Dixie Chicks have good,
rockin' time
By Rattaya Nimibutr
Daily Cougar Staff
Chicks rock.
Dixie Chicks rock even harder.
The country trio proved this brilliantly
during Friday's concert at the Compaq Center.
That isn't surprising. The women, consisting
of the pregnant Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Seidel and Emily Robison,
have been reigning over the country charts with the debut Wide Open
Spaces and its follow-up, Fly.
Their emergence comes at a time when female
artists Shania Twain and Faith Hill have made country music even more popular
than before.
Those looking for true talent in the wake
of the Britney Spears saturation need look no further than the Dixie Chicks.
Their two albums are great and their live performances are even better.
Performing to a capacity crowd, the Chicks
incorporated all their songs with instrumental ability that made the audience
appreciate the sound quality. Seidel's fiddle playing was filled with passion
while Robison teased the audience with her banjo picking.
Ashly Alberto/The Daily
Cougar
Drawing on
material from Wide Open Spaces and Fly, country divas The
Dixie Chicks played an excellent set at Compaq Center on Friday.
"There's Your Trouble" and "Cowboy Take
Me Away" filled the almost two-hour set. The energy was full blown and
the playful, yet professional approach in playing the songs was extremely
enjoyable.
With Maine's pregnancy and another album
on the way, this will probably be the Chick's last tour until 2002. The
Dixie Chicks made sure to leave a mark on the music scene that won't be
forgotten.
The women didn't hold back any energy when
playing "I Can Love You Better." With attractive lights and three screens
showing various images, the Chicks rocked the Compaq Center into a full
swing.
Looking for a more intimate setting, the
women performed some slower songs, including "Let Him Fly" and "You Were
Mine," while sitting on a big red couch.
They also covered Sheryl Crow's "Strong
Enough," in which Maines' voice sent a thrilling, yet charming, tone throughout
the arena.
One of the highlights of the show was when
Robison and Seidel demonstrated their bluegrass background. Before they
were the Dixie Chicks, Robison and Seidel rocked to bluegrass and they
stayed true to their roots and offered an excellent set.
Another highlight of the concert was the
awesome performance of "Goodbye Earl," a current hit single with a hilarious
music video. The three women performed the song with each one in different
places. Maines placed herself midstage while Seidel and Robison played
in various upper levels.
Accompanying the different setting was
the music video, which added more to the hilarity. This live performance
was very amusing.
The Dixie Chicks then returned to the stage
with an encore of "Wide Open Spaces," their debut title track hit. It was
superb in every way.
Opening act Joe Ely had a full grasp of
what it means to be a country musician. Showing that he deserves a tour
of his own, his set was hyped and full of energy.
