Nice glasses marks on my nose. I didn�t have contacts then. That is me with a girl at the Dixie Chicks concert, their �Fly� tour in 2000 long before I and the rest of the media whores, fans and instant ex-fans went to our corners where we still sit now. I�m in the corner with the people who I�m sure LAUGHED like she immediately did at what she said and stood up loud and strong behind them kept their songs on their MP3 players and made a point to buy their albums- not bulldoze them over.
I haven�t stopped listening to the new album since the day I bought it. There are three songs that are still growing on me that I will admit I skip a lot. Still pretty good considering what you get with most CDs.
Last night [i]Shut Up and Sing[/i] their new documentary filmed by previous Oscar winner Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck was shown in limited release at theaters around the Lower Mainland it releases to the rest of the public on November 3. I had to be there. So much so, that I stepped over my ban of Paramount/Cineplex Entertainment theaters to support them. I did not pay attention to the ghastly food prices but Adam mentioned, and we both laughed at the dollar going to Breast Cancer Research off a twelve dollar and thirty nine cent meal, you�d think they�d give a wee bit more and I read a magazine through their bull shit ads. I would have watched Ellen�s new American Express one had it have played. Of course.
I have never clapped in the middle of a movie before and I clapped a couple times in this one. I thought I�d cry more but I didn�t. I fingered the screen.
Adam is ummm not a fan he can�t stand Natalie Maines�s voice but he does appreciate the group�s overall instrumentation or at least I thought he did and he went to the movie with me because he loves me but he didn�t know that Chad Smith from the Chili Peppers played(s) drums for them and turned and said �Is THAT Chad Smith [before his name came up in BIG letters that said CHAD SMITH, DRUMS] I don�t like the Chili Peppers now either then�. Later, I said �so what do you hate Bonnie Raitt now too�? [she does background vocals on the disk and one of her songs is on our wedding CD.]
When Bush reasoned that they shouldn�t have their feelings hurt because people don�t want to buy their albums, Maines�s response with an F-bomb and other choice words got some of the strongest yet most supportive reactions from the audience.
Even knowing that they aren�t going to get shot to death after the death threats when they perform for the first time in Austin after Natalie spoke her truth you can�t not feel their strength and courage to have come up from under that stage blasting “Goodbye Earl”.
This documentary takes you briefly from the start of their music career but officially starts in showcasing their patriotic 2003 Super Bowl performance then straight to the opening night of their �Top of the World� tour in London where Natalie made the now infamous statement �just so you know we�re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas� and going from being the biggest selling female band in history to having to live instantly under the movie�s slogan of “Freedom of speech is fine, as long as you don’t do it in public.”
It is an extremely intimate look into all three of their lives and the impact those words you hear come out of her mouth in full context had on them their careers and their family and I personally agree it was the best thing that could have happened to them. Three women stuck together and fought all the odds have never taken no for an answer and reinvented themselves entirely.
I love their lyrics, their music; I can rarely get through the new album without shedding a wee tear. I can not relate to death threats but I�ve related to their words since �Wide Open Spaces� spoke to me of leaving home a year after the fact.
If you are a Bush lover I don�t even think I have to tell you to stay away from the film unless you want to see if it is your blog they are reading from when the backlash begins but if you want to see some Chicks kick some hard core ass country style and show the media who is boss then I�d go and I�d go now or I guess on November 3rd.
