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11/11/03 - CANADA GAMES ARENA, GRANDE
PRAIRIE, AB
Review by Doug Brown:
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams has sung with pop divas, rock legends,
opera idols and, as of Tuesday night, a Grande Prairie woman whose
sum singing experience is a few nights of bar karaoke.
The Ontario-born Adams picked 19-year-old Cassidy Wilkin from the
thousands who packed the Crystal Centre and brought her on-stage
to take the place of Spice Girl Melanie C in a duet of When You're
Gone.
"I was just being goofy and jumping up and down and waving
my keys," said Wilkin, a self-confessed "bad singer."
"It felt like the Price is Right when they call you down. I
was shaking, I didn't know what to say."
Luckily for Wilkin she didn't have to say anything, only sing. With
a sheaf of lyrics in hand, the Alamo Bar and New York Fries worker
belted out the 1998 hit and even threw in a few dance moves in front
of the sold-out crowd of over 4,000.
After it was over, along with the armful of free concert T-shirts,
Wilkin said she learned a lesson about stardom.
"It was really fun, but It was kind of scary. Everyone was
staring at me. I don't think I could be famous. It's a little too
much for me."
A song set that included classic Adams' tunes like Summer of '69,
and (Everything I Do) I Do It For You had the well-behaved crowd
on its feet and some people dancing on their seats. (See Review
in Friday's Herald-Tribune)
"It was wonderful," said Sharifi Houssian, events co-ordinator
at GPRC. An admittedly big Bryan Adams fan, she paid $129 for tickets
in the first row. "I loved it. I've never been first row before
for Bryan Adams."
"Front row, you can't beat it," agreed GM employee Jim
Gibbens.
After his second and final encore, Adams hopped
down from the stage and mingled with the first rows of concert-goers,
giving many the chance to get closer to the rock star than they
believed possible.
"He kissed me. Amazing," gushed Delanie Haugem of Re/Max
afterwards. "I probably won't sleep tonight. I'm a huge Bryan
Adams fan."
Suzanne McKay, a nurse at the QEII Hospital, said she missed a few
of her favourite songs that Adams didn't sing, but said she still
enjoyed the show enough she was moved to start dancing.
"I love him. I had friends who paid $1,000 to see him in New
Zealand last year," she said. "I felt really privileged
to see him here. He was fantastic. He was great."
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