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Celine Dion soars on goofy charm, glorious vocals

 

Celine Dion has sold a staggering amount of albums (and earned her share of eye rolls) on the strength of her polished, sweeping ballads -- and they were all there during Friday night's sold-out Toyota Center crowd.

 

Women swooned. Hands waved through the air. Couples cozied up.

 

"That's my song!" one woman screamed as The Power of Love began. You and a few thousand others, sister.

 

Dion's voice is a piercing, at times electric, instrument. Onstage, she boasts an unparalleled, truly astonishing range. But she tempered the neck-deep pop drama with an offbeat, disarming personality.

 

This is one goofy diva, and it makes her all the more appealing -- and human.

 

She kicks up her mini-skirted legs for effect. Throws her head back with dramatic abandon. Punches into the air and plays a mean air guitar. And she punctuates larger-than-life love songs with scrunched up facial expressions and wide eyes that let you know she's in on the joke.

 

Dion also loves to chat with her crowd. "Don't get me started now. I'm a talker," she said.

 

Despite the warning, she told stories about son Rene Charles and her 81-year-old mother, who is on the road with her. (The "family adventure," Dion calls it.)

 

Her impressive stage was like a Rubiks Cube in motion, all sliding panels, hidden risers and conveyor belts. It was dropped squarely in the middle of the arena and boasted two catwalks that jutted into the audience.

 

Velvet ropes blocked off the front rows on all four sides. Dion and her crew entered from the back of the arena, and she reappeared center stage from beneath a huge video cube.

 

The electro-pop strains of I Drove All Night kicked in, and her platform rose into the air. The 10-piece band appeared from below, and the conveyor belts started up. It was a zippy blast of energy that segued directly into The Power of Love -- and the first of many soaring high notes.

 

Dion was clearly pumped to be onstage, and the energy was infectious during Taking Chances, a recent hit that updated her sound a bit (and samples the Eurythmics' Here Comes the Rain Again). Still, she brought the familiar Dion drama during It's All Coming Back to Me Now (complete with rolling thunder) and To Love You More, which boasts a lovely violin arrangement.

 

This type of sentiment certainly isn't for everyone. But there's something about Dion's tunes that's missing from the modern-day pop-diva catalog-- actual, full-on singing. (What an idea.)

 

Rihanna, Beyonce, Pink, even Mariah Carey sometimes sacrifice melody for attitude, flirty charm or overzealous riffing. Dion lets her voice do the work and simply belts. (Leona Lewis comes closest to the old-school diva blueprint.)

 

To be sure, Dion tried to hip things up a few times. She shimmied against gypsy-esque dancers during the Middle Eastern-influenced Eyes On Me, dressed in a flowing cape and a PG-rated dominatrix outfit. And she sang over a remixed version of uptempo hit I'm Alive.

 

But the big ballads are where her heart goes on, and on -- All By Myself, I'm Your Angel (minus R. Kelly, of course), a serviceable take on Heart's Alone and The Prayer (a video duet with Andrea Bocelli). Recent single My Love was a standout, thanks to Dion's subtle, nuanced reading.

 

She managed a sassy take on It's a Man's Man's Man's World and had the entire arena on its feet -- dancing goofily alongside her -- during Love Can Move Mountains. She brought searing vocal power and variety show kitsch to River Deep, Mountain High, twirling her portable mic stand like a baton while wearing a silver and gold majorette outfit.

 

Scenes from that movie -- you know the one -- signaled Dion's titanic finale. Candlelit chandeliers lowered from the ceiling as the familiar flute intro began. There was no chest-thumping during My Heart Will Go On, but it still resonated with the crowd. No icebergs here. Just an endearingly unconventional pop diva and her disciples.

 

By Joey Guerra, Houston Chronicle

goofy diva :rofl:

u will believe it if u see it. seriously the woman is crazy, in a good way :lol: it makes her one of us, so not a diva.

All By Myself

HQ !!

 

Various Clips

 

 

thanks suus y bean