was in January when I had Shania’s husband on the phone and he confirmed to me that I was going to be on the world tour and was going to do all 80 shows. It was a start of a very promising year. That phone call really made a change in what my year was going to be.

GR|MAG: Do you have any advice for those wanting to achieve their dream, no matter what it is?

BB: The cheesy stuff is actually true. You really gotta believe in yourself. If someone tells you no, it doesn’t mean it’s not going to work. You have to do what you do for the right reasons. If you want to be a musician, it’s because you want to play music and bring people together. Do it because you want to do it.

https://www.grmag.com/2018/07/17/meet-bastian-baker-shania-twains-opening-act/

Shania Twain defends her crown as queen of country pop

By Marie Fazio | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | July 18, 2018

As the crowd at PPG Paints Arena buzzed with excitement before the show began last night, loud beats of a drum reverberated from a small stage in the middle of the arena floor.

It came from drummer Elijah Wood, who, with body flailing and blonde hair flying, alerted the packed arena that the queen of country pop had arrived. All heads turned as Shania Twain descended the stairs in the back of the arena, clad in a glittering gown, stilettos, a beaming smile and naturally, a cowboy hat. She took her time greeting and hugging fans as she made her way through the sea of fans to the front stage.

The last time Shania Twain graced the stage in Pittsburgh was in 2015, on her “Rock This Country” tour, which she announced at the time as her farewell tour. Three years and a new album later — “Now” was released in September — it’s obvious that the farewell didn’t stick, fortunately for Shania Twain fans everywhere. In the last 10 years, Twain has been through a lot to say the least — a cheating husband, a divorce, a lost voice — but the raw, energetic performance she gave last night proved that the queen isn’t about to relinquish her reign.

The show was an emotional one. Several times, Twain, 52, spoke of her fans as her source of inspiration and seemed to be almost choked up.

“Life has a lot of ups and downs,” she said, climbing stairs to a cube on stage which lifted her high into the air to perform “Up!” “Right now I just want to stay positive in saying that there’s nowhere but up from here.”

Twain’s songs, particularly “Poor Me,” gave the audience an insight into her pain, but her resilience and ability to create vocal magic out of a worst nightmare rang clear through it all.

Her pity party didn’t last long as the recognizable fiddle from “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)” cut through the air amid cheers. Her versatility as a singer and dancer was on full display. Throughout the show she effortlessly went from country line-dancing to hip swaying and shimmying to dramatic rock ’n’ roll, complete with multiple outfit changes, including her signature top hat and heeled boots.

Armed with a cowboy hat for heavier country numbers such as “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under,” she proved herself in flashier performances while flanked by six backup dancers as well as intimate solos. It was in those vulnerable, emotional songs, such as “From This Moment On,” that she seemed to make the deepest audience connection, as the crowd swayed and sang along. And, of course, there was lots of sparkle and glam through it all.

She performed several songs from her new album, which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart in 2017, including the fun, summery “Swingin’ With My Eyes Closed.” She excitedly called attention to the fans who sang along to every word of the new songs.

For “More Fun,” from her new album, her male dancers performed what she called a “Magic Mike but better” number. Her dance crew followed precise choreography at times and at others seemed to freestyle alongside her.

The mood of the show was guided by both Twain’s energetic crew and the large, moving cubes on stage, with screens at all sides. The cubes lifted her and backup dancers high into the air, creating a multidimensional effect. Behind her, the screens changed, displaying a pop-art eye-catching display, then cheetah print, then transforming into giant speakers. Gray tones on the cubes matched the somber, emotional mood of “Poor Me,” while fiery red accompanied “Man, I Feel Like a Woman.”

After a brief stint at the small stage in the middle of the arena floor, she enlisted the help of three extremely excited female fans in their early 20s before before sending them off with a hug and a selfie.

Older hits had the audience, which was mostly female — but not by much –- singing along, dancing and embodying the fun, free, empowered message that Twain proclaims in her songs. During her performance of “Party For Two” she was joined by opener Bastian Baker.

As she ended with energetic renditions of two of her most popular songs, “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” and “Rock this Country,” Twain showed the crowd that though she might have experienced a lot of life changes since she last released new music, nothing really has changed. She still has an incredible voice, is here for a good time and loves her fans.

In one of the most memorable moments from her set, Twain floated in a guitar case across the crowd while crooning “Soldier.” Before launching into “You’re Still the One” — which was released 20 years ago — she addressed the crowd:

“This is our reunion song,” she said. “Pittsburgh, you’re still the one.”

During his own set, Baker, a Switzerland native, held his own on stage. His aesthetic — he wore a black T-shirt and sang accompanied by only his guitar — was simple, yet commanding. This was Baker’s first time in Pittsburgh, though he previously opened for Twain on the final two stops of her Rock This Country Tour in 2011. As a 13-year former hockey player, he told the crowd that it was “pretty awesome” to play where Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin “make the magic happen.” At this, the crowd went wild. Introducing each of his songs with playful banter, Baker ran the crowd through a few of his numbers including “Love on Fire,” “Follow the Wind” and “Leaving Tomorrow,” as well as an admirable cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2018/07/18/Shania-Twain-defends-her-crown-as-queen-of-country-pop/stories/201807180109

Bastian Baker: Born for the Arena

This Swiss superstar is Opening Up for Shania Twain on Tour, and Breaking Hearts While He Does It

By Thomas Burns Scully | Pop Dust | July 18, 2018

If you go to see Shania Twain this summer on the Shania NOW tour, you're going to get the extravaganza you're hoping for. Light shows, a powerful backing band, and hit after hit after hit. But you are also going to be introduced to an artist and his guitar. Before the bells and whistles of the Canadian superstar's pop-country bacchanal begin, a man stands before the audience. Using just a few chords and a voice handed down by some deity or other, he whips the crowd in to a frenzy. That man is Bastian Baker, and you want to know his name.

Already well known in his home country of Switzerland, Baker has been releasing catchy material since the very beginning of his career. His first hit "Lucky," came out of nowhere. Both for him, and the world at large. "I remember I was playing music for some friends at a birthday party when I was first approached about recording my songs," says Baker, "I cut a single and sent it out to some radio stations just hoping to get a bit of feedback, but instead they all added it to their high rotation playlists." Since then he has been touring, writing, and constantly developing new material. Whilst he plays with his band when touring solo, the acoustic guitar is still so often at the core of what he does. To that extent that he is able to captivate a stadium full of people with just that and not much else.

His stage persona catches you off guard. From pictures of him you expect a brooding, moody, leather-clad bad boy, but instead you get a disarmingly charming, genuinely likable chap with an impish sense of humor. He teases the crowd relentlessly, "That was my first song… and now I'm going to play… my second song." Even faking out ending his set, telling the crowd to get excited for Shania Twain, and then putting on the breaks and making them wait whilst he plays two more songs. "I like to joke around," he says in conversation. More than that though, he can go from those light moments of levity to a heartfelt rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in the blink of an eye, without it feeling unnatural. Ascending comedy and tragedy without missing a beat. It's as if he was born to play stadiums.

Whilst on tour with Twain he has been putting his time off to good use, often laying down vocals in the studio prior to playing shows. "You never know when your voice is going to be good," he says, "and I think it gives the music a different feeling." His new songs certainly do feel like they've evolved. Whilst he can captivate an audience self-accompanied, his new single "All Around Us" is a highly produced pop anthem, bringing a message of love. "It's a positive song. It encourages everyone to look at the bright side, the positives." However, there's something else lying in this piece of work. Almost a political edge.

The song features the line "Let the love be great again" which carries echoes of another well-worn slogan. When asked, Baker confesses "At first we wanted to say 'Make Love Great Again'," an act of subversion in his often all-appealing persona, though he does go on to add, humorously, "but then we realized… 'Make Love'… You see what I mean? It wasn't what we were trying to say." The song carries a through line of affection, generosity, and a spirit of shared humanity, it's titular hook easily translatable to a large crowd. "It's more like a ballad at the moment. With just me on guitar," with a glimpse behind the scenes he adds, "But I've rehearsed it with my band back in Switzerland, and it's definitely going later in the set when we do it at festivals… when I played it at [a party] last night everyone was singing the hook." Stay tuned for that spectacle.

So, when you book your tickets to see Shania Twain this summer, be aware of one thing: you're in for a treat. And not just for the reasons you think. In addition to seeing a living legend, you will also be watching a legend in the making. The bastion of talent, that is Bastian Baker. Get to enjoying his work now, because before too long, his success, like the chorus line of his next hit… will be all around us.

https://www.popdust.com/bastian-baker-shania-twain-barclays-2587855429.html

Shania Twain delivers glitz, glam and a dash of country in Grand Rapids tour stop

Country-pop superstar Shania Twain made a grand entrance at Van Andel Arena, then unleashed a spectacle that was flamboyant as well as fan-interactive.

By Katlin Merby | Local Spins | July 19, 2018 

West Michigan’s Van Andel Arena could be the ideal venue for Canada’s Shania Twain.

After all, the country-pop superstar hails from neighboring Ontario and she made it clear Wednesday during her Grand Rapids tour stop that she always feels very much at home in the United States.

She even performed a short tribute number dedicated to U.S. soldiers and veterans. And she also made it clear that her focus is always on her audience.

“You’re making my night Grand Rapids,” she said while quite out of breath halfway through her set. “You are my inspiration and you are the show.”

Twain, who made a grand entrance through that audience to take the stage at the beginning of the night, encouraged sing-alongs, especially urging fans to “light up” the arena to accompany her on a rendition of the 1998 Top 10 hit, “You’re Still The One.”

She did it all in less-than-ordinary fashion: singing and playing while being suspended in the air on a chair that was a comfortable version of a guitar case. Afterward, Twain went into the audience to take some selfies with kids and then brought up an 18-year-old boy and couple on stage (who she thought were extremely well dressed).

With more than 90 million albums sold worldwide, Twain’s set reflected her overwhelming popularity as a recording artist, with selections ranging from her multi-platinum-selling 1995 album, “The Woman in Me,” to 2017’s “Now.”

The evening began with Swiss country singer-songwriter Bastian Baker, who helped get the crowd into that interactive mood that Twain enjoys. Amid simple lighting and a spare stage, Baker’s confident set proved that nothing else was needed. The singer told stories about almost every song, bringing humor to the set as well.

He later returned to the stage to join Twain for “Party for Two” near the end of her two-hour performance — a show that weaved in elements of the pop realm and country music, enhanced by an elaborate stage set, video backdrop, lasers and backup dancers.

The evening wrapped up with the crowd favorites, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” and “Rock This Country” — with the entire audience, of course, singing along.

SET LIST: Shania Twain at Van Andel Arena
1. Life’s About to Get Good
2. Come On Over
3. Up!
4. Poor Me
5. Don’t Be Stupid
6. That Don’t Impress Me Much
7. Let’s Kiss and Make Up
8. Any Man of Mine
9. Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?
10. Honey I’m Home
11. I’m Alright
12. Soldier
13. You’re Still the One
14. More Fun
15. From This Moment
16. I’m Gonna Getcha Good
17. Party for Two (with Bastian Baker)
18. Swinging With My Eyes Closed
19. I’m Outta Here
20. Man! I Feel Like a Woman!
21. Rock This Country

https://localspins.com/shania-twain-delivers-glitz-glam-and-a-dash-of-country-in-grand-rapids-tour-stop/

Will it be a 90 min show of all Shania?

Jessica wrote:

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Will it be a 90 min show of all Shania? 

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Her Brazil concert will probably be very similar to her concerts now. Around 2 hours.

Mid Year 2018 North American Female Tours:

#1 Pink, $96 million (46 shows)
#2 Taylor Swift, $74 million (10 shows)
#3 Shania Twain, $25 million (26 shows)
#4 Jennifer Lopez, $23 million (37 shows)
#5 Demi Lovato, $20 million (20 shows)

https://twitter.com/ToursCharts/status/1020717579885862914

***I don't know where they got the 26 concert boxscores from. I've still only found 9 concerts on Billboard's website.

http://shaniasupersite.com/shania_tour_now-stats.html

Ashley Eicher @ashleyeicher

The one & only @ShaniaTwain raising her glass to songwriters & the creative community in Nashville at a pre-party for her #Nashville show❤️👏 @BrdgstoneArena

VIDEO - https://twitter.com/ashleyeicher/status/1020847463878578176

9:46 PM ET - 21 Jul 18

http://twitter.com/ashleyeicher

Shania Twain brings hit-filled, Broadway-meets-Vegas spectacle to Nashville

By Cindy Watts | Nashville Tennessean | July 22, 2018 

Shania Twain fans jumped to their feet and excitedly whipped their heads around the still-lit Bridgestone Arena Saturday night when the music started. Twain’s drummer Elijah Wood — a rock-solid, captivating player — pounded out a rhythm from the b-stage at the back of the arena’s floor. The spotlights hit Twain, her sequined gown sparkling, as she made her way to the stage by walking through the audience shaking hands with fans. When she arrived at the venue’s main platform, the curtain dropped and riotous applause erupted from the audience as she launched her two-hour set with “Life’s About to Get Good.”

It was an unconventional opening for a country music concert — starting the show by personally greeting the crowd seated mid-way up the side of the arena. Many of her fans knew what was coming — a giveaway to just how many had previously seen the Shania Now Tour. But nothing about Twain has ever been conventional. Fans expect a spectacle, and with steamy dancers, a flying guitar case, electrified suits, vibrant airborne multimedia screen cubes and more, Saturday night’s concert didn’t disappoint.

What you missed

1. The backstage toast: Before the show, Twain greeted members of Nashville’s music community along with up-and-coming female country singers Cassadee Pope and Jillian Jacqueline. She raised her glass to the young women, saying: "I know there’s a lot of new, up-and-coming talent in this room. I want to congratulate you just for getting to the place where you are. Finding your way in Nashville is a challenge. It’s difficult for any artist.”

Twain went on to explain she planned to return to Nashville in August to film her new show, “Real Country,” and said she was “so excited about this phase of being part of the nurturing of new talent” in country music.

2. The hits: Twain’s 21-song set list included “Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)," “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?," “Honey, I’m Home," “You’re Still the One," “From This Moment On," “Party for Two” (with opening act Bastian Baker) and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”

Each hit was an instant sing-along with fans bouncing and dancing in the aisles. They screamed appreciation at the end of each song and with more than half-a-dozen outfit changes over the course of the concert, many of the songs had their own distinct looks. There were several nods to Twain’s love of leopard print, many caped body suits and, of course, her signature top hat in “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”

3. The new songs: Twain didn’t shy away from performing new songs from her latest album “Now.” The singer launched the show with new song “Life’s About to Get Good” and over the course of the night delivered “Poor Me," “More Fun," “Soldier,” “Let’s Kiss and Make Up,” “Up!” and “Swingin’ with My Eyes Closed.” Knowing that many fans don’t have the same attachment to her latest material as they do her previous hits, Twain’s production value on her freshest material was on-point to ensure the audience was enthralled. 

“Let’s Kiss and Make Up” made use of a kiss cam, and Twain’s husband came down front to smooch with her on the big screen.  

4. The flying guitar case: One of the evening’s most picturesque moments came when Twain slid into a guitar case that had been reworked into a seat. Attached to cables, the case carrying Twain was lifted high over the audience, slowly moving toward the back of the arena as she sang “Soldier.” When she arrived at the satellite stage, Twain was temporarily lowered to pick up her acoustic guitar. Once she was back in the air, the singer asked fans to light up the arena. She delivered “You’re Still the One” perched in the case over the crowd bathed in the glow of cell phone lights. 

5. The dancers: Twain was always the center of attention, but her dancers helped turn the concert into an experience by executing Broadway-meets-Vegas choreography in nearly every song. 

The men outfitted in tight jeans danced with life-sized cowgirls made of springs in “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” They ripped their shirts open and used chairs as props in “Poor Me.” A male and female dancer delivered an interpretative routine on the satellite stage during “Soldier.” The squad of performers danced in the dark wearing suits trimmed in lights during “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!” and incorporated drums, theatrically pounding out rhythms, in “(If You’re Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!.”  The encore — “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “Rock This Country” — included such athletic, fast-paced choreography that the men were heaving breaths as confetti rained from the ceiling.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/07/22/shania-twain-brought-broadway-meets-vegas-style-show-bridgestone/815579002/

Shania Twain @shaniatwain

Post Nashville tour bus instagram session - thank you for all the incredible photos of the shows! I love seeing the tour through your eyes. 😘 #ShaniaNOW

2:16 AM ET - 22 Jul 18

http://instagram.com/shaniatwain

Shania Twain Talks Comeback Ahead of Nashville Concert

By Gayle Thompson | Pop Culture | July 23, 2018

Shania Twain took the stage at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, July 21 as part of her current Now Tour, singing several of her biggest hits, including "That Don't Impress Me Much," "Man! I Feel Like a Woman," "From This Moment On," and more. But equally significant is what Twain said before the show, addressing a small crowd ahead of her performance.

"I hope you enjoy the show and it's the best night of your life," said the Canadian. "I always think that way when I go out there every night, and it never ceases to amaze me how much fun I have. By the end of the show I'm like, 'Yes! This is the best night I've ever had.' It just feels really good to share new music with the fans, new music with you."

Twain also touched on her difficult comeback, including a painful – and public – divorce from Mutt Lange, and her battle with dysphonia, a vocal disorder Twain believes she contracted after being diagnosed with Lyme disease. 

"It took a lot of preparation obviously, to get off of my butt, and a lot of courage to get up there and do it," Twain concedes."It's a really good journey to start from one place, and end up in the ultimate, which is hearing people singing along and having a lot of fun. That's why we do this."

Artists like Cassadee Pope and Jillian Jacqueline were in attendance, along with her opening act, Bastian Baker, prompting Twain to offer her own words of wisdom to the rising stars.

"I know there's a lot of new, up-and-coming talent in this room," Twain said. "I want to congratulate you, first of all, just for getting to this place where you are, mainly with the industry, as finding your way in Nashville, which is a challenge. It's difficult for any artist. I'm coming back in August to shoot Real Country, and I'm so excited about this phase of just being part of the nurturing of new talents. And not necessarily new talent.

"Listen, by the time I made it in Nashville, I was not new," she continued. "I had started in bars at the age of eight years old, so I know that none of you that are here just came out of the blue. You're all talented. I'm just really looking forward to being a part of the community that has for so long nurtured and supported great talent, great song-writing talent. I'm an advocate for that. You don't have to be a songwriter, but I just feel like that is at the root of everything we do in country music, and we have to keep that going. We have to keep nurturing songwriting and the truth, and telling our own story through our music."

It's Twain's passion for helping developing talent that drew her to Real Country in the first place.

"Whether that means collaborating or going on your own, or whatever it is, I look forward to being a part of that development, and to meeting great new talent," she said. "I see Nashville as the great place and foundation of music history, and the development has been so incredible over the years, and through my career. It is just so exciting to know that there is an incredible future that will make history over and over again here in Nashville, Tenn."

Real Country will air this fall on the USA Network. Find a list of all of Twain's upcoming shows at ShaniaTwain.com.

http://popculture.com/country-music/2018/07/23/shania-twain-talks-comeback-nashville-concert/

Review: Shania Twain Seizes the Moment, Pays Tribute to Past on Now Tour

Country superstar delivers hits in Nashville, but makes room for the empowering songs of her second act

By Hunter Kelly | Rolling Stone | July 23, 2018

Shania Twain entered Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Saturday night walking through the crowd like a prizefighter headed to the ring. The capacity crowd erupted at the sight of the pop-country royal as a drummer in the middle of the floor pounded out the rhythm to Queen’s jock jam “We Will Rock With You.” That incessant beat bled into the bouncy opening of Twain’s own personal victory song, “Life’s About to Get Good,” as she took the stage and stood triumphantly to perform the track off her 2017 comeback album Now.

It was a victorious moment that wasn’t possible on either her 2015 Rock This Country Tour or during her residency in Las Vegas earlier this decade, which marked Twain’s return to the public eye after battling vocal issues and going through a high-profile divorce from husband and musical partner Mutt Lange. While the concerts proved Twain still had the stage presence and voice to present her greatest hits, the question remained if she’d be able to add any new music to her record-breaking pop-country canon without Lange behind the mixing board.

The release of Now, Twain’s first studio album in 15 years, put those concerns to rest with a mixture of the high-energy fare her fans have come to expect, along with the lyrical depth that comes from going through major life changes. At the Nashville stop of her Now Tour, it’s clear Twain was enjoying herself after overcoming those hurdles. But apart from making a few comments about how sh*t happens to everyone while introducing the new track “Poor Me,” Twain didn’t dwell on old ghosts. Rather, she celebrated the past via a string of hits that defined the Nineties and early 2000s..

For the 2002 anthem “Up!”, Twain showed off her state-of-the-art set design, performing atop one of several massive video cubes as it rose high above the stage. During “I’m Gonna Getcha Good,” the cubes pulsed with blue-green light as Twain’s nimble team of dancers donned Tron-like light-up outfits for a fun update on the look of the song’s sci-fi-inspired video.

The now iconic leopard print Twain rocked in the video for “That Don’t Impress Me Much” provided a visual theme for much of the show, and just the sight of Twain putting on her black top hat and long coat from the “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” video drew mad cheers halfway through the evening. It was just a tease, though, as Twain left the stage in the outfit after introducing a video montage of hits that didn’t make the set list, including “You Win My Love” and “The Woman in Me.”

Those omissions were necessary for Twain to make room for new songs, like the moving “Soldier,” which she performed seated on a guitar case that flew over the crowd. “You’re Still the One” received the same overhead treatment, while a reading of her ultimate power ballad “From This Moment On” provided the night’s big sing-along moment, rivaled only by “Any Man of Mine” and “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”

Later on, Twain welcomed back her charismatic Swiss opening act, Bastian Baker, to take on the Billy Currington/Mark McGrath role for the cheeky duet “Party for Two.” Baker picked up a guitar to back Twain on another standout from Now, the defiant “Swinging with My Eyes Closed.”

As her set approached the two-hour mark, Twain closed the night with the one-two punch of “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” and “Rock This Country,” both off Twain’s biggest-selling album, Come on Over. The 1997 LP also stands at the best-selling album in country music history with 20 million copies moved in the U.S. alone.

Prior to her concert, Twain took time to meet with young women coming up in today’s country music industry. Cassadee Pope, Jillian Jacqueline and Kalie Shorr were among the artists on hand at a pre-show party where Twain shared some words of encouragement.

“I want to congratulate you first of all just for getting to this place where you are mingling with the industry and finding your way in Nashville, which is a challenge. It is difficult for any artist,” she said.

Recalling her own story, Twain noted that she didn’t find success as a country artist until she released her sophomore album, The Woman in Me.

“By the time I made it in Nashville, I was not ‘new,’” Twain said. “I started in bars from the age of 8 years old, so I know that none of you who are here just came out of the blue. You’re all talented. I’m just really looking forward to being a part of the community that has for so long nurtured great talent.”

Twain will continue her role nurturing new artists as a mentor on the new music competition series Real Country, debuting this fall on USA.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/review-shania-twain-seizes-the-moment-pays-tribute-to-past-on-now-tour-702761/

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

Thank you Kansas City! Des Moines, I'm with you tonight 😘 #ShaniaNOW

11:00 AM ET - 25 Jul 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

After tonight's concert in Des Moines, Iowa (Central Time Zone), the final 6 U.S. concerts are in the Mountain & Pacific Time Zones which means late concert start times again here in the East.

Chance encounter leads Bastian Baker to opening gig on Shania Twain tour

By Kari Kenner | Salt Lake City Daily Herald | July 25, 2018

For Bastian Baker, a Swiss singer and songwriter now on tour with Shania Twain, music has always been more than just a hobby or something to do to fill the time.

“Music is the one thing I needed to do,” Baker said in an interview with the Daily Herald prior to his upcoming concert with Shania Twain at Vivint Arena on Saturday. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s a need. Growing up, I was listening to Queen. I was listening to ‘The Show Must Go On,’ and I thought, ‘Man, I want to do something like that.’ So I transitioned from professional hockey to music in 2011 and have been traveling the world ever since.”

Baker is quite the mixed bag when it comes to talent. Following in his father’s footsteps, he pursued a professional hockey career with the Swiss National League, but his love for music stayed with him, and he eventually went on to win Swiss Oscars and MTV Europe Music Awards, with appearances on “The Voice” in Belgium and “Dancing With the Stars” in France.

He’s shared the stage with Bryan Adams, Elton John, Boy George and more, but considers his friendship with Twain one of the most influential of his career.

“It’s a fun story,” Baker said of how the pair first met. “It happened at the Montreux Jazz Festival, which is a legendary festival they have in Switzerland. The guy who founded it, the guy who founded it, (Claude Nobs), was the guy who discovered me playing a bar the first week after I dropped my first album.”

Nobs invited Baker to play not at the festival particularly, but outdoors surrounding it, which is where Twain first heard him play. According to Baker, it was right after that Twain sought him out.

“They told me, ‘There’s a Canadian singer here to meet you,’ ” Baker said. “I knew Shania Twain, and knew all her songs, but I didn’t know what an icon she is. I was a little younger and didn’t grow up listening to her music, only what I heard on the radio. I didn’t know about the hundreds and millions of records sold and the Grammys, so we’ve always been on the same level. … She’s easy to be friends with because she’s at the most humble, down-to-earth level.”

Baker was just 18 when he first met Twain, and now, six years later, she invited him to join her on her “Now Tour.” Though Baker’s music has already reached a high level of success on the international stage, with the help of Twain, he’s working to move toward finding an American audience as well.

Baker is now currently working on an album in Nashville, but said that will in no way influence his music to just be country, as the city is largely known for.

“Honestly, when I first came to Nashville, I talked to some production companies and they said, ‘If you’d come here five years ago, I’d say it’s not the right place for you, but now it’s opening up.’ I like that there’s less genre. I don’t really fit in any of the boxes, so it’s awesome that everything is opening — there’s pop, folk, rock, country and indie artists. I do a lot of things — I like to write fun melodies and songs where people can sing along. One day I’ll write a super pop catchy song and the next day a depressing folk ballad.”

According to Baker, one of the things he’s most proud of and grateful for it the support his career has received from artists in his home country, where music is considered less of a viable career.

“In Switzerland, it’s not a dream that’s very accessible, because there are not many possibilities to become an artist. It’s the only job where you don’t get paid certain amounts a month to make a good living, so it’s a risky choice.”

But it’s one that has paid off and led Baker to traveling the world and pursuing his passion in front of millions.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid, and now more than ever,” he said. “That’s where the American dream really does inspire me. There are so many inspiring stories.”

With more time hopefully opening up in the future, Baker said his key goal will be to share that passion with others, especially in his home country.

“I want to start a school and teach songwriting to kids,” he said. “I want to have them dream about being a songwriter.”

Twain has definitely done what she can to support Baker’s dreams as an artist, at least according to Baker, who actually performs with Twain during her concerts.

“The best part of performing is how she’s introducing me every night, calling me her favorite songwriter and an amazing entertainer and human being,” Baker said. “And I’m on the side of the stage blushing. … It’s awesome that they know the main act hand-picked me and it’s her choice.”

The pair perform “Party For Two” and “Swingin’ With My Eyes Closed,” in a part of the show that Baker said is just straight-up fun.

“Definitely we have the most honest, fun, cool relationship, and I love it,” he said. “Her husband also is one of my best friends now, and the great thing on tour is that after the show we can just hang out and talk until 6 a.m. — it’s pretty rare nowadays to find someone you can talk to until six in the morning. … They’re such amazing, genuine people.”

Though Baker rocks the stage when he’s performing with Twain, his unique style during his opening is a little more stripped back, meaning just his voice and an acoustic guitar.

“I’m an honest person, and I’m the same in my songwriting and when I’m performing — I am who I am,” he said. “It’s the perfect set up for me to come on stage on my own.”

Though during his own European tours, Baker played with an eight-piece band, he said, “It’s always funny to find myself alone in front of thousands of people. … I’m having a blast playing North American arenas for the first time in my life, and I hope in a couple years we can make those arenas with our own shows.”

Baker will hit the stage of Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Saturday, and said he’s looking forward to an incredible show in a new location.

“I wish the world was a concert venue,” he said. “I love how all kinds of backgrounds of people come together in one place and just enjoy music. My goal every night is just to make sure everyone leaves with a smile on their face and can just be happy.”

https://www.heraldextra.com/entertainment/music/chance-encounter-leads-bastian-baker-to-opening-gig-on-shania/article_0ed82b7f-ca9f-5498-8a16-5eda64ba507c.html

Thanks Jessica!

Shania Twain shows her hit-filled prerogative at Des Moines concert

By Matthew Leimkuehler | Des Moines Register | July 26, 2018

Shania Twain knows how to make an entrance.

The singer didn’t appear from behind a backstage curtain, the physical divide between been fan and star. She appeared next to her followers, at the top of section 104 in Wells Fargo Arena.

She blew kisses, waved and gave high fives as she walked down the section, making her way through the floor of onlookers and to the stage where she’d spend the next two hours.

“Are you ready, Des Moines?” she asked.

Yes, they were. 

Grammy Award-winning country singer Shania Twain returned Wednesday night to Iowa’s largest indoor venue, bringing a crowd of 12,765 to downtown Des Moines. The show comes in support of “Now,” Twain’s 2017 album and first studio release in 15 years.

She’s Still The One: Twain played a handful of songs off “Now,” a record that leans heavily into modern pop — as her music's done for decades — and her audience responded respectfully. They swayed to the softer numbers and nodded along to the unfamiliar, yet upbeat takes (Enter: "More Fun," a track Twain said was influenced by the film "Magic Mike"). 

The ballads off “Now” worked best — “I'm Alright" and "Poor Me" both resonated behind Twain's vocals.

"It’s very therapeutic to share with other people," Twain, introducing "Poor Me," said. "My hope is to inspire all of you whenever you’re feeling broken-hearted or cheated or betrayed. You’re not alone." 

Still, it’s with her band behind the fiddle that Twain best pleases her crowd.

It’s "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" and "Any Man of Mine" and "That Don't Impress Me Much" that lights up Wells Fargo Arena.

And she knows it, giving nod to the daughters in the crowd, raised on Twain's music by the mothers who made the trip with 'em to the show.

It's when she swings above the crowd during the acoustic "You're Still The One" and stomps her boots to a full-band "Honey, I'm Home" that she shows just how well her voice can still fill an arena. 

Twain played 21 tracks Wednesday night, going back as far as the mid-1990s and her sophomore album, "The Woman In Me."

“Life would be so boring without you guys, I’m tellin' ya,” the Canadian-born singer said. “I’m so grateful to all of you." 

Man! It feels like a pop show: It’s a country show with pop presence. It’s a pop show with country twang. It’s … both?

Twain’s pop influence doesn’t stop with composition. She brings elements of her adopted genre with backing dancers, moving stage pieces and a free-flowing band. 

She'd boast up to seven back-up singers for one number ("I'm Alright") and send herself gliding through the crowd on a suspended swing for the next ("Solider").

Her stage featured five moving blocks, covered in screens that projected images ranging from her iconic music '90s music videos to a crowd-favorite kiss cam. Her band members would move between blocks with each song. 

These elements wouldn't be out of place at the arena's next big pop show, yet feel welcoming even during Twain's honky-tonk moments — another example of her ability to blur genre lines. 

Rock this encore: The set drew to a close with Twain inviting affable Swedish opener Bastian Baker back on stage for a back-to-back duet of 2004's "Party For Two" and 2017's "Swingin' With My Eyes Closed." Twain then took the audience to her initial show closer, "(If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here!" 

She left the stage, only to return for a two-song encore featuring the hit that'd leave the crowd most pleased: "Man! I Feel Like A Woman."

"The best thing about being a woman," she sang, "is the prerogative to have a little fun."

And her audience couldn’t agree more.

Twain closed with "Rock This Country." White confetti exploded from the stage as the band played her out.

"Thank you, Des Moines," she said.

Setlist

Life's About To Get Good 
Come On Over
Up! 
Poor Me 
Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) 
That Don't Impress Me Much 
Let's Kiss and Make Up 
Any Man of Mine 
Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? 
Honey, I'm Home 
I'm Alright 
Solider
You're Still The One 
More Fun 
From This Moment On
I'm Gonna Getcha Good 
Party for Two (ft. Bastian Baker) 
Swingin' With My Eyes Closed (ft. Bastian Baker) 
(If You're Not In It For Love) I'm Outta Here!
Encore: 
Man! I Feel Like A Woman 
Rock This Country 

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/music/2018/07/26/shania-twain-des-moines-wells-fargo-arena-now-tour-review/838959002/

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

Love these photos by Ryan Sousa 😍 Denver, are you ready for tonight? #ShaniaNOW

12:12 PM ET - 27 Jul 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

***Pictures from Hamilton, Ontario concert on June 30.

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

Look at these amazing t-shirts! Thanks for the fun, Denver 😘

Video clip - https://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain/status/1023202031396442112

9:42 AM ET - 28 Jul 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Shania Twain @shaniatwain

Salt Lake City! So fun!! ❤️ #ShaniaNOW ‬

Video clip of "Life's About To Get Good" - https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl0gB4_n0NL/

11:18 AM ET - 29 Jul 18

http://instagram.com/shaniatwain

EXCLUSIVE: The Shires Discuss Their Upcoming Shania Twain UK Tour Support Slot

By Laura Klonowski | CelebMix | July 29, 2018

The Shires have been household names in the UK Country music industry for more than four years now, and earlier this year they released their third studio album ‘Accidentally On Purpose’ to massive chart success and also completed a huge sold-out headlining tour across the country.

And this September and October they will be heading back on the road as the opening act for Canadian country legend Shania Twain during the UK and Ireland leg of her World Now Tour.

Here we talk exclusively to Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes – AKA The Shires to discuss that mega opening slot, new singles, and more;

So, how did the Shania Twain support slot come about? 

We’ve been told that Shania actually asked for us to perform, which is pretty cool! It’s such an amazing opportunity and we’re so excited to get on the road again.  

It’s an honour for you guys to be chosen like that, what can fans expect from your set?

It’s going to be an acoustic set, which is amazing as we haven’t done an acoustic gig on this scale in a while now. It’s going to be great going back to basics and it’ll be such a great atmosphere in the big arenas.

It’s also a big step for UK Country as a whole, are you looking to support international acts overseas soon?

Yes, we are planning on getting out to Canada to perform out there soon. We’d love to get over to Australia and the USA at some point in the near future too.

Along with the Shania Twain support slot you’re also performing at a number of festivals this year, is there one in particular you’re most excited for?

[Crissie] is definitely looking forward to Countryfile Live! She’s a proper country bumpkin and it’s going to be great spending the day soaking everything in and then performing in the evening. We’re also excited for Orkney, as we’ve never been that far north before so we’re excited to go out there on what will be a 3 day trip for us. We’ll be back on the road again with our band so it’s going to be great to be all together again. We’ve also got The Long Road coming up which has such an amazing line up and is going to be a lot of fun.

How do you feel festival and support slots compare to a headline show?

Festivals always have such a great atmosphere – everyone is there ready to have a good time and it’s not necessarily our usual audience. It’s so magical, especially if you’re playing in the sunshine or just as the sun starts to set. It’s really special and brings people together. 

You also recently wrapped your own UK tour, do you have a particular highlight from the run of dates?

Playing the Royal Albert Hall was out of this world, we’ve always dreamed of performing there and it was so amazing to have the chance to do so this early in our careers. It was really surreal at first, as we were performing in Windsor for BBC Radio 2 ahead of the Royal Wedding the next morning, so it was a whirlwind 24 hours and it didn’t really start to sink in until 3-4 days later.  

Can fans expect another headline tour in the near future?

Maybe…

Along with touring this year, your have just released your latest single ‘Echo‘ and you’ve also released the live action music video for ‘Sleepwalk’, do you have anything else planned over the course of 2018 in terms of music videos, new singles etc?

Definitely more singles in the pipeline, and [we] would love to do more music videos. We absolutely loved being able to show our personalities in the video for ‘Guilty’, so it would be really fun to do something like that again.   

Make sure you follow The Shires on Twitter @theshiresuk to keep up to date with all their latest music and tour news!

Tickets for Shania Twain’s UK and Ireland are on sale now! 

https://celebmix.com/exclusive-the-shires-discuss-their-upcoming-shania-twain-uk-tour-support-slot/

***Bastian Baker will continue to open for Shania as well.

Shania Twain @ShaniaTwain

It's the final week of shows on the North American leg of my #ShaniaNOW tour 😭 The start of this world tour has been so amazing! Phoenix, Fresno, LA and of course Vegas - show us what you've got!!

12:23 PM ET - 30 Jul 18

http://twitter.com/ShaniaTwain

Shania closed the Phoenix concert with MIFAW again. I wonder what happened with Rock This Country?!?! Weird!

Tanya wrote:

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Tommy wrote:

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Shania closed the Phoenix concert with MIFAW again. I wonder what happened with Rock This Country?!?! Weird!

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I thought that's the norm for Shania - she always shortens setlist during tours. I was sure Europe is going to hear a modified version of the setlist but now it seems it is also going to be a shorter than for the main part of North America. 

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It's just strange she cut RTC with only 6 concerts left on the North American leg of the tour. Why not finish the leg with the complete setlist???