Twain delivers no-frills gem

Leah Robinson

Monday, Dec. 22, 2003 | 9:18 a.m.

The world's best-selling female entertainer had fans packed to the rafters at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, signing autographs, posing for pictures and even taking her act up into the cheap(er) seats.

Her fan-friendly show is one reason people pay to see her again and again, even following the tour to nearby cities. But you don't have to be a diehard Twainiac to enjoy it.

The first order of business was to shatter any notion of "diva" surrounding her show. Before Twain made her entrance, a curtain with the silhouette of an elegantly dressed woman was lifted to reveal: no one. This trick diverted attention from Twain's real entrance from up in the audience wearing a red-and-white UNLV jersey, rhinestone-cuffed jeans and red tennis shoes.

Running up onto the multileveled stage, set in the round, Twain belted her hit "Man, I Feel Like a Woman." She followed that with the title track of her latest album, "Up!"

Twain's trademark Canadian twang infused her upbeat hits with energy and her ballads with a soulful purity. Particular standouts included the catchy ditty "That Don't Impress Me Much" and an acoustic version of "The Woman In Me (Needs The Man In You)," which she sang up in the stands on a stool surrounded by surprised fans.

Twain's powerhouse appeal contrasted with her campy, casual attire. For her second costume change, Twain sported overlapping pink-and-orange tank tops, black, cut-off parachute pants and black wrestling shoes (trimmed in pink and orange, of course; they'd be tacky otherwise.). For just the right touch of sparkle, a thick rhinestone choker and chunky rhinestone bracelets completed the look.

To be fair, however, Twain's easygoing, fun-loving persona would have a hard time shining through a formal gown (although she would look better in one).

Musically, Twain was on target all night, together with her nine-member band. On her hit "If You're Not in It for Love (I'm Outta Here)," the band enlisted help from Silverado High School's own drum line corps. The teenagers took the stage carrying every conceivable kind of drum, looking like pros and having fun too.

The notoriously bad acoustics in the events center tweaked the steel guitar riffs a few times, making a high-pitched squeal, but that was rare.

Indeed, Twain's biggest musical influence could well be Donny and Marie Osmond -- a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. Although there were a few cowboy hat-clad fans, the vast majority came without their cowboy boots and big belt buckles (if they even own them at all).

Just as some people put Twain into the "diva" category, she's also known mostly as a country singer -- another label which doesn't seem to fit.

True country fans got a little bone to gnaw on before Twain took the stage. Up-and-coming band Emerson Drive, another Canadian import, performed a Merle Haggard cover and a rousing rendition of Charlie Daniels' "Devil Went Down to Georgia."

Like Twain, this award-winning group defies convention, singing country, pop and rock tunes like U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name" with equal gusto.