Soul2Soul II Tour

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Soul2Soul II Tour


artist = Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
start_date = April 21, 2006
end_date = September 3, 2006
number_of_legs = 1
number_of_shows = 74, 2 cancelled
last_tour = Soul2Soul Tour
(2000)
this_tour = Soul2Soul II Tour
(2006), (2007)
next_tour =

The Soul2Soul II Tour 2006 was a co-headlining concert tour between country music singers, and husband and wife, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. The tour's shows featured elaborate production values using an open, cross-shaped stage. Performances consisted of a set by Hill and set by McGraw, with the two sharing duets before, during, and after the individual sets. Over the course of the show, the duets traced a thematic development starting at estrangement and ending in emotional closeness.

The tour capitalized on McGraw and Hill's popularity, both as musical artists and as a couple. It played 74 shows in 56 cities, and sold 1.1 million tickets.cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/05/AR2007070500544.html | title=For Country Power Couple, Family Comes First | author=Harrington, Richard | publisher="The Washington Post" | date=2007-07-06 | accessdate=2008-07-12] The tour grossed almost $89 million during 2006.cite news | url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16385870/ | title=Rolling Stones among biggest 2006 tours; Barbra Streisand, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill also among top grossers | publisher=Associated Press for MSNBC | date=2006-12-28 | accessdate=2008-07-12] For the year, it was the third-highest grossing tour in North America (behind The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour and Barbara Streisand's ); and the fifth-highest grossing tour in the world for 2006. [cite news | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003521640 | title=Stones' Bigger Bang Is Top-Grossing Tour Of 2006 | author=Waddell, Ray | publisher="Billboard" | date=2006-12-14 | accessdate=2008-07-12]

Soul2Soul II Tour 2006 became the highest-grossing country music tour of all time, a position it still holds as of December 2007.cite news | url=http://de.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=fe175889-42d3-4857-b1ff-17c4c37439db | title=Police Collar Top Tour of 2007 | author=Jenison, David | publisher=E! Online | date=2007-12-21 | accessdate=2008-07-12] For its accomplishments, it received Pollstar's top Concert Industry Award, the Major Tour of the Year Award, for 2006. [cite news | url=http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=7656 | title=The 18th Annual Concert Industry Awards | publisher=Pollstar | date=2007-02-09 | accessdate=2008-07-12]

The tour was then continued the following year, as the rebranded Soul2Soul 2007. Some new songs were added to the set list, but the overall structure and theme of the show remained. Soul2Soul 2007 grossed some $52 million. Together, the McGraw-Hill Soul2Soul tour has the highest gross for any multi-year country music tour ever, $141 million, breaking a mark previously held by Garth Brooks.cite news | url=http://www.gactv.com/gac/nw_headlines/article/0,3034,GAC_26063_5691184,00.html | title= Tim & Faith Break Country Tour Records | publisher=Great American Country | date=2007-09-06 | accessdate=2008-07-12] Over 1.6 million people saw the show over its two years.

History

2006 tour

The tour's name was a reprise of the couple's very successful 2000 Soul2Soul Tour. It capitalized on the couple's popularity as a couple: "The New York Times" wrote that, "Faith Hill and Tim McGraw may be the most popular married couple in country music, and maybe in all of pop music."

Hill and McGraw first announced the Soul2Soul II Tour on January 30, 2006.cite news | url=http://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=120&t=Tim_McGraw_Faith_Hill_Soul2Soul_II_tour | title=Tim McGraw/Faith Hill "Soul2Soul II" tour | publisher=Country Standard Time | date=2006-01-30 | accessdate=2008-07-12] It quickly became one of the fastest-selling concert events of the year, with additional shows added in 15 cities due to high ticket demand;Fact|date=July 2008 Ticketmaster labelled it the fastest-selling show of the year.cite news | url=http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_4128984 | title=Hill, McGraw earn tip of cowboy hats | author=Wenzel, John | publisher="The Denver Post" | date=2006-08-03 | accessdate=2008-07-12] Ticket sales passed the one million mark with the one-millionth fan attending the first of three shows in Los Angeles at the Staples Center.cite news | url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/10577.html | title=Tim McGraw, Faith Hill play surprise club gig | author=Evans, Rob | publisher=LiveDaily | date=2006-08-21 | accessdate=2008-07-12] The lucky fan was given a Dodge Charger as a thank you gift from the couple.

The tour began on April 21, 2006 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and after 73 shows concluded on September 3, 2006 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

On May 11, Hill and McGraw announced that the July 5 concert in New Orleans would benefit Gulf Coast hurricane relief efforts.cite news | url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1193845,00.html | title=Faith & Tim Set Concert for Katrina Relief | author=Silverman, Stephen M. | publisher="People" | date=2006-05-12 | accessdate=2008-07-12] From the beginning, Hill and McGraw have expressed a criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina and the other Gulf Coast hurricanes.cite news | url=http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Story?id=1702714&page=1 | title=Faith Hill, Tim McGraw Blast 'Humiliating' Katrina Cleanup | publisher=ABC News | date=2006-03-08 | accessdate=2008-07-12] Hill is a native of Mississippi and McGraw is a native of Louisiana. All of the net proceeds of the concert were targeted to Katrina relief efforts in those two states. Tickets for the concert went on sale several days later and within 30 minutes, the 17,000 available seats had sold out.Fact|date=July 2008 McGraw also played one of his informal "Bread and Water" shows, staged at local clubs after an arena show, with proceeds going to hurricane relief efforts as well.

2007 tour

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Soul2Soul 2007 Tour


artist = Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
start_date = June 5, 2007
end_date = August 11, 2007
number_of_legs = 1
number_of_shows = 44
last_tour = Soul2Soul II Tour 2006
(2006)
this_tour = Soul2Soul 2007
(2007)
next_tour = On February 4, 2007, it was announced that the couple would return to the road in the summer of 2007 with Soul2Soul 2007 due to the success of Soul2Soul II. They aimed to visit U.S. and Canadian cities they could not reach in 2006; the restart a year later was to still mainstain a mostly-summertime schedule, to accommodate their school-age children. [July issue of "Billboard" magazine.] On March 14, 2007, Tim McGraw announced on an appearance on "Good Morning America" that the Soul2Soul 2007 Tour would probably be the last time he and Hill would tour together. On March 16, 2007, the same day tickets went on sale for the performances in Canada, both of the singers' websites announced that additional shows had been added in select Canadian cities due to overwhelming ticket sales and it had been announced that the June 21 show in Saskatoon and the June 22 show in Winnipeg were record breaking sales. [http://www.faithhill.com/news-story/all/jeepandreg_presents_faith_hill_and_tim_mcgraw] The 2007 tour established a new record gross during both its two-day stop in Omaha and single day in St. Paul, Minnesota for a single country show. [According the Xcel Energy Center.]

In 2007, McGraw and Hill played forty-three shows over a nine-week period, with the Jeep brand as the title sponsor. The tour featured the duo's first-ever performances throughout Canada. The routing also includes shows in Lafayette, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi, that were specifically requested by McGraw and Hill as being close to where they grew up.

At the July 28 show in Lafayette, Louisiana, at the close of Tim McGraw's set, a female fan reached out and grabbed McGraw's nether regions. When Hill and McGraw returned for the encore, during their performance of "It's Only Love," Hill blasted the fan, waving her finger and saying into the microphone: "Somebody needs to teach you some class, my friend. You don't go grabbin' somebody else's, somebody's husband's [privates] , you understand me? That's very disrespectful!" [cite news | url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=5d74c9a3-fa22-4b97-9e40-156edbb24490 | title=Faith Hill Stands by Her Man's Manhood | author=Finn, Natalie | publisher-E! News | date=2007-07-31 | accessdate=2008-07-12] The incident attracted considerable media attention, [cite news | url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20054680,00.html | title=Faith Hill Talks About Crotch-Grabbing Incident | author=Hammel, Sara | publisher="People" | date=2007-09-05 | accessdate=2008-07-12] and Hill subsequently went on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to discuss it.

The stage and the show

The tour featured production values and cost usually associated with large-scale rock tours. A multi-million dollar, unique in-the-round stage set was used. A circular platform in the center of the arena floor was surrounded by a larger circle beneath it, where the band played; vertical scrims could fall down to enclose this area.cite news | url=http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/03/Artsandentertainment/Touching_fans__souls.shtml | title=Touching fans' souls | author=Huntley, Helen | publisher="The St. Petersburg Times" | date=2006-06-03 | accessdate=2008-07-12] Performers could disappear or arise through hidden platforms. Extending in all four directions from the circles were long, wide catwalks with mass-motion video screens embedded within them, with fans seated on both sides and at the ends of the catwalks.cite news | url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1529902/05012006/hill_faith.jhtml | title=McGraw and Hill Captivate Chicago Fans | author=Bonagur, Alison | publisher=CMT | date=2006-05-01 | accessdate=2008-07-12] Moving the whole 130,000 pound production from city to city took 150 roadies, 22 trucks, and 14 buses.

The show, which lasted from two and a half to two and three-quarters hours, was structured as a set by Faith Hill, followed by a set by Tim McGraw; in general audiences responded more strongly to McGraw's performance, hence Hill was placed in the opening spot. Before, in between, and after the individual sets, the two performed together. Throughout, Hill and McGraw used body language to convey the themes of the show; "The New York Times" wrote that "both singers have an extraordinary knack for making big gestures seem human-size."

The lyrical themes and the physical staging of the duet songs followed a connected thread throughout the course of the show, starting at one end of the emotional spectrum and ending at the other. The opening duet, the bitter "Like We Never Loved At All", was sung by the two at completely opposite ends of the stage, facing away from each other.cite news | url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/06/26/hill_and_mcgraw_win_with_big_show_big_personalities/ | title=Hill and McGraw win with big show, big personalities | author=Rodman, Sarah | publisher="The Boston Globe" | date=2006-06-26 | accessdate=2008-07-12] For the next duets, after Hill's set, they were near each other, but enclosing in a scrim and still not facing each other, as they sang "Angry All the Time" and "Let's Make Love". In the final group of duets, following McGraw's set, the two began to thematically reconcile, including a rendition of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry". In the last song of the night, the two sat knee-to-knee opposite each other, around an old-radio-style microphone, for a hushed performance of "I Need You".

Hill's performance emphasized her varied country, pop, and gospel flavorings, with arrangements that showcased her vocal control over her lower register. McGraw's performance was more oriented towards traditional country, and evinces a stronger stage presence, with his "Live Like You Were Dying" typically getting the biggest audience response. Hill's band played from the start of the show through the second joint appearance, after which McGraw's Dancehall Doctors backing outfit took over for the balance of the show.

The concerts even featured hints of a rock element, from a few of McGraw's arrangements to Hill's guitarist's U2 textures to the Who-like introductory music to the presence of KISS and Blue Öyster Cult in the pre-show music.

In the 2007 shows, the general approach and themes were similar, but a number of set list changes were made. The couple started the shows with a rendition of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars". New songs in Faith Hill's set included "Wild One", "The Secret of Life", and "Lost". McGraw's set included material that he had not performed in years, including "Indian Outlaw", "Everywhere", and "She's My Kind of Rain". He did omit "Don't Take the Girl", a long-time standby. The 2007 tour saw the addition of opening acts; with their 30 minute performances, the overall evening ran three hours or longer.

et list

oul2Soul II Tour 2006

References

External links

* [http://www.soul2soul2007.com/login Official Soul2Soul 2007 tour website]

;Concert reviews – 2006
* [http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=181179 Columbus, Ohio; Country music’s first couple dazzling in tour opener]
* [http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1529902/05012006/hill_faith.jhtml Chicago, Illinois; McGraw and Hill Captivate Chicago Fans]
* [http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060513/1056386.asp Buffalo, New York; McGraw and Hill delight their fans]
* [http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/entertainment/14581488.htm Lexington, Kentucky; Power couple hit the notes but lacked a certain harmony]
* [http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/sports/badgersHockey/index.php?ntid=84453 Madison, Wisconsin; Hill and McGraw get warm welcome]
* [http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/14625548.htm St. Paul, Minnesota; The draw of McGraw is clear]
* [http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/03/Artsandentertainment/Touching_fans__souls.shtml Tampa, Florida; Touching fans' souls]
* [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/orl-faithreview,0,7018576.story?coll=orl-calmusictop Orlando, Florida; Review of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's 'Soul2Soul II']
* [http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149188325565 Richmond, Virginia; Hill shines, but it's McGraw's night]
* [http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060613/ENT05/60613001&SearchID=73247557086929 Rochester, New York; McGraw, Hill pack Arena with cheers]
* [http://www.pennlive.com/weblogs/vault/ Hershey, Pennsylvania; Hill, McGraw perform at top of their game]
* [http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/14873098.htm University Park, Pennsylvania; McGraw and Hill on a roll with Soul 2 Soul II]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/26/arts/music/26fait.html New York, New York; Hill and McGraw Share Their Love Story With Audiences of Thousands]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/06/26/hill_and_mcgraw_win_with_big_show_big_personalities/ Boston, Massachusetts; Hill and McGraw win with big show, big personalities]
* [http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=145590 Boston, Massachusetts; McGraw-Hill are bestsellers]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/30/AR2006063001451.html Washington D.C.; How Sweet It Is: McGraw & Hill at Verizon]
* [http://www.nola.com/newslogs/lagniappe/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_lagniappe/archives/2006_07.html New Orleans, Louisiana; Tim McGraw and Faith Hill dazzle a record Arena crowd]
* [http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060707/NEWS01/607070326 Bossier City, Louisiana; Tim McGraw, Faith Hill make fans happy]
* [http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060712/ENT03/307120017/-1/CINCI Cincinnati, Ohio; No surprises from McGraw, Hill]
* [http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/COLUMNISTS15/607130495/-1/ZONES04 Indianaplois, Indiana;McGraw and Hill find harmony at Fieldhouse]
* [http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/reviews.nsf/concert/story/801ABBD59F7B73F7862571AC004BD1F5?OpenDocument St. Louis, Missouri; Faith Hill and Tim McGraw]
* [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=468934 Milwaukee, Wisconsin; McGraw still drives 'em wild]
* [http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-tim_0722gl.ART0.State.Edition2.22bb9fe.html Dallas, Texas; Power of Two]
* [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/4066518.html Houston, Texas; Tim, Faith share their love with a sold-out crowd]
* [http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/music/stories/MYSA072406.2B.SoulIISoul.19c0e72.html San Antonio, Texas; Hill, McGraw serve up the hits in show that gets close to fans]
* [http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section=9&screen=news&news_id=51259 Nashville, Tennessee; Hill, McGraw put heart into Soul 2 Soul II tour]
* [http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1537518/07312006/hill_faith.jhtml Nashville, Tennessee; McGraw, Hill Nervous at Nashville Tour Stop]
* [http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/entertainment/15169795.htm Cleveland, Ohio; Country couple electrifies crowd]
* [http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_4128984 Denver, Colorado; Hill, McGraw earn tip of cowboy hats]
* [http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_4139868 Salt Lake City, Utah; McGraw-Hill: Textbook country]
* [http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,645191274,00.html Salt Lake City, Utah; Hill and McGraw sizzle night away]
* [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/280763_mcgraw10q.html Seattle, Washington; McGraw, Hill get royal welcome at KeyArena]
* [http://www.insidebayarea.com/bayarealiving/ci_4182963 San Jose, California; Husband-and-wife duo Tim McGraw and Faith Hill deliver grounds for a musical divorce]
* [http://www.livedaily.com/reviews/Live_Review_Tim_McGraw_and_Faith_Hill_in_Phoenix-10613.html?t=98 Phoenix, Arizona; Live Review: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in Phoenix]
* [http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-et-faith19aug19,0,1028755.story?coll=cl-home-more-channels Los Angeles, California; Add it up: 2 stars, 1 spotlight]
* [http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Sep-03-Sun-2006/news/9430940.html Las Vegas, Nevada; IN CONCERT: Down-home country goes upscale]

;Concert reviews - 2007
* [http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2620&u_sid=2397273 Omaha, Nebraska; McGraw-Hill tour off to hit-filled start]
* [http://www.twincities.com/music/ci_6098747 St. Paul, Minnesota; Hill polishes stage presence, shines as bright as McGraw]
* [http://www.sltrib.com/entertainment/ci_6124011 Salt Lake City, Utah; McGraw, Hill, Utah fans feel the love]
* [http://www.sltrib.com/Entertainment/ci_6121319 Salt Lake City, Utah; McGraw and Hill show their soul]
* [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/320033_mcgraw16q.html Tacoma, Washington; McGraw-Hill 'Soul' tour is packed with love]
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2003749702_timandfaith16.html Tacoma, Washington; Lovebirds McGraw and Hill shine in first-rate show]
* [http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=3fa28c10-be47-42eb-9fba-bac5028e65c7&k=14817 Vancouver, British Columbia; McGraw, Hill thrill Vancouver's country fans]
* [http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/culture/story.html?id=4e264a42-78d4-40e7-b510-0ce97d6a68f7 Edmonton, Alberta; Hill & McGraw's country veil can't hide their pure pop hearts]
* [http://www.edmontonsun.com/Entertainment/Music/2007/06/20/4275048-sun.html Edmonton, Alberta; Country lovebirds left even the boys in tears]
* [http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/M/McGraw_Tim/ConcertReviews/2007/06/26/4290618.html Toronto, Ontario; Country music's First Couple play ACC for 3 hours]
* [http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=1009892 Boston, Massachusetts; Faith and Tim take Soul out of country]
* [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/07/07/hill_and_mcgraw_cover_highs_and_lows/ Boston, Massachusetts; Hill and McGraw cover highs and lows]
* [http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20070702_Faith_Hill_and_Tim_McGraw_earn_their_spurs_at_concert.html Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Faith Hill and Tim McGraw earn their spurs at concert]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/08/AR2007070800888.html?sub=new Washington D.C.; Tim McGraw and Faith Hill]
* [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007707120443 Detroit, Michigan; Country crooners Hill, McGraw go pop at Palace]
* [http://www.mlive.com/grandrapids/stories/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-2/1184328911261860.xml&coll=6 Grand Rapids, Michigan; Hill-McGraw show brings it all home]
* [http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/469617,CST-FTR-mcgraw16.article Chicago, Illinois; McGraw, Hill missing musical fire]
* [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07199/802480-388.stm Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Concert Review: McGraw, Hill make nice team on tour]
* [http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/life/stories/2007/07/20/2_TIM_AND_FAITH20.ART_ART_07-20-07_D5_ES7AV93.html Columbus, Ohio; McGraw's energy, Hill's voice lead show]
* [http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/072007/lif_185372733.shtml Jacksonville, Florida; Country or pop, Tim and Faith still rock]