Whether posing naked on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, or going on national TV to defend
their free-speech rights, no one can accuse the Dixie Chicks of playing it safe.
The same can be said of their stop-over for two sold-out shows at Chicago's United Center
last week.
Opening act Joan Osborne wasn't exactly a safe choice, either. Joan is a rocker, not C&W,
and her lyrics are as in-your-face as Dixie Chicks' singer Natalie Maines' comments against
George W. Bush.
But the concert was for their fans, and it was one big love-fest for the mostly female, mostly
white crowd—with quite a few lesbians and gays sprinkled in.
Osborne treated the audience to her hits including 'One of Us,' 'St. Teresa,' and 'I'm Gonna
Love You Anyway.' She told the crowd that 'Tonight is the night to show [the Dixie Chicks] all
the love and respect you have for them.'
The Chicks came on to the roar of the crowd, the stage located in the center of the arena with
lots of room for the trio to take 'laps' around for their adoring fans.
They started with their most controversial song to date, 'Goodbye Earl,' about a woman killing
her abuser, and moved quickly into 'Some Days You Gotta Dance,' 'Long Time Gone,' and
'Tortured, Tangled Hearts.' Next up was their 'Travelin' Soldier,' a tribute to heroes of many
wars, followed by a guest appearance by Osborne singing a beautiful duet with Maines on
'Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way).' I'd pay for a video of that!
'Hello Mr. Heartache and 'Cold Day in July' were followed by 'White Trash Wedding,' which
provided a great way to highlight the trio's backup band. 'Lil' Jack Slade' was next, followed
by a heartwrenching 'A Home,' with the most complex scenery for the night, a centerpiece
cloth tree.
A hush fell over the crowd as Maines addressed the crowd, saying 'We don't like to talk about
the incident much.' But she added that the next song, 'Truth #2,' was chosen for their newest
album prior to the recent controversy—and it serves as a great reminder of their values. 'Ever
since ... the incident happened, I understand every word of 'Truth #2,'' she said. The song
was accompanied by a video with hundreds of images about civil rights. Among the topics and
people the video included were Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, women's
suffrage, 'Women Power' banners, freedom of choice, free speech, book burning, disco
records being broken, NOW, censorship, tolerance, and the phrases 'Censorship is
Unamerican' and 'Seek the Truth.'
It even included, very boldly, signs for 'Gay and Lesbian Equality' and 'Freedom to Marry'—a
sign carried by a prominently displayed gay male couple.
This powerful song was followed appropriately by 'If I Fall You're Gong Down With Me.' The
Bob Dylan song 'Mississippi' was next, with 'Cowboy Take Me Away' following.
After moving around and around the stage most of the night, the trio settled down on an inner
stage that rotated itself for slower numbers including 'Godspeed (Sweet Dreams),'
'Landslide' and 'Wide Open Spaces.' Their hit 'Ready To Run' also pleased the crowd.
After a lengthy roar of applause that would make Michael Jordan proud, the Chicks returned
for their encore with Patty Griffin's 'Top of the World,' premiering their video for the song as a
backdrop. 'Sin Wagon' ended the night for the Chicks' May 29 show.
Chicks fiddler Martie Maquire received loud cheers each time she went into a solo. The
musicianship of Maines, Maquire and Emily Robison is refreshing. It wasn't about a lot of extra
special effects, stage lifts, loud noise, or dozens of outfit changes (note to Cher and Janet)—it
was about the music and the lyrics.
With the Chicago shows providing the Chicks with their largest crowds to date on this 2003
tour, the Chicks were able to leave town with their guitars and fiddles held very high.