Jordan Parker
Come On Boots! Cowboy hats, sequin shirts and screams of joy marked Canadian icon Shania Twain’s tour stop at Scotiabank Centre on Monday, June 12.
She began her concert in the floor seat section, mesmerizing a gleeful, captive audience. Fans clamoured and rushed with cell phones in hand trying to get snaps of the country-pop titan, and after the first chord, everything went Up! From there.
Shania Twain has never been just a singer – she blurs lines and genres in a way that few artists do. From her iconic fashion choices to her backup vocalists, band and spectacular light show, it was not just a concert.
Shania put on a full performance in every sense of the word. A concert is one thing, but she managed to not only entertain, but immerse fans in the perfectly-picked setlist.
This long-awaited Queen Of Me Tour has been mired by some controversy in the last week as fans have taken to social media and the newspaper to express their disappointment at Twain’s apparent lip-syncing. But there’s some context that should be present.
Following the July 2022 premiere of a very candid Netflix documentary titled ‘Not Just A Girl’, Twain allowed a staggering amount of access to her personal life, including her struggle to maintain her singing ability due a long battle with Lyme Disease.
While I’ll confirm she was backed by vocal tracking, I can tell you one thing – You can’t fake her natural singing ability, talent for involving her audience, and clear devotion to her fans. Shania Twain absolutely rocked that stage.
Mixing tracks off her new album Queen Of Me in with deep cuts and greatest hits from her decades-long career, she managed to maintain the audience’s exuberance and lively spirit throughout a sprawling show that was longer and more complete than any concerts I’ve been to.
I audibly screamed with joy when she began a duet with her talented on-stage dancer for Party For Two, and on-stage fan-involved renditions of From This Moment On and Best Friend showed the care she takes in bringing her audience along for the ride. Major singalongs to Giddy Up, Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?, You’re Still The One, and Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You).
But as she took the stage for the encore, the floor in that venue erupted. That Don’t Impress Me Much garnered a huge boot-stomping appreciation. But I have to be honest, there was nothing more impressive than the synchronous, beautiful “LET’S GO GIRLS” that echoed when Man! I Feel Like A Woman began to close out the show.
The Queen Of Me stop tonight marks the first time Twain has been to Halifax since 1993. If she decides to ‘Come On Over’ again in another 30 years, you can bet my boots will be in that audience.
Jordan Parker is a freelance journalist based in Halifax, N.S.
Instagram: parkerj294
Email: jordanparker339@gmail.com
