This page is dedicated to my role model, the one and only Shania Twain, who I've looked up to since I was just 10 years old. Her music has always been there to get me through anything, good or bad, and I've had so much fun throughout the years following the Shania bandwagon. I know that I will definitely be a fan forever and for always and yes, she really does rock this country!
First concert: May 28, 1999 at the Nissan Pavilion
This was my very first Shania Twain concert and where I got the best birthday present in the world: I got to meet Shania onstage! I had won two tickets in the lawn section after I won a radio contest where you had to come up with a little melody on your answering machine saying why you should be the one to go to the concert. My friend and her family went with me since my mom and sister didn't want to go (and boy did they regret it!). Shania saw my glow sticks so she called me down to the stage. When I got on the stage, I couldn't believe it! I seriously thought I was dreaming so when Shania started to walk towards me, I started to back up. If Megan didn't push me forward I would've backed right off the stage. LOL As soon as Shania hugged me and said hi I found my voice and was able to talk. She put her arm around me and led me to the center of the stage, where I told her that I was a fan since I was 10 years old. She asked me how old I was and I told her that on Monday I would be 15. She said, "How old?" so I told her again. When she heard that I was almost 15, I will never forget the look on her face! She had a shocked expression on her face went, "WOW!" Then she said in her mic to the audience "This girl standing next to me says she's been a fan since she was 10 and now she's 15!" Then she took a picture with me and Megan, signed it, plus she signed the concert program. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present!
Second concert: November 24, 1999 at the MCI Center
This concert was the day before Thanksgiving and was the only day I missed in school that year, but it was worth it! My mom took me this time since she missed my shining moment at the last concert. We got to the MCI Center 7 hours early and waited by the Star entrance. We did not move within 10 feet of that entrance! Finally when it was getting close to the starting time we went around the corner to the front entrance...only to see Shania's bus! We were a mere corner away the *entire* time! Yeah, I was just a little mad! I had seats in section 105 so it was pretty good. The concert was great as always, but no meeting Shania that time. Still, it was something to remember!
Trip to the Shania Twain Centre's grand opening in Timmins, Ontario, Canada June 28-July 3 2001
As soon as I heard about the making of the Shania Twain Centre, I went out and got my first job. It was October 2001 and I was 16 at the time and knew that if I wanted to go, I had to work and save every penny, which I did. I worked at least twenty hours a week while in school and during the summer I picked up a second job, working on average 60 hours a week, which is a lot for a teenager. But it all paid off when my mom and I stepped the plane from Toronto to Timmins. I happened to sit behind a lady on the plane that went to school with Shania's brothers so we chatted the entire flight and she couldn't believe I was coming all the way from Virginia to see the little city of Timmins.
It was beautiful! The scenery was awesome, the people were the nicest people I've met, and best of all I got to meet the members of the STNAOFC! We had a blast at the Senator Hotel and Michelle, a local resident, took us on a wonderful tour of the city. We got to meet the radio DJs, TV anchor, and mayor! I was interviewed by Corrina from CTV so I was on Canadian TV! I was also interviewed by Robin Eggar for his biography on Shania. We all had a blast touring the Shania Centre and watched the 12-minute video they had five times! It was awesome! I will never forget that trip and can't wait to go again! The one thing that everyone else won't let me forget is when we were walking the streets looking at all the Shania window displays, I saw a picture of Shania's graduation picture and took off across the street without even looking. I went up to the window, wiped it off since it was raining (when does it *not* rain during a Shania event in Timmins? LOL), and took a picture. Everyone laughed at me and couldn't believe how I just ran out into the street. Now they always kid about looking both ways before crossing the road. LOL
Third concert: Chicago concert June 27, 2003
Wow oh wow, this was the comeback concert of all concerts!
First off, I have to s
ay that Blair Garner and AfterMidnite is the best radio
show on EARTH! I won their contest to fly up to Chicago for the weekend to
see Shania LIVE in concert for the taping of her NBC special! OH MY GOD
this was the BEST concert ever! I took my mom and we got to Chicago at
about noon. By one o'clock we were at Grant Park since we heard Shania was
rehearsing. We were there for 6 hours! We watched Shania rehearse
the concert twice and she even waved! It was GREAT! At 7 that night
we met up with the STNAOFC members and had dinner, where the Shania puppet made
its first appearance! At the dinner was where I came up with the idea that
we should put the little teddy bear Shania shirt on our hands and use them as
puppets. Bright and early at 6:00 a.m. the next morning I left and walked
the half hour it took to Grant Park from the Allegro hotel. I got there at
6:30 a.m. and was already 40th in line! I ended up waiting in line for 14
hours that day, but sure as heck was worth it since I ended up getting about 2nd
row! While waiting I painted my face and made friends with an NBC camera
man so he panned in on me quite a few times during the special. I made a
couple of appearances on the portion of the concert that was aired on TV and
showed up even more on the DVD! It was an awesome experience I'll never
forget! You should get the DVD UP! Live at Chicago while you can!
The picture that is here is one I took of Shania when she came out to sing "Man!
I Feel Like A Woman!" And yeah, I was *that* close! :)
Trip to New York for the Today Show and CBS Early Morning Show August 1, 2003
This was just one week after Chicago so I was having one heck of a week! Before I won the trip, I already planned to go to New York with my sister Roberta to meet up with Chris (cbspock) to see Shania at the Today Show and the CBS Early Morning Show. We got there about 12:25 a.m. and I was scared out of my mind of the big city! We walked what seemed like forever to Rockefeller plaza and were 11th in line at 1:00 a.m. We met some cool Shania fans in line which really made the time fly. When it came time for rehearsals, I had made a sign that on one sign said, "G'day Andy! Can I have a pic?" and on the other said, "Shania fan since age 10 now I'm 19." I held up the Andy side when I first walked in since I saw the band on stage already. I screamed out his name and he read my sign then asked me where I was from so my sister and I shouted out we were from Virginia. He was saying something, but I really didn't catch it because I saw Shania come out so I SCREAMED "SHAAAAANIIIIIAAAA!!!!" and she read my sign. :) I was dressed up in the same gear I was in Chicago, puppet and all...and boy am I glad I did that! During the rehearsal of "Nah!" I got out the puppet and waved it in the air, then she looked at me and right in the middle of singing she stopped, pointed at me, and said, "You were at Chicago!!" I was like "Heck yeah!! WOOOOO!!!!!" so she gave me a big smile. Then during rehearsal of "Forever and For Always" she saw my puppet again and I pointed to it since it had a picture of her from the FAFA video and she gave me a thumbs up. When everyone got really quiet during the rehearsal, I decided to yell "CAN'T WAIT FOR THE TOUR!!!" Shania LOVED this comment...she looked at me and smiled again. :) At the end of the show I got Shania to sign my Puppet...AWESOME STUFF!!!!!
After the Today Show we went right over to the CBS show. I sweet talked a security guard to let me in the VIP section (go me LOL) so we were less than 6 feet from Shania! She saw my puppet again so she waved at me smiled. Andy recognized me again so he was boasting that he was the only band member with a sign so he pointed me out to B.B., who looked at me and gave me a head nod and a smile. Shania was great even though the hosts messed up quite a few times and the photographers were *really* rude. I turned around and let them have a piece of my mind while we were waiting for the audio people to get ready for Shania. All in all, I will definitely never ever forget that trip and it was GREAT!!
Fourth Concert: October 17, 2004 at the MCI Center
This concert was very cool. I had pretty good seats so I got a great view of the stage. The opening was awesome! There was a curtain-like structure in the center of the stage where there was a silhouette of Shania in the "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" outfit. When the curtain dropped, Shania came out from the side of the building, running down a row to the stage. The funny moments from the concert were when Shania 'rewrote' her lyrics on the spot for "In My Car (I'll Be The Driver!)" and sang "You can hurt my head with your favorite....uhh...flavor!" and she laughed into the microphone. Also, when everyone got quiet right when Shania was getting ready to do a slow song a guy yelled out "SHANIA YOU'RE HOT!" and everyone in the center laughed. All in all the concert was great and for those two hours I was rockin' right along with Shania and The Fabulous Falls!
Fifth concert: May 4, 2004 at the Richmond Coliseum
This concert was AWESOME! I could not believe something though---two people came up to me and asked if I was the girl from the Shania UP! Live in Chicago DVD--they actually recognized me! I can't believe it! Mom, Joe, and I were dumbfounded that other fans actually recognized me! Joe joked that people will start asking for my autograph next. LOL I was surprised that Shania's drummer recognized me too! I saw him through a glass window and he waved at me & gave me a thumbs-up, but as soon as I brought out my Shania puppet, he pointed at it and went like "Ahhh! I know that!" and gave me another huge thumbs-up. :)
Emerson Drive, the opening act, was pretty good. They had a great rendition of "Devil Went Down to Georgia" and really got the audience pumped. The lead singer even waved at me.
Shania, of course, was AWESOME! She was all pumped! A funny moment was when she was singing TDIMM, she fubbed her lines and just went "WHAT?!" because she was so lost and just started back at the chorus. LOL I did a full review on http://www.shania-twain.org so click that if you want to see what else I had to say about this magnificent concert! (My screen name there is shaniawarrior). Everyone should definitely go to a Shania concert if they can! You *will* have a blast, I guarantee it!
