St. Paul, Minnesota 2000

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Dixie Chicks perform at Xcel Center

by Jon Bream / Star Tribune

Why did 16,000 people cross the river?

To see the DixieChicks perform in St. Paul at the new Xcel Energy Center.

OK, not all of the people came from the west metro, but judging by the traffic backup on Interstate Hwy. 94 in downtown St. Paul shortly before showtime Monday, there were quite a few who had never been to the new arena. (There is more than one freeway exit that will get you to the Xcel.) However, most of the concertgoers had seen the Chicks in concert before, judging by the reaction when lead singer Natalie Maines took an informal survey.

The Chicks performed an unforgettable show in July at Target Center in Minneapolis. Since then, their career has soared even higher, with the trio taking four Country Music Association awards, including entertainer of the year and album of the year. And one other important thing: Maines is pregnant.

That seemed to make a big difference (no pun intended). One of the most hyperkinetic live wires in any style of music, Maines, 26, traveled pretty much in first-gear physically Monday (baby's due in April). She wasn't that dancing dervish full of spunk and swagger this time. Instead, she was an aggressive, sometimes brassy singer, pushing the conventional limits of country music while retaining the heartfelt conviction expected from one of Nashville's finest.

Otherwise, this was pretty much the same show -- same staging and same songs (although they didn't do the rockin' "Let 'Er Rip" on Monday). To be sure,the Chicks wore different outfits this time. Banjoist Emily Robison, 28, actually wore the same glitzy Queen Elizabeth T-shirt that Maines had sported in July, along with a gold-lame skirt. The lead singer was less flashy this time, in a black smock and bell-bottoms with silver studs. Martie Seidel, 31, whose fancy fiddling fueled the Chicks' sound, opted for a wintermint-green sequined top with brown leather pants.

There was one other significant change. In July, the Chicks did a cute segment featuring childhood photos projected on large screens, accompanied by wise cracked commentary. This time, the trio goofed around by visually speculating what their babies would look like with such celebrity fathers as Garth Brooks, Jay Leno, Bill Clinton and O.J. Simpson. Maines said that if the Chicks had been friends with Nicole Brown Simpson, history would have turned out differently.

Indeed, the Chicks, who celebrate the varied emotions in women's lives, take a no-nonsense-from-my-man attitude in their songs. Sure, some tunes -- including "Loving Arms" and the hit full of hope, "Cowboy Take Me Away" (during which couples cuddled and available cowgirls sang at the top of their lungs) -- are submissive. But the pointed pieces, including the rabble-rousing "Goodbye Earl" and an intimate treatment of Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough," are why so many women will cross the river -- or the road -- to be with the DixieChicks.

    Please take note of this before emailing me. I have no affiliation with The Chicks and/or their website, Court Yard Hounds and/or their website, Natalie Maines Music and/or her website, their management, publicists, record label or anyone else they may come in contact with on a regular basis. This is just a fan owned site. I do not have an email address for them. Your message cannot be passed on to them.
 
 
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