Dixie Chicks on 'Top of the World,' confetti and all

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jul 18, 2003 | by Chad Jones, STAFF WRITER

ABOUT 12 songs into their concert Wednesday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines referred to "the incident."

Introducing the song "Truth No. 2," Maines said that while recording the Patty Griffin-penned tune, she and fellow Chicks Emily Robison and Martie Maguire hadn't really understood the lyric "You don't like the sound of the truth coming from my mouth."

But about four months ago, Maines told a London audience that she was ashamed that President Bush, like the Chicks themselves, had come from Texas.

You probably remember what happened after that -- attempted boycotts, CD burnings, radio bans and a temporary lull in CD sales.

The whole Dixie-Bush scandal has died down, and the Chicks are winding up their "Top of the World" tour, which made a stop Tuesday at the Oakland Arena before heading down to San Jose.

The wildly popular country trio may not have made any political speeches on stage, but two Chicks actively promoted peace. Lead vocalist Maines wore a black tank top with a white spray-painted peace sign on it, while fiddle player Maguire dangled a shiny silver peace banner from above her left back pocket. Only banjo and guitar strummer Robison refrained from making a bid for peace.

What the Chicks were saying with their ensembles aside from the peace signs is another story. Their garish clothing can only be described as what might pass for punk in a Dallas suburb.

But adoring fans don't come to a Dixie Chicks concert for high fashion. They come for renegade country music that dares to flirt with pop, rock and bluegrass traditions, often simultaneously.

That the Chicks have achieved such phenomenal popularity with so many age groups -- entire families from toddlers to youngish seniors filled the arena Wednesday -- is mind-boggling. This is country music elevated to major rock 'n' roll status.

Several times during the show, for instance, Maguire would launch into a fiddle solo, and the crowd would react as if Clapton were launching into "Layla."

An overly loud arena show is really no place to hear sensitive vocals and beautifully played stringed instruments. The Chicks seem to know this, so they sacrifice some of the brilliant musicianship found on their three CDs (especially on "Home," their best and most recent disc) to put on a raucous show complete with confetti cannons, over-active video screens and some ridiculous special effects.

The trio's hit cover of Stevie Nicks' "Landslide" is a beautiful song and doesn't really need a cascade of paper flower petals falling from the rafters, nor does it need the effect of dorky silk flowers popping out of the stage floor.

Lame theatricality aside, the "Top of the World" show managed to cram 22 songs, most from "Home" and "Fly," the Chicks' second album, into about 100 minutes, leaving very little time for any personalities to emerge. Arrangements stuck close to the album originals and patter was kept to a minimum.

What made the strongest impression was Maines' clarion voice. Because of arena amplification, lyrics were difficult to discern, but most in the audience seemed to know the words already and happily sang along.

Even though specific words got lost, Maines' crisp cry and winsome wail came through loud and clear on musical highlights such as "Top of the World," "There's Your Trouble" and "Long Time Gone."

Maguire and Robison provided tight back-up harmonies on "Cold Day in July" and the ballads "A Home" and "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)."

In an ideal world, the Dixie Chicks would be able say whatever they want about whatever government they want, and their more sedate acoustic shows would fill small auditoriums and theaters across the globe. When the hype dies down, it will be nice to get back to the gorgeous music.

You can e-mail Chad Jones at cjones@angnewspapers.com or call (925) 416-4853.