Christina Aguilera in Concert was the debut concert tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. It supported her two studio albums, Christina Aguilera (1999) and Mi Reflejo (2000). Beginning in May 2000 with appearances at radio festivals in the United States, the tour continued into Canada. Here, Aguilera headlined Psyko Blast, a pop music tour created by Canadian network, YTV. The singer returned to the US performing at state and county fairs before headlining shows in amphitheatres and arenas. The tour continued into 2001, visiting Mexico, Puerto Rico, Panama, Venezuela and Japan. Sponsors of the tour included Sears,[1]Levi's, J-Wave and Pioneer.
Emily Flynn from Traverse City Record-Eagle wrote that Aguilera gave an amazing show at the National Cherry Festival. She continues, "As the sun dipped its way behind the horizon, sparkling eyes filled with amazement lit up the night sky. Whether a genie or not, Aguilera was out of the bottle Wednesday night, granting everyone's wish for an unforgettable concert".[4] Errol Nazareth from Toronto Sun, gave the singer's show at the Air Canada Centre four out of five stars. He writes, And it's during ballads like 'I Turn To You' and 'Reflection' that her voice really shone. It's big, soulful and boasts an impressive range. But, while Aguilera says she'd rather let her music speak for itself, you can't help but draw parallels to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey".[5]
Pat St. Germain from Winnipeg Sun thought Aguilera's voice was the star of the show. He goes on to write, "The diminutive 19-year-old singer with the big R&B voice kept the energy at maximum level as she rolled right into 'Somebody's Somebody', prowling the stage with six backup dancers and bringing most of the crowd to its feet".[6] For the concert at Edmonton's Skyreach Centre. Mike Ross from Edmonton Sun said that the singer proved to be on a higher level than Spears. He says, "Aguilera proved to be no ordinary pop tart. In both material and vocals, she's superior to her best friend/rival Britney Spears, even if she doesn't draw the same numbers. Isn't that the way it always is"?[7]
The concert at the Missouri State Fair was applauded by Kevin C. Johnson from St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He comments, "Her big moment to break out came with her pull-out-all-stops cover of Etta James' "At Last"—a song she's been working to death the last several months in her attempt to prove her capabilities".[8] The praise continued for the show at the Douglas County Fair. Kim Roberts from Omaha World-Herald states, "Her incredible range and powerful voice is surprising from one so petite, and her moves, as well as those of her dancers, captivated the audience".[8]
Brad Cawn from Chicago Tribune writes the singer's show at the famed United Center was not what he was expecting. He continues, "Her long tresses came straight out of Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour; her song-ending vocal riffing right from Mariah Carey's sky-high multi-octave schtick; and the starkly modern stage was more 'N Sync than Nickelodeon. Playing to both sides of her image, she left her belly button exposed, and flirted conservatively—if there is such a thing—with the vague sexuality of the music penned for her".[8] Ed Masley from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette states Aguilera charmed her hometown crowd at the Post-Gazette Pavilion, giving the audience a "live" show. He goes on to say "As she proved repeatedly last night, she has the voice to be a major force in R&B for years to come. But this could be her only chance to be the second biggest female artist of her generation with the lunchbox set".[9]
Roger Moore from The Orlando Sentinel comments that Aguilera proved to be "real" for her concert at the TD Waterhouse Centre—in comparison to Spears (who performed at the same venue two weeks before Aguilera). He says, "Of course, it's like comparing Gouda with Cheez Whiz. Britney was all over-choreographed, pre-packaged, and tape-recorded. Christina, on the other hand, is the real deal. Real stage banter. Real stage presence. Heck, real singing. What a relief to hear a bubble-gummer with real pipes tear into her tunes, letting six back-up dancers do the heavy lifting and leaving the tape recording to NBC's Olympics coverage".[10]
Broadcasts and recordings
While headlining Psykoblast Tour in Canada, the final concert in Vancouver premiered on August 2, 2000. Called, "Christina: Live from Vancouver", the concert special aired on CTV and YTV.[11] Selections from the concert were available online on "Click2Music". In London, her performance at Party in the Park aired on T4 Lived. In 2001, her concert at the NHK Hall in Tokyo aired on MTV Japan on February 9, 2001. The concert was streamed live on the day of the concert via Aguilera's "Click2Music" website.
The following setlist was obtained from the concert held on October 19, 2000; at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour.[15]
^St. Germain, Pat (July 14, 2000). "The queen of teen". Winnipeg Sun. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^ abcdNathanson, Ian (July 11, 2000). "Pop star fizzles". Ottawa Sun. Archived from the original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2011.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Christina Live in Japan". Christina Aguilera's Official Website. February 2001. Archived from the original on March 30, 2001. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
