Shania Twain Casts a Pop-Country Spell on Bridgestone Arena

Was the crowded house at Bridgestone Arena ready for Shania Twain on Saturday night? Does a one-legged duck swim in a circle? The late-’90s pop-crossover queen brought country fans from all over Middle Tennessee (and likely elsewhere) to our friendly neighborhood enormodome. The Spin spotted families excited for a special night out, giddy mother-and-daughter duos and gaggles of mixed-gender friend groups ready to go oh-oh-ah-oh, totally crazy.

Opening act Bastian Baker of Switzerland brought the coffee shop to the arena, with upbeat pop rock of the rom-com trailer variety. He had a confident stage presence and pleasant voice — attributes you might expect from a former coach on the Belgian version of The Voice — and he sounded best when he approached folk-adjacent melodies. He had a capo in his pocket, covered “Hallelujah” in the style of Jeff Buckley, and gave a special shout-out to fellow Swiss national and Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi, even donning a Josi jersey.

Twain’s grand entrance, teased with “We Will Rock You,” happened out in the stands rather than the stage, and she made her way through the crowd in a silver-sequined Jessica Rabbit number with, of course, a matching cowboy hat. Her show aesthetic is all animal prints and top hats, and it’s hard not to be moved by excited fans who fucking love it, and know every word of her 20-plus-year catalog of hits.

The whole night was cynicism kryptonite, and Twain's all-smiles band and their “Let’s put on a show, kids!” attitude helped keep the energy at peak levels. The zydeco-touched “Come on Over” introduced us to a member of her band who soon became our favorite, an accordionist/fiddle player/pianist/bassist who couldn’t have been more than 25. We’ve seen a lot of pop acts at Bridgestone over the years, and this show is one of the best in terms of integrating the band, backup singers and dancers into the entire production. 

And that production, by the way, is incredibly campy. Who are we to complain? The dancers wear, at various points, contraptions that look like 1950s antennas covered with Mylar balloons, light-up Michelin Man/Tron suit combos during “I’m Gonna Getcha Good!,” and beefcake greaser gear (with loose, flowing shirts unbuttoned) for “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” one of the pop-country-diva high-points of the night. There was a lingerie duster for Twain and Hee Haw Honey denim for her backup singers on “Any Man of Mine.” She pulled two audience members onstage to be human step-stools — they helped her climb on top of a piano in exchange for selfies. 

There was a hearty sampling of songs from Twain's 2017 album Now! (including “Soldier,” so the Switzerland-residing Canadian can ensure fans that she’s a Troop Supporter, even if she can’t be a low-information voter). But the crowd-favorite moments were mostly looks back to “then.”

“From This Moment On” featured the gentle Spanish guitar that was a fixture in pop music two decades ago. For a certain generation, the song instantly conjures awkward slow-dancing in a middle school gymnasium. Another of our favorite moments: She’s retconned the ballad “You’re Still the One,” a love song co-written more than 20 years ago with her then-husband Mutt Lange, to be about fans who would have been kids when they first heard it. As the audience swayed along, she sat on a guitar case and floated over us like a beautiful and ridiculous singing angel — the way we’ll always remember her.

See our slideshow for more photos.

In The Spin — the Scene's live review column — staffers and freelance contributors review concerts under a collective byline.