Fly Tour Explained

Concert Tour Name:Fly Tour
Landscape:yes
Artist:Dixie Chicks
Album:Fly
Number Of Legs:4
Number Of Shows:89 in North America
This Tour:Fly Tour
(2000)
Next Tour:Top of the World Tour
(2003)

The Fly Tour (2000) was the debut North American concert tour by country music band The Chicks' (formerly the Dixie Chicks), performing sold-out shows in over 80 cities across Canada and the contiguous United States. The tour was primarily in-support of their sophomore album Fly (1999), as well as featuring songs from their debut album, Wide Open Spaces (1998). The Chicks would also feature several new or specially-selected songs at various stops on the tour, as well as an instrumental bluegrass “jam” piece titled “Roanoke”, alternating with another instrumental called simple “Brilliancy”.

History

Announced in mid-April 2000,[1] this was the Dixie Chicks' first headlining tour.[2] [3] Moreover, the group was jumping directly to playing mostly in arenas.[1] Since the sudden jump in the group's success in 1998, they had played as a supporting act for Tim McGraw and as part of the George Strait Country Music Festival and Lilith Fair, seeking to expose themselves to diverse audiences in building a fan base.[2] The live reputation the group developed for their instrumental prowess and performance strengths led to them embarking upon an ambitious, high-profile, large-venue tour of their own.[3]

Begun at the start of June 2000 with five dates in Canada, and with occasional two-week breaks in between legs, the tour was originally scheduled to end in September. However, after having grossed over $25 million for about 50 dates,[2] and averaging about 13,000 fans per show,[2] it was extended until early December,[2] when it concluded with four dates in the Chicks' native Texas.

In terms of commercial impact, LiveDaily termed the tour "a runaway success",[2] and it came at a time when the country music genre was in a box-office slump.[1] [3] It represented an innovation in a business sense, as three different promoters were used, covering different geographical regions of the country, rather than the more typical use of a different local promoter at each stop.[3] Chicks management did this in order to get more consistent messaging in marketing and promotion, which itself was aided by an over $3 million national advertising campaign.[3] The comically themed commercials showed the Chicks as touring neophytes, learning how to smash banjos and tear up hotel rooms.[1] Tour sponsors were MusicCountry.com and CMT, while one dollar of each ticket sale was donated to the World Wildlife Fund.[1]

In the end, the Fly Tour grossed over $47 million,[4] with an average attendance of over 12,000.[5] It was the biggest country music tour in 2000 by any single act[6] (trailing only the joint Tim McGrawFaith Hill Soul2Soul Tour)[7] and the sixth highest-grossing tour of any genre during the year.[4]

For 2000, the tour was nominated for Pollstar's most important award, that of Major Tour of the Year, but lost out to the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour.[8] It did however win Pollstar's Personal Manager of the Year award for the group's manager, Simon Renshaw,[8] who had negotiated the unusual promotion arrangements.[3]

The tour also had a cultural effect: the Encyclopedia of the Great Plains stated that the Fly Tour "gained a life of its own, making the Dixie Chicks a pop-cultural phenomenon, with young and enthusiastic audiences flocking" to see the group.[9]

The show

The shows themselves attracted both parents and their children.[6] [10] In particular, young girls could be seen dressing as their favorite member of the trio.[6] Slogans such as "Chicks Rule!" and "Chicks Kick Ass!" were prevalent during the tour.[6]

Production values were emphasized for the show, with eight trucks required to haul it.[3] A six-man band backed the three Chicks. Stage and show design involved members of the Cirque du Soleil team,[3] including lighting designer Luc Lafortune.[1] The stage was surrounded by a curtain that resembled a pair of jeans, complete with a working zipper. Various interactive pre-show activities kept the audience busy, as a huge remote-controlled mechanical fly circled over the audience. Then the show began, by the zipper dropping and the curtain falling away.

The Dixie Chicks' generally performed for about an hour and a half. The themes of the show veered between love songs and declarations of female independence, with the opener "Ready to Run" and the climactic "Goodbye Earl" both exemplifying the latter.[11] Video screens would sometimes show the music videos that went with a song, and other times would show humorous interludes, such as the trio's own fashion disasters from the past.[11] Other stage effects included a night full of stars with a setting moon for "Cowboy Take Me Away", and bubbles representing snow falling from the rafters for "Cold Day in July". The main set generally finished with what would become a furious concert staple of theirs, "Sin Wagon"; for the encores, "Goodbye Earl" – the song of the moment for Chicks fans – was often performed with the three Chicks spread out among the audience in different corners of the venue, while "Wide Open Spaces" was the occasion for a mass sing-along.

By the later stages of the tour, lead singer Natalie Maines was visibly pregnant with her first child, and was able to rest during the middle section of the show, which featured the trio performing numbers such as Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough" while sitting on a couch.[12] [13]

Critical reaction to the Fly Tour shows was generally positive. The New York Times called it "a slick, good-natured show that seesawed between clinging love songs and declarations of female independence."[11] Rolling Stone said that while the group "can pop and rock with conviction", at other times the show represented "stone-cold, hard-core honky tonk at its best", and that the youthful audience's roars of approval for the sisters' instrumental virtuosity – which it compared to those Eddie Van Halen got for guitar solos – was "damn near revolutionary".[14] Rolling Stone did criticize the "overly ambitious stage and lighting design" for detracting from the on-stage intimacy between the three group members and their backing band,[14] while The University News praised it, saying the show "appealed to the eyes with its unique stage and interesting special effects."[12] The Daily Universes reviewer called the group "the most exciting country-and-western group I have ever seen,"[15] while KAOS2000 magazine said "this trio of hotties know how to put on a show and definitely had control of the big arena stage."[16] A Citysearch.com writer said that Maines' voice was not the strongest in performance, but benefited from the joint strength when combined with the sisters'.[13]

Broadcasts and recordings

The August shows at Washington, D.C.'s MCI Center were filmed and used as the basis for an NBC network special called, "Dixie Chicks: On the Fly". The special aired November 20, 2000.[17]

Opening acts

Setlist

  1. "Ready to Run"
  2. "There's Your Trouble"
  3. "Hello Mr. Heartache"
  4. "Don't Waste Your Heart"
  5. "Without You"
  6. "If I Fall You're Going Down with Me"
  7. "I Can Love You Better"
  8. "You Were Mine"
  9. "Give It Up or Let Me Go"
  10. "Video Sequence"
  11. "Let Him Fly"
  12. "Heartbreak Town"
  13. "Strong Enough"
  14. "Brilliancy" (and/or "Roanoke" with a snippet of "Dixie Chicken")
  15. "Let 'Er Rip"
  16. "Tonight the Heartache's on Me"
  17. "Cold Day in July"
  18. "Some Days You Gotta Dance"
  19. "Cowboy Take Me Away"
  20. "Sin Wagon"
Encore
  1. "Goodbye Earl"
  2. "Wide Open Spaces"

There were some minor changes to this order depending on the venue and the opening act. "Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)", "Loving Arms", "Truth No.2", and "Merry Christmas From the Family" were also played during the tour.

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenueTickets Sold / Available Revenue
North America[19]
June 1, 2000WinnipegCanadaWinnipeg Arena
June 2, 2000SaskatoonSaskatchewan Place
June 3, 2000EdmontonSkyreach Centre
June 4, 2000CalgaryPengrowth Saddledome
June 8, 2000VancouverGeneral Motors Place
June 9, 2000SpokaneUnited StatesSpokane Veterans Memorial Arena
June 10, 2000TacomaTacoma Dome20,018 / 20,018$777,632
June 11, 2000PortlandRose Garden Arena15,636 / 15,636$607,184
June 15, 2000SacramentoARCO Arena
June 16, 2000San JoseSan Jose Arena
June 17, 2000AnaheimArrowhead Pond
June 18, 2000PhoenixAmerica West Arena
June 19, 2000AnaheimArrowhead Pond
June 22, 2000San DiegoCox Arena at Aztec Bowl
June 23, 2000Las VegasThomas & Mack Center
June 24, 2000Salt Lake CityDelta Center
June 25, 2000NampaIdaho Center Arena
June 29, 2000North Little RockAlltel Arena
June 30, 2000LafayetteCajundome
July 1, 2000BiloxiMississippi Coast Coliseum
July 13, 2000ChicagoUnited Center
July 14, 2000MilwaukeeBradley Center
July 15, 2000MinneapolisTarget Center
July 16, 2000FargoFargodome
July 19, 2000New York CityRadio City Music Hall
July 20, 2000
July 21, 2000AlbanyPepsi Arena
July 22, 2000WorcesterWorcester's Centrum Centre
July 23, 2000BuffaloHSBC Arena
August 3, 2000DenverPepsi Center
August 4, 2000Kansas CityKemper Arena14,426 / 14,426$557,078
August 5, 2000Oklahoma CityMyriad Convention Center Arena
August 6, 2000LubbockUnited Spirit Arena
August 10, 2000DallasReunion Arena27,456 / 27,456$1,063,847
August 11, 2000
August 12, 2000AustinFrank Erwin Center
August 13, 2000HoustonCompaq Center
August 17, 2000LouisvilleFreedom Hall15,974 / 15,974$629,952
August 18, 2000Auburn HillsThe Palace of Auburn Hills
August 19, 2000
August 20, 2000TorontoCanadaAir Canada Centre
August 24, 2000Washington, D.C.United StatesMCI Center
August 25, 2000
August 26, 2000Winston-SalemLawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
August 27, 2000AtlantaPhilips Arena
September 7, 2000HamptonHampton Coliseum
September 8, 2000CharlotteCharlotte Coliseum15,271 / 15,271$656,175
September 9, 2000NashvilleGaylord Entertainment Center15,285 / 15,285$692,630
September 10, 2000BirminghamBJCC Arena
September 14, 2000RichmondRichmond Coliseum
September 15, 2000RaleighRaleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena
September 16, 2000RoanokeRoanoke Civic Center
September 17, 2000NashvilleGaylord Entertainment Center
September 28, 2000SunriseNational Car Rental Center
September 29, 2000TampaIce Palace13,480 / 16,286$646,540
September 30, 2000OrlandoTD Waterhouse Centre
October 1, 2000JacksonvilleJacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum
October 6, 2000MolineMARK of the Quad Cities
October 7, 2000AmesHilton Coliseum11,521 / 11,521$546,939
October 8, 2000LincolnBob Devaney Sports Center
October 10, 2000Valley CenterBritt Brown Arena
October 12, 2000ColumbusValue City Arena
October 13, 2000University ParkBryce Jordan Center
October 14, 2000PhiladelphiaFirst Union Spectrum13,645 / 13,645$648,826
October 15, 2000PittsburghMellon Arena
October 19, 2000CincinnatiFirstar Center
October 20, 2000KnoxvilleThompson–Boling Arena14,647 / 14,647$611,929
October 21, 2000CharlestonCharleston Civic Center
October 22, 2000IndianapolisConseco Fieldhouse14,698 / 14,698$666,817
October 26, 2000ChampaignAssembly Hall
October 27, 2000St. LouisSavvis Center
October 28, 2000MemphisPyramid Arena
October 29, 2000New OrleansNew Orleans Arena
November 9, 2000LexingtonRupp Arena
November 10, 2000ClevelandGund Arena16,639 / 16,639$794,331
November 12, 2000ChicagoUnited Center
November 13, 2000Saint PaulXcel Energy Center
November 16, 2000ManhattanBramlage Coliseum
November 17, 2000DenverPepsi Center
November 19, 2000PhoenixAmerica West Arena
November 20, 2000San DiegoCox Arena at Aztec Bowl
November 21, 2000Los AngelesStaples Center
November 26, 2000OaklandThe Arena in Oakland
November 27, 2000BakersfieldBakersfield Centennial Garden
November 30, 2000San AntonioAlamodome15,152 / 15,152$673,706
December 1, 2000HoustonCompaq Center
December 2, 2000College StationReed Arena9,872 / 9,872$365,264
December 3, 2000Fort WorthTarrant County Convention Center Arena12,268 / 12,268$587,489
Cancellations and rescheduled shows
<--Date--><--Location--><--Venue--><--Reason/Additional Info-->
June 12, 2000Nashville, TennesseeTennessee State FairgroundsCancelled. Concert was originally a part of the Fan Fair
August 19, 2000TorontoAir Canada CentreRescheduled to August 20, 2000
August 20, 2000Grand Rapids, MichiganVan Andel ArenaCancelled
August 24, 2000PhiladelphiaFirst Union CenterCancelled
September 9, 2000Greenville, South CarolinaBI-LO CenterCancelled
October 23, 2000Evansville, IndianaRoberts Municipal StadiumCancelled

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dixie Chicks Step Up To Headliner Status . Evans . Rob . April 13, 2000 . . . November 20, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100726065817/http://www.livedaily.com/news/533.html . July 26, 2010 .
  2. Web site: Dixie Chicks to keep Fly tour alive into December . Evans . Rob . September 26, 2000 . LiveDaily . Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc . November 20, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185113/http://www.livedaily.com/news/Dixie_Chicks_to_keep_Fly_tour_alive_into_December-1885.html . September 30, 2007 .
  3. Web site: Dates Confirmed for "The Dixie Chicks Fly Tour" . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230717/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1472756/dates-confirmed-for-the-dixie-chicks-fly-tour.jhtml . dead . December 2, 2013 . Gray . Michael . April 14, 2000 . . . November 20, 2013.
  4. Web site: Tina Turner, 'NSYNC Had Year's Top-Grossing Tours . https://web.archive.org/web/20110605043651/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1435473/tina-turner-nsync-had-years-top-tours.jhtml . dead . June 5, 2011 . Hiatt . Brian . December 28, 2000 . . MTV Networks . November 20, 2013.
  5. Web site: Historical Dixie Chicks . . Dixie Chicks Official Website . November 20, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719183535/http://www.dixiechicks.com/06_historical.asp . July 19, 2011 .
  6. News: Dixie Chicks on Saturday Night Country . . 2000-09-26 . 2008-10-22.
  7. Book: Dickerson, James L. . Faith Hill: Piece of My Heart . . 2001 . 0-312-28195-1 . registration . pp. 139–140.
  8. Web site: Pollstar Concert Industry Awards Winners Archives – 2000 . . . November 20, 2013.
  9. Book: Dixie Chicks . Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. David J. Wishart . David J. Wishart. . 2004 . 0-8032-4787-7. p. 537.
  10. News: Take Me Out To the Rock Fest . Kaufman, Leslie . . 2000-08-06 . 2008-10-23.
  11. News: If Your Man Treats You Bad, It's Great to Break Loose but Even Better to Get Even . Pareles, Jon . . 2000-07-24 . 2008-10-23 . Jon Pareles.
  12. News: Dixie Chicks Let It Snow At Savvis . Dohrman, Rebecca . . 2000-11-02 . 2008-10-23.
  13. Web site: Review: Dixie Chicks At ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California . Glasen . Holly . June 18, 2000 . LiveDaily . Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. . November 20, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20000816100353/http://www.livedaily.com/news/1336.html . August 16, 2000 .
  14. Web site: Live Review: The Dixie Chicks Take Manhattan . Skanse . Richard . July 21, 2000 . . November 20, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081013203921/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/dixiechicks/articles/story/5924939/live_review_the_dixie_chicks_take_manhattan . October 13, 2008 .
  15. News: The Dixie Chicks in Salt Lake City . Merrill, Clay . . 2000-06-27 . fee required.
  16. News: Concert Review: Dixie Chicks 11/26/00 . Anderson, Philip . KAOS2000 . 2000 . 2006-03-25.
  17. News: Mason . Dave . November 20, 2000 . Dixie Chicks do the tube . . Bowling Green, Kentucky . News Publishing, LLC . November 20, 2013. 3B. 146. 323.
  18. Web site: Chicks fly high for home crowd . Davis. John . August 7, 2000 . . . November 20, 2013.
  19. Web site: Dixie Chicks Gear Up For Massive Road Trip . https://archive.today/20131120142207/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/820993/dixie-chicks-hit-road.jhtml . dead . November 20, 2013 . Flippo . Chet . April 14, 2000 . MTV News . MTV Networks . November 20, 2013.