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Shania blogs on NYC trip

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ShaniaTwain.com
November 6, 2009

Hello Everyone,

Here are some pics (below) with friends backstage at Madison Square Garden in NYC during last week’s 25th Anniversary Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame concerts. I'm also sharing my favorite moments of the whole event.

I was moved to tears by Bonnie Raitt's performance of "Love Has No Pride". I was sobbing in the audience (which isn't like me as I'm usually able to choke visible tears back when in public), as this is a song from my early childhood and it ripped at my heart to hear her soulful voice cry it out so painfully. I am a HUGE fan of Bonnie and have spent many hours listening to her CDs over the years. She is one of my absolute fave's and so is that song. I hadn't heard it in over 20 years so it caught me by surprise all around. I wasn't expecting her to do it and certainly wasn't ready for it to hit me so emotionally. Not sure if I have more to cry about now or if I'm just becoming more of a sap these days! Probably a bit of both. It was a highlight meeting her backstage for the first time. She was humble and kind.

Simon and Garfunkle blended like I'd hoped they would and were a team I never thought I'd get the chance to see live. It was an honor to witness these two geniuses together on the same stage.

Other highlights from the performances of those two nights for me personally were Stevie Wonder's segment as he sang like an absolute angel. He glides in, out and around every note like he's on a honey roller coaster. He never ceases to amaze me after all the years I've been admiring his voice. It's incredibly moving to watch him perform and hear him sing. A duet between "The Boss" and John Fogerty doing a rendition of Roy Orbison's “Oh, Pretty Woman” made me jump up out of my seat. Their voices blended so amazingly well together - a must with Orbison songs, and they nailed it. Fantastic! I wanted to hear it again.

Another biggie for me was Metallica. Saying they are a powerful wall of sound is an understatement. There are only four of them in the band but sound like double. Their guitars ripped, the drums kicked and punched holes in our chests and the bass pounded equal punches, vibrating the whole place. We loved it! Especially when they brought out Ozzy. They were perfect together. Watching Ozzy from start to finish was like being in a time warp. How could he look so much the same after all these years and still even sound exactly the same? He delivered in classic Ozzy style, only without the gore. Talk about "taking me back!"

Both nights were amazing and as my friend put it, was like “the Olympics of Rock 'n Roll”, but nothing could have been better than seeing the master of showmanship himself, Mick Jagger, walk out on the stage to cap off the whole experience. He strutted out at the end of U2's segment with his giant presence commanding every single ear and eye in the house. I thought, “Phew, there is a BIG man in that little body!” He can't weigh any more than I do. I had never seen him live, and it was a serious treat for me. He just simply "rocked".

After the show backstage, as Mick was walking by in the hall, a friend said to me, "Shania, aren't you going to stop him and say hi?" I said, "No, I don't need to meet him to admire him. I don't want to bother him, besides, I'm happy just having seen him perform. My friend replied, "Ya, but this is Mick." I chuckled and told him he was such a groupie. He smiled admittingly and before we knew it, Mick was gone anyway.

Pic below, I'm with my tour manager and good friend from the "COME ON OVER" tour, George Travis. He's Bruce Springsteen's long-time tour manager and was there with him that night. It was great catching up and reminiscing about our time on the road together.

The whole night I was on the "other side" of the fence, so to speak, taking in the music and the backstage experience like a true fan would. It's nice to step outside of my "artist" self and just enjoy and admire what everyone else is doing for a change. I love being an artist, but it's also great to have the pressure off and allow myself to be the observer instead of the observed. Knowing so many of the people backstage from crew to performers, agents, security, etc., I felt at home, but nothing was expected of me other than to be myself, hang, catch-up with friends and have a laugh. Very good for the soul and super motivation to go home and keep writing music.

I'm with my tour manager and good friend from the "COME ON OVER" tour, George Travis.

Getting some love from another one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Billy Joel.

In the backstage blur, in full action chatting with Bonnie Raitt.

Crossing a couple of the members from the group, THE BLACK EYED PEAS in the halls on the way
out after night #2. Saw them live at the Montreux Jazz Festival last year but never had the chance to
meet them that night. Cool group!

Strolling the streets of NYC before catching the plane back to Switzerland,
stopping to enjoy the colors of Times Square.

I feel like such a tourist and loving it. Yah! Gotta come here more often.

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