December 8, 2000
Husband, wife duo thrill fans

OTTAWA -- It mattered to Faith Hill and Tim McGraw whether they could win over the hearts of country music fans in the capital.

As the pair's Soul2Soul Tour touched down on frigid Canadian soil, it didn't take very long for the nearly 15,500 faithful at the Corel Centre last night to warm to country's most renowned husband-and-wife tandem.

And vice versa.

Hill and McGraw each have a decent catalogue to draw from -- the former with four albums to her credit, the latter with five and a Greatest Hits -- not to mention a couple of hot and heavy duets to boot.

In terms of popularity, McGraw has charted 10 No. 1 singles on Billboard during his eight-year career. Hill, meanwhile, has had astronomical success, with sales of 11 million albums over six years.

But sales and accolades only tell half the story. The other half comes from seeing the pair in a concert setting.

Following a solid warmup from openers The Warren Brothers, Hill kicked things off as only a girl with drop-dead gorgeous looks and a happy-go-lucky demeanour could.

"One mustn't worry about what the person next to you thinks. Don't be afraid to get crazy if you want," Hill told the crowd.

The bubbly 32-year-old, dressed in a black, glittery Harley Davidson tank top, not only exuded natural beauty, she boasted a fine set of pipes as she launched into This Kiss, backed by an always-on-cue seven-piece band.

Say what you will about her country-pop crossover leanings, but Hill had the crowd in her hands during The Way You Love Me, the aching Let Me Let Go and There Will Come A Day, as well as prompting singalongs out of It Matters To Me and Breathe.

And in case you forgot the holiday season is fast approaching, a reminder came in the form of Where Are You Christmas, her contribution to the Jim Carrey film, Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Yep, this gal's a pro at knowing how to have a good time.

McGraw, who followed, also found favour with the audience by delivering a solid, if vocally muddy, set.

Yes, his seven-piece band never missed a beat. Yes, he worked the stage to and fro and got his share of audience participation from the ballad Don't Take The Girl, the upbeat I Like It, I Love It and his cover of Steve Miller's The Joker.

Yet the vibrancy of his wife's set lost a little momentum after McGraw's start-off number Something Like That. Most of his repertoire, if truth be told, tended to sound very similar.

Momentum was regained when Hill joined her beau for a stirring, romantic set featuring Let's Make Love, Just To Hear You Say You Love Me, and a rocking rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way, proving once and for all it takes two to really tango in the night.

JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5