[Review] Shania Twain’s Queen of Me Tour

Let’s go girls! It’s been five years since Shania Twain last performed in NOLA. Back in 2018, the Canadian country superstar stopped at the Smoothie King Center for her Now Tour. It’s no surprise that thousands gathered in the same arena on Monday night to see one of the best-selling music artists of all time take the stage again for her Queen of Me Tour. And everyone came ready to party! The crowd was filled with light-up cowboy hats, cheetah print clothing, cowboy boots, and lots of sparkles.

Opening Act: Mickey Guyton

Four-time Grammy nominee, Mickey Guyton opened the show. The Texas native graced the stage wearing a shimmering brown dress and silver cowboy boots. And for 30 minutes she captivated the crowd with her electric energy and glowing stage presence. During her set, she surprised the crowd and brought out fellow country star, Brittney Spencer, to help her perform a cover of Miley Cyrus’ hit “Flowers.” And she garnered a lot of cheers before performing “Nothing Compares To You” – a collaboration she has with Kane Brown. The crowd lit up the arena with their phones as Guyton ended her set with a performance of her song, “Better Than You Left Me.”

Shania Twain is Still the One

Around 9 PM, members of Twain’s began wheeling carts through the aisles. As the lights went down, the Canadian singer surprised the crowd by popping out of one of the carts while singing “Waking Up Dreaming.” I’m sure the fans in the 100 level she was next to thought it was a dream! As she rolled around the venue, fans all over the venue got a chance to see the singer up close. When the song ended, an animated spaceship with the letters ‘ST” appeared on the screen. As the rocket launched, Twain emerged from the clouds of smoke sporting a pink wing, silver cowboy boots, and a frilly pink ruffle train.

The 57-year-old singer-songwriter performed a two-hour set filled with hits from the last three decades! From “You’re Still the One” to “Any Man of Mine” to “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”’ she played all of her greatest hits, and the crowd was singing along to every word! I’ve seen mixed reviews of Shania’s recent tour and TikTok videos of hoards of fans leaving mid-show. I can confirm that wasn’t an issue in NOLA! For some of the newer tracks like “Giddy Up!,” “Pretty Liar,” and “Queen of Me” the enthusiasm did die down a little bit but overall the energy in the arena was electric. It was clear that everyone was having a great time!

Twain was very engaging with the crowd! Besides getting up close and personal during the opening song, she also invited seven couples onto the stage. They stood next to candlelit high boy tables as Twain took the time to take pictures with each pair. The stage backdrop changed to a black-and-white building with Twain depicted to be singing from a balcony as she performed her platinum-selling hit, “From This Moment On.”

“This is the last show of this leg…and it’s so hard for me to express what all this means to be but I just can’t thank you enough. I’m really having the time of my life right now just watching you and listening to you. It’s such a gift, thank you for that,” the singer expressed gratitude to the crowd before performing “Forever and For Always. As concertgoers lit up the arena with their cell phone flashlights, Twain exclaimed, “I’m so lucky to be me. I’m looking at something so beautiful.”

The show overall was simple – one outfit change, two dancing backup singers, and a four-piece band. But what stood out for me was the production. Throughout the night, stories were told on the screen with each song. We talked about the ST spaceship. But later on, Twain climbed on a motorcycle during “I’m Gonna Getcha Good.” The destination? The Twain Town Saloon. The saloon slowly caught fire during her performance of “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” as horses and aliens ran past it. As Twain performed “Honey I’m Home” with the help of what she called the ‘New Orleans Queen Tour Choir’ aka the crowd, we were taken inside the burnt saloon. Although trashed, the words “Honey, You’re Home” were still clearly depicted on a neon sign. The visuals elevated the show!

And what’s a show without an encore? The lights went down and the ‘next train stop’ appeared on the screen with a 30-second countdown. Twain finished off with none other than two of her biggest hits, “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” Seeing both songs live was well worth being caught in traffic after the show!