Dixie Chicks

It's a Family Affair

***AEG Live has announced some changes to the Dixie Chicks’ “Accidents & Accusations” North American tour itinerary that is now scheduled to play through December 5, 2006. Included in the revised routing, the concert at Frank Erwin Center that was originally scheduled for October 1st has been moved to Monday, December 4th.  Tickets purchased for the October 1st concert will be honored at the December 4th concert.
AEG Live rerouted some of the Dixie Chicks late summer U.S. concerts into the fall months to both accommodate demand as well as to allow the group some promotion time in September around the debut of the documentary film “Dixie Chicks” Shut Up and Sing” which was just accepted by the Toronto International Film Festival.

Tickets for the October 1 date will be honored for the December 4 rescheduled show. If ticket buyers have conflicts with the new show date, tickets may be returned for a refund at the Texas Box Office point of purchase beginning Monday, August 7 at 10 a.m. Tickets purchased through TexasBoxOffice.com or the charge-by-phone number may obtain a refund by either bringing the tickets to the Frank Erwin Center Red River Street box office during regular operating hours (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), or by mailing the tickets to Texas Box Office, Attention:  Dixie Chicks Refund, P.O. Box 2929, Austin, TX 78768-2929. For more information, call 512.477.6060.***

With their highly publicized tour gearing up, the Dixie Chicks continue to do things their way – and they are taking their seven children along for the ride. According to MSN.com, Emily Robison laughs that “our entourage just consists of nannies.” The three Chicks have collectively had five children since their last album, Home, which was released in 2002.

The Chicks’ newest album, Taking the Long Way, also revolves around family and the three women’s personal, inner-most beliefs and opinions. Tender love songs to their children can be found in “Baby Hold On” and “Lullaby,” which they reportedly call “a gift to our kids.”

While their previous albums all found a place on the charts, with Wide Open Spaces and Fly earning a total of seven Grammy awards, they celebrated what some experts consider only surface success. A majority of the songs were not original and had more of a fun-loving, charismatic yet impersonal flair. With the new album, the Dixie Chicks have found the strength to express their own thoughts and feelings. Of course, these outspoken ideas have landed the Chicks in the hot seat on more than one occasion, with songs like “Not Ready to Make Nice” giving the women an avenue to respond to their vehement antagonists. Regardless of the controversy, the biggest-selling female band in history is keeping up on the Billboard charts. Taking the Long Way spent six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s country album charts and is still going strong.

“This album was total therapy,” says Maines. “I’m way more at peace now. Writing these songs and saying everything we had to say makes it possible to move on.” And as it turns out, the Dixie Chicks are not only moving on, but moving up – by staying true to themselves and their art.