Screaming overpowered the music at Hilton Coliseum Saturday as the Dixie Chicks plowed into an encore set, capping off an almost two-hour performance of fan-pleasing, country pop music.

The show climaxed when the Chicks made their way to the back of the arena, standing on platforms among the crowd to sing their hit, “Goodbye Earl,” a song about the murder of a wife-beating husband.

It was one of only a few moments during the concert when the group truly connected with every one of the thousands of people who came to the sold-out concert.

The problem with stadium concerts is that it’s extremely challenging to put on a show that is not impersonal. Heads in the crowd could be staring up at the ceiling or catching a few winks between songs, and the performers on stage wouldn’t know it.

For that brief moment, as Natalie Maines, Martie Seidel and Emily Robinson intermingled with the crowd during “Goodbye Earl,” the Dixie Chicks overcame the stadium-concert barrier.

However, as a whole, the show was standard, wholesome and honest.

Though the concert wasn’t particularly avant-garde, the band succeeded at providing a couple hours of fun for their fans.

The crowd was a composite of 14-year-old high school girls dangerously dressed in tight tops and leather pants, 40-year-old fans who made the trek from Des Moines and the college students who fell in between.

Fresh from winning four Country Music Awards (Group of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Video of the Year and Album of the Year), the Chicks undoubtedly have seen lots of praise.

Some of the praise is well deserved.

Dixie fiddle player Martie Seidel wields her bow with style and ease, adding distinct fluidity to the group’s sound.

But the group’s music would have sounded much better if they played in a smaller venue, without the video screens and cheesy stage gimmicks.

At one point, the Dixie Chicks spent 10 minutes showing the crowd a slide show of their childhood pictures. A nice touch, but what did it have to do with the music?

Fake snow fell over the crowd during the emotional “Cold Day in July,” which sounded great with the triple harmonized vocals but could have been just as effective without the stage tricks.

The Chicks played two cover songs – a version of Sheryl Crow’s “Strong Enough” and Bonnie Raitt’s “Give it Up,” both of which received a warm welcome from the crowd.

One of the songs that received the most audience response was “Cowboy Take Me Away,” during which a large moon traveled across the stage.

After the Chicks’ empowering encore of “Goodbye Earl,” the trio returned to the stage to play one last tune.

The Dixie Chicks launched into “Wide Open Spaces,” the upbeat title-track to the group’s major label debut. Cameras filming the audience projected their footage onto the three large video screens, allowing the audience to catch a glimpse of themselves.

Surrounded by flashing strobe lights, teenage girls raised their hands in the air, singing along, swaying from side to side and screaming at the top of their lungs.

It was an exciting moment in a performance that could have used a bit more fire.

At least they didn’t pull out the pyrotechnics.