Dixie Chicks -- that's entertainment

BY Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press

Well now, wasn't that refreshing?

Like the world's most potent antidote to Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks landed at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday night, carting with them a heap of stirring, starry-eyed country music for an estrogen-heavy crowd of more than 14,000. The Yankee gals, it seems, love the Dixie Chicks -- and
they'll love 'em again tonight, when another near-capacity crowd descends onto the Palace.

The Texas trio kicked off with "Ready to Run," the leadoff track from "Fly." With its upbeat rhythms, Beatlesque harmony and organic country, the song aptly set the stage for what the Chicks are about: an intoxicating blend of old and new. Friday the leather-clad threesome made obvious what sets them apart from Nashville's crop of plastic acts: They're fashionable but not chi-chi. Pretty but not intimidating. Smooth but not slick.

It's clearly resonating with folks who buy the albums. And even before showtime at the Palace, you knew this wasn't your standard country show, as a giant zipper curtain shrouded the stage -- you know, "Fly"? -- and a cranked-up dose of Lenny Kravitz rock 'n' rolled over the PA.

Vocalist Natalie Maines, who announced earlier this week that she's pregnant, was in top form, flashing the occasional cool-Elvis pose and generally providing the charismatic link between audience and band. It's not just that Maines has one of the best voices in contemporary popular music; hers is an instrument straight out of the classic country tradition. Simultaneously sweet and melancholy, her voice lent richness to such throwback fare as "Hello Mr.Heartache" and "Without You."

Sisters Martie Seidel (fiddle) and Emily Robison (guitar) lent the textures so crucial to the group's musical character.

"We're going to attempt to entertain you tonight," Maines had promised early on. Mission accomplished.

Return To Fly Tour page