Country music leading lady Shania Twain rocked Ames Thursday night as part of her first ever world tour. Never before had so many pairs of Hilfiger jeans and cowboy hats come together for such an exciting night of music.

When Shania pranced onto the stage, looking like a Spice Girl in her skimpy, two-piece green and black spandex suit, Hilton Coliseum rumbled from the screams of both awe-inspired little girls and drooling college men.

Her band members alone looked out of place. With tattoos, piercings and wild hair, they would have blended better with a hard rock band instead of backing up a wholesome country singer. Evidently, it wasn’t going to be the typical country hoe-down.

Shania’s first song brought life to the show with a shower of purple sparks before she jumped into the hit “You Win My Love” from her breakthrough album. At the end, she paused to announce that four lucky people from the back of the top balcony had four reserved seats awaiting them in the front row.

She sat on a stool playing a 12-string guitar for her more recent hit “You’re Still The One,” while a soft light shined on her from above. It was even better to hear live because the audience could see the emotion that she poured into the ballad.

The simple stage setup also had a surprise waiting for everyone. On the song “Leave You Lonely,” each of the nine band members along with Shania were rotated slowly on small circles while fog rolled across the floor. It was like having a strange dream vision.

Throughout the show, Shania paused to gather up roses or sign autographs for fans. She even invited a little girl up on stage and sang “Happy Birthday” to her before rocking into the hit “You’re Love Gets Me Every Time.”

After a quick wardrobe change, Shania was back with her band to pound through the second set.

Shania sang a song she wrote to promote a charity called “Kids’ Cafe,” a subsidiary of Second Harvest, bringing up members of the Ames High School Choir to join her in singing it for the capacity crowd.

Shania’s enthusiasm for young talent didn’t end there. She invited ten-year-old Rene Nesbitt, dressed like country music’s version of Miss America, to sing a duet of “What Made You Say That?”

Shania then scanned the audience with a giant yellow spotlight to get to know the rest of the crowd.

Then, it was time to rock again country-style. The band blasted into “Any Man Of Mine” while Shania belted out the words with sheer force. The opening band, Leahy, was invited back on stage to have an all-out fiddle brawl with Shania’s band members on “Don’t Be Stupid.”

Finally, even more guests were invited to perform. This time it was four members of the Ames High School Band Drum Line. They joined in on the hard-rocking “If You’re Not in it For Love,” while Shania danced about the stage flaunting herself before the lucky drummers.

Shania ended up on top of a giant drum that was on stage when a huge explosion of sparks and smoke blew her away. The drum was empty and Shania was nowhere to be found.

Just when everyone was worried the concert was over, out she came being carried around like a goddess on a chariot throwing autographed coats into the crowd.

She ended the concert with “Rock This Country,” a song that breaches the country music category. The show finished with three explosions of sparks, and literally ended with a bang.

Shania Twain proved that country music really can rock.