Top of the World Tour

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Top of the World Tour


image_caption = Front of tour T-shirt
artist = Dixie Chicks
album = "Home"
start_date = March 10, 2003
end_date = October 12, 2003
number_of_legs = 3
number_of_shows = 70
last_tour = Fly Tour
(2000)
this_tour = Top of the World Tour
(2003)
next_tour = Vote for Change
(2004)

"Top of the World Tour" was the 2003 concert tour by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was in support of their album "Home", and named after the song "Top of the World" on that album.

History

The tour began in March with three concerts in Europe and Australia aimed at promotion; it was during the first of these that Natalie Maines made her infamous remarks in criticism of President George W. Bush at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. The first leg then took place in North America, running from the beginning of May to mid-August. (The Bush controversy, as well as another comment against a Toby Keith song, resulted in the state of North Carolina not wanting to let the Chicks in. Natalie Maines stated, " These fans paid their hard earned money to see us play, and we will give them the show they paid to see!" The concert went through.) The second leg took place in Western Europe in September, followed by a brief third leg in Australia that finished in early October. A couple of concerts back in the United States finished the tour.

This tour grossed $60.5 million dollars, making it the highest grossing country music tour of all time (since superseded by several artists). It was also the 8th highest-grossing tour of any genre in 2003.

The live album ' and DVD ' document the tour, with both being composites from multiple shows. Dressing room and on-stage scenes from the tour were included in the 2006 documentary "".

The show

The multi-tiered in-the-round stage was a feat of engineering complete with shifting hydraulic-lift levels, winding catwalks and walkways that extended over the heads of the audience. It weighed over 80,000 pounds and took up most of the arena floor. A crew of 120 traveled in thirteen busses and seventeen trucks. This tour also boasted the largest touring video show complete with 1.5 million LED lights that displayed graphics on video screens and on the floor of the stage. During the show, artificial flowers, grass, trees and even a windmill sprung up from underneath the stage. It took over 2000 amps of power and 240 pounds of CO2 gas to run the special effects for each show.

Pre-show recorded warm-up music was obviously oriented towards the band's political situation, including selections such as "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?", "Band on the Run", "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", and "Born in the U.S.A.".

During the show the three Chicks were used headset microphones to remain untethered, and were frequently well apart from each other. Nevertheless stage patter was fairly frequent, with a notable case of Martie Maguire confessing that her rather unusual clothing assemblage made her look like "Crack whore Barbie".

A new addition to the group's repertoire was a long, churning rendition of Bob Dylan's travelphobic "Mississippi".

Backing band

There may have been minor changes to this lineup depending on the venue.
*Roscoe Beck - bass
*John Deaderick - keyboards
*John Gardner - drums
*David Grissom - acoustic guitar, electric guitar
*John Mock - pennywhistle, concertina, percussion, guitar and more.
*Brent Truitt - mandolin
*Robbie Turner - steel guitar
*Keith Sewell - acoustic guitar

Tour Schedule

et List

In order played. There may have been minor changes to this order depending on the venue and the opening act.

US and Canadian Legs

#Goodbye Earl
#Some Days You Gotta Dance
#There's Your Trouble
#Long Time Gone
#Tortured, Tangled Hearts
#Travelin' Soldier
#Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)
#Hello Mr. Heartache
#Cold Day In July
#White Trash Wedding
#Lil' Jack Slade
#A Home
#Truth No. 2
#If I Fall You're Going Down With Me
#Mississippi
#Cowboy Take Me Away
#Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)
#Landslide (Sheryl Crow remix)
#Ready To Run
#Wide Open SpacesEncore:
#Top of the World
#Sin Wagon

European and Australian Legs

#Goodbye Earl
#Some Days You Gotta Dance
#There's Your Trouble
#Tortured, Tangled Hearts
#Travelin' Soldier
#Am I The Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way)
#Hello Mr. Heartache
#White Trash Wedding
#Lil' Jack Slade
#More Love
#Truth No. 2
#If I Fall You're Going Down With Me
#Mississippi
#Cowboy Take Me Away
#Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)
#Landslide (Sheryl Crow remix)
#Ready To Run
#Wide Open Spaces
#Give It Up Or Let Me GoEncore:
#Top of the World
#Sin Wagon

Opening Acts

Each artist accompanied the Dixie Chicks on a different leg of the tour.
*Joan Osborne - First half of US leg - May 1, 2003 to June 16, 2003
*Michelle Branch - Second half of US leg - June 19, 2003 to August 4, 2003
*Jann Arden - Canadian leg - August 6, 2003 to August 13, 2003
*The Thorns - European and Australian leg - September 6, 2003 to October 5, 2003

References

* [http://chickoholic.tripod.com/DixieChicks/index.html Dixie Chicks Henhouse]