Sensational Celine goes on with class

One couldn't help but make "Titanic" jokes as Canada's sweetheart, Celine Dion, brought her "Lets Talk About Love" Tour into Detroit on Wednesday night for the second of two concerts. She remarked about her career that she didn't do much this past year, except get on a boat.

The show took place in-the-round, on a stage in the center of the arena. For nearly two hours, she bounded around in heels, singing her power ballads. The show as well as her music seemed to combine elements of pop and hard rock, for a Cher-meets-Aerosmith atmosphere. At each corner of the stage her musicians - six in all - were placed on platforms that were raised and lowered throughout the show, as her three back-up singers roamed around her.

The average age of the crowd seemed mainly older than 30 with the occasional group of young teenage girls who, while definitely noticeable, didn't seem too numerous in this "adult contemporary" audience.

There were two negative aspects of the show that should be brought out first simply because they were unnecessary and rather corny elements of the performance that took away from the overall musical quality. Twice during the evening she sang virtual duets, once with Barbra Streisand, and another time with the Bee Gee's. This lame computer trick seemed like cheap sensationalism that seemed to trivialize her abilities as a performer. Put simply, it just wasn't necessary.

Other than those two moments of Cyber-rock at its not-so-finest the show was solid in form from the beginning when she opened the show with "Let's Talk About Love." Complete with children's choir, which looked somewhat terrified up on stage, it remained kind of like a theme song for the rest of the evening. Considering that most of the songs fall into the category of love, or lost love.

The evening was marked by such hits as "Its All Coming Back to Me" and "All By Myself," were executed brilliantly, giving her voice, as well as her guitarist, many chances to shine. During this time, there were a couple of upbeat songs mixed with the ballads as well as her latest "Love You More" complete with its violin solo.

About an hour into the show, the band converged at center stage for the customary Unplugged, or "Pit Session," which seems to occur at just about every modern rock show these days. While giving her a chance to sit down, she used it to pay homage to Roberta Flack, The Beatles, Eric Clapton and Frank Sinatra.

Following this, she introduced the band and left the stage, only to return in a white suit. She told the crowd she was going to turn this place into a dance party. A huge disco ball was then lowered and she played "Stayin Alive" and "You Should Be Dancing." It's somewhat ironic that these were the songs that propelled "Saturday Night Fever," whose supremacy as the greatest-selling soundtrack was knocked off thanks to Dion and "Titanic" this year. While this part of the performance was rather corny it was still a break from her slow songs, it served as a crowd pleaser. It was after this that she made her ill-fated Online collaboration with the Gibb brothers.

As the Palace went totally dark, the cigarette lighters began to flicker and a slow roar began to develop. As the intro to "My Heart Will Go On" began the place erupted in a concrete shattering roar. At one side of the stage, a few bars were raised to resemble, you guessed it, the front of a ship. She emerged dressed in '20s style clothes and sang her smash hit as thousands mouthed the words in an almost hypnotic unison - a sight that would terrify many of her detractors. She then left the stage once again, surrounded by an army of security guards and she still managed to make an impact as she brought one teenage girl to tears by touching her hand.

While Celine Dion's music is the epitome of commercialism, the show could serve as the model for it. It proved that even the most blatant exposure can have at least some redeeming qualities. Dion and her band, for the most part, kept focused on the music with absolute precision, serving as the major force, not just the hit songs.

Even if she is on everything from Blockbuster's in-store reels to "South Park," she showed that it is still possible to do it with style.

Sept. 23, 1998
The Palace

Celine Dion

09-25-98