| Show Documentary shows Chicks refuse to Shut Up Sing I to n J Stacie tacie Pe Peart Peart rf 1 t t. t t Arts Editor t q y yI I f The seIl selling highest ng female band ever the Dixie Chicks Were Jer price once once country m music's si s 's darlings t topping the charts w with tl their albums sin since e 1998 with the release of Wide Open Spaces paces But all ai four years ago when lead singer Natalie Ma Maines nes spoke out ut against President Bush on March 10 2003 during a London concert at Shepherds Shepherd's Bush Empire The impromptu comment about being ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas caused a backlash reminiscent of John Lennons Lennon's remark that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus If said today the comment might have gone unnoticed but butin butin in 2003 on the brink of war that single comment catapulted the Chicks into a political firestorm where their music was and still is banned from most country music radio stations Released in 2006 the documentary Shut Up Sing sifts through the entire Bush anti-Bush comment ordeal from the Chicks' Chicks perspective Fans and non- non fans will be intrigued as they watch how Natalie atalie Maines Martie Martic Maguire and Emily Robinson professionally and personally deal with the fallout and how the trio begins t to rebuild their 4 career The film begins with clips of the Chicks creating Taking the Long Way the album that would event eventually ally win them Best Album Alburn at the 2007 Shut Up Sing then backtracks to 2003 as the group gears up for its Top of the World tour by singing the National Anthem at the The film skillfully I bounces around the next four years showing the fateful comment the resulting media coverage and the scenes footage of the Chicks as they deal with the aftermath Shut Up Sing cleverly includes the Chicks' Chicks rivalry with Toby Keith after the country singer began merging Maines' Maines picture with Sad dam Hussein's during his performance of the ultra-patriotic ultra single Courtesy of the Red White and Blue The Angry American It also covers the receipt of a death threat directed ed at Maines and and the growth of the gr groups group's ups up's tal talent nt as they document their feelings in the powerful lyrics of songs such as Not Ready to Make Nice If country music or documentaries that bring back memories of high school history just arent aren't your thing dont don't write off Shut Shuf Up Sing completely The film plays more like an extended episode of VH ls l's Behind the Music It features rock drummer Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the album Taking the theLong theLong theLong Long LongVay Way Vay it leaves room for a discussion on freedom of speech and it shows how far people will go when they dont don't agree with your words Shut Up Sing is entertaining and gives the Chicks something country radio wouldn't a venue for their artistic talent and a forum for their side of the story Shut Up Sing is rated R. R |
