The Come On Over Tour was the debut concert tour by Canadian singer-songwriter

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( , ; née Edwards; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and one of the best-s ...

. Visiting North America, Australia and Europe, the tour supported of her third studio album '' Come On Over'' (1997). Deemed one of the most anticipated tours of the 1990s, the trek became one of the highest-grossing tours in 1990s, along with becoming one of the biggest tours by a female musician of any genre. The tour was seen by over two million spectators and earned over 80 million dollars. Additional accolades include being named the "Country Tour of the Year" in 1998 and 1999 by Pollstar Concert Industry Awards. Supporting Twain on the tour was family band Leahy and country artist

Shane Minor Shane Allen Minor (born May 3, 1968) is an American country music artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 1999, Minor released his self-titled album that year, and it produced three hit singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & ...

. The tour was sponsored by Gitano Jeans.

Background

The tour was announced by various media outlets in March 1998, when Twain's third album was certified five times platinum in the United States. The tour, named after the same album, was planned to begin in May 1998 in Sudbury (near Twain's hometown of

Timmins Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ex ...

) and ending December 1998 in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...

. It became very popular, with many dates selling out within hours of the announcement. Most notably, the concerts at the

Pine Knob Music Theatre Pine Knob Music Theatre (formerly DTE Energy Music Theatre) is an outdoor amphitheater located in Independence Township, Michigan, approximately northwest of Detroit (it has a Clarkston, Michigan mailing address). Built by the Nederlander Org ...

Clarkston, Michigan Clarkston is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. A northern suburb of Detroit, located about northwest of downtown Detroit, Clarkston is surrounded by Independence Township, but administered independently since its incorporation ...

sold out in 29 minutes, a feat previously conquered by

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...

and

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...

. The response led Twain to add additional dates in North America along with dates in Australia and the United Kingdom. To introduce the tour, Twain narrated:

It's going to be a big party that I happen to be hosting. Pretty high energy for most of the time. I llget out on tour, I’ll be able to do a full show of original songs that people will be familiar with. It's going to be ideal, almost like I couldn’t have planned it better, even though I didn’t really plan it at all. I am glad I waited, and I’m going to give it all I’ve got to make it everything the fans have been waiting for.

By 1998, Twain was an established country music sensation, selling over ten million albums, with her latest album selling over five million in the United States. Rumors began circulating within the media concerning Twain's vocal ability. Many critics saw Twain as a "studio voice", doubting her ability to sing live. The success of ''Come On Over'' prompted Twain to tour. Twain dismissed rumors stating at that time, she would rather focus on producing her next album than touring. She responded, "You have a huge record, you do a huge tour, you come home exhausted and you somehow have to turn out another record, fast, that everyone will compare to the first one. It was a very good decision not to tour in '95 ..If I had toured then, he tourthis year would not have been nearly as exciting." She further asserted she wanted to tour in 1995 but wanted the anticipation of a tour to build amongst her fan base. She further states she was very confident as a live performer, dismissing critics who felt Twain couldn't translate her success to the stage. Twain says she was proud to have her album, ''The Woman in Me'', sell so well without a supporting tour. "It didn't make sense financially of course. I could have capitalized. But my intentions were to have a longer career than just that year." Rehearsals began in May 1998 at the Olympic Center in

Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303. The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsbur ...

. Twain says she was shocked to hear of the success of the tour, believing she would only sellout floor seats in the arenas and amphitheaters where the concerts were performed. She would later comment on how comfortable she felt with touring compared to her early days of success as a nightclub performer in Ontario. Twain recalls traveling in busted vans, hauling her own equipment and the minimal wages she received during that time. However, she states she was very young and saw it as an opportunity to have fun. To help promote the tour, Twain held radio contests in the markets where she would perform. The winner would appear on stage with Twain to perform her first single, " What Made You Say That", with the band, while Twain performed the backing vocals. On March 18, 1999, at the

Corel Centre Canadian Tire Centre (french: links=no, Centre Canadian Tire) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located in the western suburb of Stittsville. It opened in January 1996 as the Palladium and was also known as Corel Cen ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, 14 year old

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, '' Let Go'' (2002), is the best-selling album of the 21 ...

performed on stage with Twain and was later signed to

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertain ...

the following year. For a similar contest, Twain chose nine singers and fours drummers from

Shaker Heights High School Shaker Heights High School is a public high school located in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The high school is the only public high school in the Shaker Heights City School District, which serves Shaker Heights and a small part o ...

to perform onstage with her at

Blossom Music Center Blossom Music Center, locally referred to simply as Blossom, is an outdoor amphitheatre in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States. The venue is the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra and site of the ensemble’s annual Blossom Festival. Blossom ...

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Cuyahoga Falls ( or ) is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 51,114. The second-largest city in Summit County, it is located directly north of Akron and is a suburb of the Akron metro ...

. On its premiere concert, Twain became emotional after performing " From This Moment On". After composing herself, she told the audience about the death of her parents and explained how it motivated her to have the life she's able to live now. She continued her story stating the last performance her parents saw of her was when she opened for

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

and the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toron ...

at the

Roy Thomson Hall Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located downtown in the city's entertainment district, it is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the Toronto Defiant. Opened in 1982, its ...

on February 8, 1987. While on the road, Twain received additional recognition, earning two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

s, diamond certification on both ''The Woman in Me'' and ''Come On Over'' and she appeared on VH1 Divas alongside

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has bee ...

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the ...

and

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the "Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

. Furthermore, Twain participated in a benefit concert for Amnesty International in Paris, France at the

Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Palais () may refer to: * Dance hall, popularly a ''palais de danse'', in the 1950s and 1960s in the UK * ''Palais'', French for palace **Grand Palais, the Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées **Petit Palais, an art museum in Paris * Palais River in t ...

. She performed with

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...

, and Radiohead. To continue her philanthropy, Twain visited survivors of the

Columbine High School massacre On April 20, 1999, a school shooting and attempted bombing occurred at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, United States. The perpetrators, twelfth grade, 12th grade students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and ...

and donated the proceeds of her May 11, 1999 concert at Coors Amphitheatre to the high school.

Opening acts

* Leahy (North America—Leg 1 & 2) (Europe) *

(North America—Leg 2 & 3) (select dates)

Set list

North America (leg 1 and 2), Australia and Europe #"

Man! I Feel Like a Woman! "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain from her third studio album, '' Come On Over'' (1997). Written by Twain and her longtime collaborator and then-husband Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who also produced ...

" #"

Honey, I'm Home "Honey, I'm Home" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music artist Shania Twain. It was released in August 1998 as the sixth single from her album ''Come On Over (Shania Twain album), Come On Over'', and the fifth to country radi ...

" #" You Win My Love" #" Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" #"

You're Still the One "You're Still the One" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released as the third single from her third studio album '' Come On Over'' (1997). The song was written by Twain and Robert John "Mutt" Lange and produced by Lang ...

" #"I Won't Leave You Lonely" #" Come on Over" #" Love Gets Me Every Time" #" I'm Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life)" #" When" #Medley: " Home Ain't Where His Heart Is (Anymore)" / " The Woman in Me (Needs the Man in You)" / " You've Got a Way" #"

That Don't Impress Me Much "That Don't Impress Me Much" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian singer Shania Twain. It was released in December 1998 as the sixth country single, and seventh single overall, from her third studio album, ''Come On Over'' (1997). It was ...

" #"If It Don't Take Two" ³ #"Black Eyes, Blue Tears" #" God Bless the Child" #" What Made You Say That" ¹ #" No One Needs to Know" #"

Any Man of Mine "Any Man of Mine" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was issued to US radio in April 1995 as the second single from her second studio album '' The Woman in Me'' (1995). Twain wrote the song with Ro ...

" #"

Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You) "Don't Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)" is a song by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was released in November 1997 as the second single from Twain's album '' Come On Over'' but was the seventh to be released to international marke ...

" ² #" From This Moment On" ;Encore #

(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here! "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!" is a song co-written and recorded by Canadian country music singer Shania Twain. It was released in November 1995 as the fourth single from her second studio album, '' The Woman in Me'' (1995). Wri ...

" (contains elements of "Any Man of Mine")

" Rock This Country!"

¹Performed by local contest winner only, with Twain performing backing vocals.
²Performed with opening act, Leahy, for the first two North American legs and Europe.
³Performed at select dates. North America (leg 3) #"

" #" Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?" #" Love Gets Me Every Time" #"I Won't Leave You Lonely" #" When" #"

" #"

" #" No One Needs to Know" #" Come on Over" #"

" #" Rock This Country!" #" God Bless the Child" #" I'm Holdin' On to Love (To Save My Life)" #"

" #" From This Moment On" ;Encore: #

" You Win My Love"

" #

Band

* Marc Muller – pedal steel, guitar * Randal Waller – guitar * Brent Barcus – guitar * Andy Cichon – bass *

J. D. Blair JD Blair is an American drummer who plays country music, Christian music and other genres. He has released four solo albums, and is mentioned as an influential character in Victor Wooten's book ''The Music Lesson'' as well as Wooten's DVD ''G ...

– drums * Roddy Chong – fiddle, guitar, mandolin, percussion * Allison Cornell – fiddle, keyboards, mandolin * Hardy Hemphill – keyboards, percussion, harmonica, accordion * Cory Churko – guitar, fiddle

Tour dates

;Festivals and other miscellaneous performances :This concert was a part of

Summerfest Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's central business district. Summerfest attracts a ...

:This concert was a part of Westfair County Fair :This concert was a part of

Great New York State Fair The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New York's largest an ...

:This concert was a part of Z-100's Annual Jingle Ball :This concert was a part of

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called RodeoHouston or abbreviated HLSR, is the largest Livestock show, livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world. It includes one of the richest regular-season professional rodeo events. It has been ...

Box office score data

Broadcasts and recordings

Twain filmed the tour on three separate occasions. For video release, the concert at the

Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks. The venue ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

on September 12, 1998. It featured Twain performing all of her hit songs from her first three albums. The show aired live on

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California, El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary ...

for its customers at no additional cost. The footage was released the following year titled ''

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music * Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of album ...

''. The video was certified platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

for shipments exceeding 100,000 units. In 1999, the concerts at the Bayfront Park Amphitheatre were filmed for a concert special airing on TNN. The special entitled ''Shania Twain: Winter Break'' gave the viewer a behind-the-scenes look of the tour and Twain's personal life. At the concerts, Twain was joined onstage by English recording artist

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

, to perform "You're Still the One", "

Something About the Way You Look Tonight "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" is a song by English musician Elton John, taken from his 25th studio album, ''The Big Picture''. It was written by John and Bernie Taupin, and produced by Chris Thomas. It was released as the album's ...

" and "Amneris' Letter". On January 16, 1999, Twain was also joined by

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

n boyband, the

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...

to perform their hit, "

All I Have to Give "All I Have to Give" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys, produced and written by Full Force, and released as the third and final single from their second album '' Backstreet's Back'' and the sixth and final single from their US debut ...

" and Twain's " From This Moment On". The special aired on August 30, 1999. After the release of her "Live" video, Twain filmed an additional concert special at the

Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...

Irving, Texas Irving is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in Dallas County, it is also an inner ring suburb of Dallas. The city of Irving is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. According to a 2019 estimate from the United States Census Bur ...

. Named ''Come On Over'', Twain performed in front of 40,000 spectators for the special, which aired on CBS on Thanksgiving night. In 2001, both specials were released to

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

titled ''The Specials'', showing highlights from both concerts. Twain's benefit concert in Paris '' The Paris Concert for Amnesty'', filmed on December 10, 1998, was highlighted on the DVD release titled ''The Paris Concert for Amnesty International''. It featured only two performances, "Black Eyes, Blue Tears" and "You’re Still the One". The full concert aired on Viewers Choice in Canada. #"

" #"

" #" You Win My Love" #"

" #"Black Eyes, Blue Tears" #" God Bless the Child" #"

" #"

Critical reception

Although the tour became a financial success, it received mixed feedback from music critics. John Young ''(

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...

)'' found the concert at the Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheater "too perfect". He writes: "There is nothing inherently wrong with big, loud pop music when its delivered with occasional country twinges. But Twain's music sounded almost too slick and perfectly packaged. Her hit 'You're Still the One,' lacked soul and fire, while most other tunes missing any distinguishing characteristics that made them Twain's own." The performance at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena was called "electrifying" by Chris Wille ''(

The Spokesman-Review ''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...

)''. He states: "The night's highlight? Practically every song. On 'Any Man Mine,' fans sang along. After '(If You're Not In It for Love) I'm Outta Here!' Twain disappeared through a giant drum, returning in yet another costume. She owned the crowd, and they loved every second of it".

References

External links

Twain's Official WebsiteTwain's Official Facebook ProfileTwain's Official Myspace
{{Shania Twain Shania Twain concert tours 1998 concert tours 1999 concert tours