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The ...Baby One More Time Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time (1999) and visited United States and Canada. The tour was announced in March 1999, with dates released a month later. Tommy Hilfiger was chosen as the tour sponsor. An extension of the tour, titled Crazy 2K, was announced in December 1999. Tour sponsors of the second leg were Got Milk? and Polaroid. The concept and costumes were designed by Spears. The stage was changed at the beginning of the second leg to include pyrotechnics and special effects.

The show was divided into various segments, with each segment being followed by an interlude to the next segment, and it ended with an encore. The setlist consisted of songs from her debut album and several covers. Some changes were made during the 2000 leg, with the covers replaced by songs Spears premiered from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again. The tour received positive critical appreciation from critics. During the tour, Spears was accused of lip synching, although she denied these claims. The show was recorded and broadcasted on Fox. A DVD entitled Live and More! was also released.

Background[]

On March 5, 1999, it was reported that Spears was planning her first headlining tour to support her first studio album, ...Baby One More Time (1999).[1] Shortly after, she announced that the tour would start in July.[2] On May 12, 1999, Tommy Hilfiger was announced as the main tour sponsor. During the time of the announcement, Spears was being featured in the "AllStars" campaign launched by the company. Hilfiger spoke about the sponsorship saying,

"My passion for music has always inspired my designs. This year we have really put music in the forefront of everything we do. Britney represents the spirit of Tommy Jeans and of youth today. I cannot think of a better way to continue this exciting year by sponsoring one of today's hottest, young recording artists".[3]

The secondary sponsor was supposed to be Nestlé, but they pulled out soon after provocative photographs of Spears shot by David LaChapelle were published in Rolling Stone.[4] Tour dates were released through Pollstar on April 9, 1999, with the tour kicking off on June 28, 1999 in Pompano Beach, Florida.[5] Several dates were added and rescheduled, and the complete schedule was released two months later.[6] On December 17, 1999, during the premiere of the music video of "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" on TRL, Spears called the show to announce March US tour dates. The extension, entitled Crazy 2K Tour, was considered a prelude to her future world tour.[7][8] The leg's main sponsor was Got Milk?. Media director Peter Gardiner explained, "Britney is magic with teen-age girls, and that's an absolutely crucial target for milk". Spears shot an advertising campaign to be shown before her performances began.[9] The secondary sponsor was Polaroid and the corporation released the Polaroid I-Zone as the official camera of the tour. Spears also used the I-Zone onstage to take pictures of the audience and further promote the product.

Development[]

Spears talked to CNN about her involvement during the development of the tour, stating that she had designed the entire tour herself, including costumes and concept.[11] Spears worked with fashion designer Gia Ventola to create the costumes for her and the dancers.[12] The proscenium stage was simple and had only one main prop, a staircase in the middle. The band was in both sides of the staircase and consisted of five musicians. There were also six dancers, that took the stage during interludes. The setlist consisted of eight songs from her debut album and several covers by well-known artists.[13] In the 2000 extension, the stage was similar, although much bigger.[14] There were many special effects, including smoke machines and fireworks that erupted during the show. There was a giant projection screen that resembled the magical mirror from Snow White. Also present was a mechanical magic carpet in which Spears sat and flew over the first 100 feet above the crowd.[15] Spears was also joined on stage by eight dancers.[8] She had five costumes changes during the show. The setlist consisted of nine songs, seven from her debut album and two unreleased songs from her then upcoming album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000).

Concert synopsis[]

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The show began with a dance introduction by Spears' dancers among smoke effects.[16] She appeared shortly after at the top of the staircase wearing a hot pink vinyl tube top and white vinyl pants with pink knee patches, to perform "(You Drive Me) Crazy".[16] In "Soda Pop" she danced and interacted with the audience, before leaving the stage while her dancers continued. She appeared sitting on the staircase to sing "Born to Make You Happy" and "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart".[16] The show continued with a dance interlude set to Madonna's "Vogue" in which she named Madonna and Janet Jackson as her biggest inspirations. She then took the stage to perform a cover of Madonna's "Material Girl".[16] After this, she performed two covers of Jackson, "Black Cat" and "Nasty".[16] She ended the section with a performance of Sonny & Cher's "The Beat Goes On", accompanied by psychedelic lights.[16] After a dance interlude, she performed the album track "I Will Be There" and a cover of "Open Arms" by Journey, ending with a smile at the top of the staircase.[16] After "Sometimes", she waved and left the stage. The encore consisted of a performance of "...Baby One More Time", in which Spears wore a black bra under pink halter, a pink sequined plaid mini-skirt, and black thigh-high stockings.[16]

In the 2000 leg, the show started with a skit in which the dancers came out of lockers and stayed in the stage until a bell rang. They all sat until a female teacher voice started calling their names. After the teacher called Spears, she emerged at the top of the staircase in a cloud of smoke, wearing a top and white stretch pants, to perform a short dance mix of "...Baby One More Time".[8] She then entered one of the lockers and appeared in another one on the opposite side of the stage to perform "(You Drive Me) Crazy".[17] Spears briefly talked to the audience, the segment continued with performances of "Born to Make You Happy" and "I Will Be There". After a dance interlude, Spears appeared onstage sitting on the magic carpet and flew over the audience while singing "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know". When she returned to the stage, she performed another song from her upcoming album, "Oops!... I Did It Again". Spears addressed the audience again before the "Who is the Ultimate Heartbreaker?" interlude, in which her dancers picked a boy from the audience and invited him onstage.[18] Spears took the stage again wearing a jacket and dedicated the performance of "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" to the boy.[17] She took off her jacket to reveal a pair of black pants that featured a sequined red heart in the back and performed "The Beat Goes On". After two interludes that presented her dancers and band, Spears appeared onstage to perform "Sometimes". The encore consisted of a dance-oriented performance of "...Baby One More Time".

Critical reception[]

The tour garnered generally positive reviews from critics.[13] Jeffrey Haney of the Deseret News described the show as "funky and flashy".[19] A reporter from USA Today called Spears' performance "assured and energetic".[13] Jim Farber of the Daily News pointed out that Spears seemed to have two personas during the show, one when singing songs from her album and a more edgy look when singing the covers. He also added that "Spears' nods to edginess no doubt reflects her desire to grow into a more mature career".[20] Jae-Ha Kim of the Chicago Sun-Times said that Spears "showed why she has got a leg up on blonder competitors such as Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore. Aguilera may have a better voice (and a Grammy to validate it), but Spears has that 'it' factor that worked for pinup queens of the past, such as Farrah Fawcett".[21] Adam Graham of Central Michigan Life commented that "although the show was only about 10 songs long and the authenticity of her voice was in question throughout, it was really truly hard to walk away feeling anything but completely gratified".[18] Dave Tianen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel believed that the show "was energetic, good-humored, fast-paced and bright".[15] Jane Ganahl of the San Francisco Chronicle said that "she may be somewhat entertaining, but she's also just another prefab act - longer on packaging than actual talent"

Accusations of lipsynching[]

During the tour, accusations of lip synching arose. Spears talked to Rolling Stone about the accusations, saying,

"There's a delay in the screen above me, so if you listen to the music and watch the screen, they don't sync up. I think that confuses people. But I'm singing every song. I'm singing my ass off. [...] There are times during the show, when I'm dancing so much, where I get out of breath, and we have a signal where I'm dying and they'll help me out. Believe me, I'd give anything to do a show where I just sit there and sing".

Broadcasts and recordings[]

Main article: Live and More!On April 20, 2000, the concert at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii was taped.[22] It was slightly altered from its Crazy 2K incarnation and featured different costumes. On June 5, 2000, it was broadcasted in a special in Fox.[23] The special was aired several times during the year. On November 21, 2000, Jive Records released the Live and More! DVD, which included the Fox special.[24] It was certified three-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of 300,000 copies in DVD units.

Opening acts[]

Setlist[]

1999[]

  1. "(You Drive Me) Crazy"
  2. "Soda Pop"
  3. "Born to Make You Happy"
  4. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart"
  5. "Vogue" (Dance Interlude)
  6. Medley:
    1. "Material Girl"
    2. "Black Cat"
    3. "Nasty"
  7. "The Beat Goes On"
  8. "Meet the Dancers" (Dance Interlude)
  9. "I Will Be There"
  10. "Open Arms"
  11. "Sometimes"
  12. "...Baby One More Time"

2000[]

  1. "School Roll Call" (Performance Introduction)
  2. "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (contains elements from "...Baby One More Time")
  3. "Born to Make You Happy"
  4. "I Will Be There"
  5. "Hand Jive" (Dance Interlude)
  6. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know"
  7. "Oops!...I Did It Again"
  8. "Who is the Ultimate Heartbreaker?" (Performance Interlude)
  9. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart"
  10. "The Beat Goes On"
  11. "Meet the Dancers" (Dance Interlude)
  12. "Meet the Band" (Performance Interlude)
  13. "Sometimes"
  14. "...Baby One More Time"

Tour dates[]

Date City Country Venue
North America (1999)[3][6]
June 28, 1999 Pompano Beach United States Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
June 29, 1999 Tampa USF Sun Dome
July 1, 1999 Atlanta Atlanta Civic Center
July 2, 1999 Myrtle Beach House of Blues
July 3, 1999 Doswell Paramount Theatre
July 5, 1999 Bethel Max Yasgur's Farm
July 6, 1999 Washington, D.C. DAR Constitution Hall
July 7, 1999 New York City Hammerstein Ballroom
July 8, 1999 Hershey Star Pavilion at Hersheypark Stadium
July 9, 1999 Scranton Montage Mountain Amphitheater
July 10, 1999 Darien Center Darien Lake Theme Park Resort
July 11, 1999 Schenectady Proctor's Theatre
July 13, 1999 Hamilton Canada Copps Coliseum
July 14, 1999 Toronto Molson Amphitheatre
July 16, 1999 Ottawa WordPerfect Theatre at Corel Centre
July 17, 1999 Montreal Molson Centre
July 20, 1999 Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall
July 21, 1999 Saskatoon Saskatchewan Place
July 22, 1999 Edmonton Skyreach Centre
July 23, 1999 Calgary Canadian Airlines Saddledome
July 25, 1999 Vancouver General Motors Place
July 26, 1999 Seattle United States Seattle Center Arena
July 27, 1999 Hillsboro DeMar Batchelor Amphitheater
July 29, 1999 Oakland Paramount Theatre
July 30, 1999 Paso Robles Main Grandstand Arena
July 31, 1999 Universal City Universal Amphitheatre
August 3, 1999 Brighton Bromley Companies Stage
August 4, 1999 Denver Paramount Theatre
August 6, 1999 Arlington AT&T Music Mill Amphitheater
August 7, 1999 Houston Aerial Theater
August 8, 1999 New Orleans Lakefront Arena
August 10, 1999 Memphis Mud Island Amphitheater
August 11, 1999 Nashville Grand Ole Opry House
August 13, 1999 Eureka Old Glory Amphitheater
August 14, 1999 Omaha Ak-sar-Ben
August 15, 1999 Sioux Falls W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds Grandstand
August 17, 1999 Rosemont Rosemont Theatre
August 18, 1999 Columbus, Ohio Veterans Memorial Auditorium
August 19, 1999 Fairlea State Fair Event Center
August 20, 1999 Adrian Lenawee County Fair
August 21, 1999 Orlando Hard Rock Live
August 25, 1999 Indianapolis Egyptian Room
August 26, 1999 Cleveland Nautica Stage
August 27, 1999 Mason Timberwolf Amphitheatre
August 29, 1999 Upper Darby Tower Theatre
August 30, 1999 Essex Junction Champlain Valley Fair Grandstand
September 1, 1999 Boston FleetBoston Pavilion
September 2, 1999 Syracuse Mohegan Sun Grandstand
September 3, 1999 Wallingford Oakdale Theatre
September 4, 1999 Baltimore Pier 6 Pavilion
September 5, 1999 Allentown Allentown Fairgrounds Grandstand
September 10, 1999 Salt Lake City Utah State Fair Grandstand
September 11, 1999 Hutchinson KSF Grandstand
September 12, 1999 Detroit State Theatre
September 14, 1999 Allegan ACC Grandstand
September 15, 1999 York Grandstand at the York Fair
North America (2000)[14][32]
March 8, 2000 Pensacola United States Pensacola Civic Center
March 9, 2000 Birmingham BJCC Coliseum
March 10, 2000 North Little Rock Alltel Arena
March 12, 2000 Memphis Pyramid Arena
March 13, 2000 Louisville Freedom Hall
March 14, 2000 Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills
March 15, 2000 Cincinnati Firstar Center
March 19, 2000 Grand Rapids Van Andel Arena
March 20, 2000 Moline The MARK of the Quad Cities
March 21, 2000 Madison Kohl Center
March 22, 2000 Rosemont Allstate Arena
March 23, 2000
March 25, 2000 Worcester Worcester's Centrum Centre
March 26, 2000 Baltimore Baltimore Arena
March 27, 2000 Albany Pepsi Arena
March 29, 2000 Greensboro Greensboro Coliseum
March 31, 2000 Tampa Ice Palace
April 1, 2000 Miami American Airlines Arena
April 2, 2000 Daytona Beach Ocean Center
April 4, 2000 New Orleans New Orleans Arena
April 6, 2000 Greenville BI-LO Center
April 7, 2000 Roanoke Roanoke Civic Center
April 8, 2000 Charleston Charleston Civic Center
April 20, 2000 Honolulu Hilton Hawaiian Village

Personnel[]

Photo gallery[]

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