January 9, 2009 - Houston, TX (Toyota Center)

[Cambroneroj]

I just bought 2 tickets from ticketsnow.com for some friends ,they have plenty of tickets , maybe its not a sold out show. I cant wait !!!! im taking non Celine fans tonite to the show. Maybe we'll end up with new fans by the end of the concert.

[I Surrender]

have a great eve to all who are going !!

[cannonball]

i practically ran out of work this afternoon. I cannot wait for the show, it feels like tonight's never going to get here!

[hazard211]

Im excited about tonight!! I passed by the arena and I want to go in already..

[cannonball]

2 more hours to go!!!

[takeachance]

Hope everyone enjoys concert. BEWARE all Babies in the audience!!!!!!!!!!

 

Dont get too close!!!!!

[Shesings2me]

Have fun peeps. Lots of luck if you have any Celine dreams that you want to come true tonight.

[Shesings2me]

I just bought 2 tickets from ticketsnow.com for some friends ,they have plenty of tickets , maybe its not a sold out show. I cant wait !!!! im taking non Celine fans tonite to the show. Maybe we'll end up with new fans by the end of the concert.

 

I'm damn sure you WILL!!!!

[KimboCosmo]

Have fun everyone!! Won't be long now until you'll be up and dancing like crazy!!

[CelineDionFan710]

thats for sure!

[QueenCeline]

How come she has so many shows in Texas but had only one in other states? Were there any others that got this many? Chicago has sooooo many people, and I would have gladly gone to them all, but she only had one. Why? Seems unfair

[Nmj]

Texas is a huge state

[Koolan]

The show is just about over.

[cannonball]

just got back, it was AWESOME! i'll post a review later, but i had a quick question.

 

when did she drop the show must go on and we will rock you from the show?

[AlyhBdtz]

How come she has so many shows in Texas but had only one in other states? Were there any others that got this many? Chicago has sooooo many people, and I would have gladly gone to them all, but she only had one. Why? Seems unfair

 

Cause Texas is huge! And people are really spread out, it can take 8 hours to drive across it if you're at the farthest ends! Also, it gives a chance for people to see Celine from other states nearby where she doesn't go (like Arkansas). In previous years when she didn't go to Mexico, it was closer for people from there to get to a concert in Texas too.

[SuperLove4Celine]

I think she should have sang "Home On The Range" for her Texan crowds! I'm just sayin'.

 

- Joe

[stevo]

Or "Like a Rhinestone Cowboy"

[Thomas]

Pics from the show and yet another great review:

 

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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

[Costa Santos]

Thomas, you are the best... lol... THANK YOU!

[jjlovescéline]

What a great review! Thomas, thanks for sharing the review and the photos!

 

-JJ-

 

[MustangSven]

Thanks so much for the pics Thomas. Hope we get to see some HQ's ?!

[nassim]

She is so beautiful

 

Merci Thomas

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/105zhop.jpg

[anewdayhascome]

thanks, now when the tour is about to finish Celine looks much more relaxed

[wolfepaw]

Thanks so much for the great pics, Thomas. And that was a wonderful review, too.

[MustangSven]

thanks, now when the tour is about to finish Celine looks much more relaxed

 

 

I have to totally agree. She really seems to be putting in 110% and is loving it.

The unfortunate part is..... the tour is almost over and we may not see her in public very often for quite some time....

[Shamrock_1982]

These are some of the best pics I've seen so far of the tour!!

She looks amazing, happy, healthy, and as if shes having alot of fun

 

Thanks Thomas for sharing

 

Darren.

[Cambroneroj]

What can I say , the show was awesome as always, the energy was there, yes hate me for saying this but her voice cracked a few times, during All by myself, it's a mans mans world and LCMM. I actually liked the fact that even her voice wasn't in 100%form she went for it, she tried to get to the note and you could hear and see the effort, to me, that makes her human(something we forget about often) and that's called give the people what they came to see.

 

I took a few friends who are NOT fans and at the end they were completely impressed with her energy charisma and of course voice,they even said , she is the best ;i must agree. Not long a go they dragged me to Madonna concert here in Houston and all of them told me how much more they enjoyed this concert. Celine looked happy, she didn't look tired. I love her legs, her dancers are the s***, they can dance I tell you.

 

The sound was incredible, some friends were up in the higher levels and they said: Yes we were up high but we had great seats!!! I think the fact that her team takes time to make sure everyone has a good view of the stage ,well since everyone is paying and everyone must get good sound right? and to have large video screens to see everything that's happening on stage!!! it just shows how much Celine and her team care about the people that come to see them, Every artist must learn from this, everyone deserves the best.

 

I waited one year to see her perform here in my second city and i would totally do it again.But I hope she takes a very very long break from all of this, she needs it , I still dont know how she does it.

Celine, take some time off, we love you and we need you to be ok, you have given all of us more then we can ask for, you are a true artist who cares about your fans , I am prould to call myself a die hard Celine Dion fan. Great show everybody!!!

 

I must say i waited for" The show must go on" But never came....

Edited January 10, 2009 at 04:33 PM by Cambroneroj

[galanie]

Thank you for the great review and great pics! I was there but unable to get good pictures even though I was on row 6. I now know to photograph the big screen, not the live action Hindsight is wonderful. Thanks again! The show was INCREDIBLE!!

 

Oh and as for the comments above about the voice break, There's no greater proof that she does NOT lip sync, is there? She's human, and I didn't even think about that until reading the above comment. Again, it was Incredible!

Edited January 10, 2009 at 04:37 PM by galanie

[CelineDionFan710]

I love the pics!!!!!! thanks thomas

[Elaine]

Thank you guys for the pictures and reviews! I'm curious about the fact she didn't sing The show must go on... Well, but as I haven't been here as frequently as I used to be, I guess I just missed something...