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Ottawa Citizen

Bluesfest Day 4: Shania Twain caps off a hot weekend with a rain-free party

Article content In her second Bluesfest performance in three years, Shania Twain promised a party that would make you forget about the world, and then delivered on it. Article content Her rousing performance capped off a successful opening weekend for 31st annual edition of Bluesfest. Attendance was strong, problems were few and the weather was consistently hot and humid. The thunderstorms that were predicted Sunday never did produce more than a few drops of rain at LeBreton Flats Park. Article content Article content It was a big weekend for country fans, with a program that included shows by hot new artists Lainey Wilson, Red Clay Strays and Canada's Dead South taking place before the return of Twain, one of the biggest country singers of all time. Article content Article content Article content Backed by a mostly female band and performing for a crowd full of cowgirls, Twain plunged into the pop-rock end of the pool, grabbing attention fast. The country-pop superstar broke out of the starting gate with Rock This Country, giving it an extra rhythmic thump that turned heads across the site. Article content From there, it was hit after hit, from Don't Be Stupid to Waking up Dreaming to Up! and I'm Gonna Getcha Good, all ridiculously catchy and played with maximum energy by her skilled band, which included Canadians Kendel Carson on fiddle and Lindsay Ell on guitar. Article content In a white shirt over black sequined shorts and silver boots, the fit 59-year-old who grew up in Timmins might have missed a note or two in the first couple of songs, but it was forgivable. After all, her multi-tasking was impressive — she not only kept the pace up while singing her lungs out but also connected with fans along the way. Article content Article content Between tunes, Twain was relaxed and curious as she bantered with some of the most fervent devotees up front, including an engaged couple, a pair of birthday folks and two seven-year-old girls on their fathers' shoulders. Article content At Twain's insistence, the youngsters were ferried up to the stage for a cute and funny exchange with the star, who didn't immediately remember the lyrics to Brand New, the girls' favourite song. But with help from a kind soul with a smartphone in the audience, they managed to eke out a few lines. Article content Twain's acoustic guitar came out for the love song, Still The One, but when she went for her cowboy hat, the gears shifted again, revving up for a countrified stretch that included Giddy Up! and Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under, followed by a bluegrass breakdown on Honey I'm Home and the rocking Don't Impress Me Much.