Opening Act: Sean Paul

01. It's Like That
02. Heartbreaker
03. Dreamlover
04. My All
05. Shake It Off
06. Vision of Love
07. Fly Like A Bird
08. I'll Be There

---"B" Stage:
09. Fantasy
10. Don't Forget About Us
11. Always Be My Baby
---End "B" Stage

12. Honey
13. I Wish You Knew (Snippet)
14. Thank God I Found You/Make It Last (Snippet)
15. One Sweet Day (Snippet)
16. Can't Let Go (Snippet)
17. Close My Eyes (A capella - Snippet)
18. Hero
19. Make It Happen

--Encore:
20. We Belong Together
21. Butterfly Reprise

(Thanks to Sebastien from Quebec City for the video files!)

--Video One - Mariah runs from the main stage to stage B, right after her wardrobe malfunction.

--Video Two - After the show at around 2:30am, in the garage where her bus was at Bell Centre, Mariah signs autographs for the fans before boarding her bus.

From Montreal Gazette: Mariah's Miracle

Any diva worth her salt will make you wait. While she didn't overdo it, Mariah Carey proved she's still got a little royalty complex, taking the stage at 9:30 last night, 45 minutes after her scheduled start time of 8:45.

It was nothing, really - a minor delay. But with her history of melodrama, and given that, 16 years into her career, she was playing her first Montreal show, there was anticipation in the air.

"Life is like a roller coaster," she said, in a pre-concert video, after the lights went down. "Everyone has to face their fears. Like a roller coaster, there are ups and downs, ins and outs. And when the scariest part is over. Suddenly everything stops, and there is a moment of peace."

She was relatively at peace last night, before an excited crowd of 13,000 - no small feat for a superstar who, just a few years ago, was suffering a credibility crisis of epic proportions.

Last year's The Emancipation of Mimi was Carey's comeback album. And this was her comeback tour. From the beginning, there was a mild cringe factor.

She came out to the club-bumping sounds of It's Like That, wasting no time in baring her notoriously full figure. Clad in black lingerie, kinda covered by a sheer black gown, she slinked about the stage with a calculated step to match her tentative coo.

She broke the spell mid-song with a warm, "What's up, Montreal?," then belted out an ad lib. It was the first of several (but not too-too many) displays of her trademark power and range.

Whether Carey is no longer able or no longer willing to unleash the full force of her five-octave range is open to debate. Regardless, it was a mature Mariah who held court last night.

Playing songs from throughout her career - while noticeably omitting her 2001 collapse, Glitter, and its quick-release, apologetic 2002 followup Charmbracelet - she emerged with her dignity intact.

This, despite a near "wardrobe malfunction" midway through the night. She had made her way through the crowd to sing her Ol' Dirty Bastard-assisted hit Fantasy, from a dancefloor-size stage at the back of the room.

After no more than two minutes, she walked right back off, and backstage, apologizing over the P.A.

"This is called winging it," she said when she re-emerged. "The twins didn't want to stay where they were supposed to."

Though it interrupted one of her biggest songs, it was a welcome bit of spontaneity. As fun and efficient as the show was until that point, it did feel a bit like Carey was walking on eggs.

But she was doing fine. On the strategically balanced set list were 1999's Heartbreaker, with video cameos by Missy Elliott and Jay-Z; the big ballad My All, from 1997's Butterfly; the smoothed out groove Shake It Off (in front of a huge, lit up MIMI backdrop); and her early career hit Vision of Love.

Throughout, she kept herself in check, unleashing a rebel wail now and then, but for the most part, playing it cool, and coy. Her fans loved every minute, and she loved them back.

"This is the best audience I've ever had," she said, with passable conviction.

Dancehall reggae posterboy Sean Paul opened up with a rousing set of party anthems. Flanked by energetic, scantily clad dancers of his own, he got the crowd more excited than most opening acts can dream of.

From Cyberpresse: Mariah in Great Shape

A divorce, a breakdown, a dissolved contract, a musical flop coupled with a film flop could kill anyone. Not Mariah Carey. She proved herself onstage at the Bell Centre, where the "Mimi" tour made a stop last night.

Her life is a roller coaster. This mantra was shown in videos before her appearance onstage, one hour behind schedule. Her successes were massive (160 million albums sold in her 15 year career), her failures deep (only 5 million sold for Glitter) and her resurrection...inspiring.

And there she was, at the top of a deliciously rococo staircase. In the flesh and blood. In black shorts and a bra, a transparent silk cape, golden locks blowing in the wind, a flirtatious smile and battingr her eyes: Mariah didn't skimp on the effects to woo the 13,150 spectators (parents and children, couples more or less young, groups of friends).

She started with her last hit, "It's Like That," from The Emancipation of Mimi, which provided the theme of the show. It worked, the song evoked the image of a resurrection. "No stress / No fights / I'm leavin' it all behind," she sang, accompanied by three back up singers and a group of dancers.

Mariah's older fans weren't forgotten. After the performance of her first single, "Vision of Love," the diva alternated between new and old hits ("I'll Be There" "Honey" "Buttefly"). And of course, she didn't skip over the slow songs: "My All" and "Hero".

The album of the resurrection, still in the top 200 albums on Billboard, was featured in hits one after the other "Shake It Off," "I Wish You Knew," "Fly Like a Bird," and the incomparable "We Belong Together" which were peppered between the 20 titles scheduled for the evening.

So... Mariah, a romantic or not? Not surprisingly, Mariah Carey's stage is decorated in the styles of love: dramatic curtains, butterflies, etc.

An in judging after we have seen the stage and the body of the beautiful American Cinderella, spontaneity did not highlight the show; it was more like a video clip than a concert.

After the first song, Mariah Carey's voice was warmed up. She would hit one octave here, there. She showed the audience that she still has it, not only in her bra but her lungs as well.

The voice of Mariah can always cover eight octaves, passing the supersonic to much lower notes. It's official -- not really for sensitive ears -- Mimi is back.

We were already well acquainted with the kitsch after being graced by the hip hop stylings of Sean Paul, who opened the first part of the show. He performed a small but convincing repertoire of his titles from his albums Dutty Rock and The Trinity, including "Hey Sexy Lady" with a slew of scantily-clad dancers.

An hour later Mariah appeared, in her undergarments and with her butterflies. To the great relief of certain parents, shocked by the audacity of the "sexy ladies" of Sean Paul. And to the pleasure of the fans from Montreal, who never forgot her during her darker years.


From Hour Canada: Show & Tell - Mariah Carey at the Bell Centre

You gotta hand it to Mariah Carey: She pulled off her Montreal debut in full Carey diva mode, taking the stage a full 45 minutes late skimpily clad in black lingerie. And the worshipful crowd - all 13,000 of them, a beautiful mix of black, white, Latino, Asian, gay, straight and one Mariah Carey drag queen - cheered her on despite her ostentatious self-reverence. I mean, how many times must we be told by her band that Carey is the best-selling female artist of all time, with 17 number one singles, the biggest-selling number one song of all time, yadda yadda yadda?

"This is the best audience I've ever had," Carey said. Mm-hmm.

Carey also had four costume changes - one outfit nearly had a "wardrobe malfunction." "The twins didn't want to stay where they were supposed to," Carey said after running backstage (all the way from her second stage at the rear of the rink) two bars into Fantasy.

And this was the main problem with Carey's stage show: her self-objectification. Pushing 40, her coquettish poses make her look cheap (Mariah could learn a lesson or two from Diana Ross and Tina Turner) and are cringe inducing, especially when she bumps and grinds with her male dancers like a skanky ho. If anyone must play the slut on stage, it should be her dancers. Instead, Carey herself has become another victim of hip-hop-crisy.

Still, there is no denying that Carey can sang. She belted out her biggest hits, most memorably Vision of Love and, for her one encore, We Belong Together from her 2005 comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi. Carey hit those notes like very few can and proved that, despite the packaging, inside beats the heart of a legit artist.

By Nadine:
Just a quick note to say the Montreal show was FANTASTIC! It's was Mariah's third concert stop in Canada. She had Toronto stops for both the Rainbow & Charmbracelet tours but it was her 1st time in Montreal, and the show looked pretty well sold out.

As you've read from other concert reviews, MC's voice was the star of the show. There was an "wardrobe malfunction" in the middle of "Fantasy" when she was out on a stage in the center of the venue. She sang her way back to the main stage, explained the situation and had the DJ spin some music while she adjusted herself ("the twins" didn't want to stay in their places, she joked) and made her way back through the crowd for "Don't Forget About Us."

She performed the most goosebump-inducing version of "Vision of Love" that I've ever heard, and Trey Lorenz joined her for "I'll Be There" as well as a beautiful medley of her collabo highlights, i.e. "Thank God I Found You" remix and "One Sweet Day".

And as a Montrealer, one of the best moments was when she called us her best crowd yet. I know, she may say that to all the cities, but I had to plug it for her first visit! Enjoy the tour, lambs!


By Yan:
I just came back from her first concert ever in Montreal! It was fabulous! I can't find the right words to describe the night I had. First thing, her voice was the best vocals I've ever heard of her live. It was nothing compared to what I have listened or watched on youtube from the other cities. She hit all the high notes perfectly.

'My All' was the biggest surprise i think. She did it even better than her Divas Live performance a few years ago. It was perfect! The only song that she might have a little trouble with was 'Don't Forget About Us' but I think it was the stress because of the ensemble problem when she had to leave the small stage!

The crowd was crazy and really into the emotions. At some point she was pitching her voice higher and higher to cover the noises of that crowd wowowowo impressive! I don't know what happened in her show in Philadelphia but one thing is sure... she smashed it in Montreal lol!!! Oh and even in the Trey Lorentz song the crowd was crazy! 'Vision of Love' was one of my favorites of the show at the end, my God I was missing air for her lol.

Mariah is back! I don't care what the others, critics said about her voice bla bla bla. I believe what I saw that's all ... my first Mariah's concert and you know what..... ITTT ROCKSSSSS LOL!


By Daniel:
Hi I am a huge fan of fans and have been since she debuted in 1990, and like people I visit your amazing website almost everyday, if not more than that. So far the setlist has been a little disappointing, since in the beginning Mariah was supposed to have been performing most of the songs from the album when touring.

However, the setlist looks as if she only performs four songs from The Emancipation of Mimi, and the rest are almost the same as the Charmbracelet tour, except she intros with It's Like That.

Also, in several news reports she stated she will be adding more older songs people haven't heard in a long time. I would have figured she would have added songs like Emotions, or Someday. But instead, she performs Make It Happen, Dreamlover and stuff like that.


By Rene Perreault:
Mariah in Montreal, finally! And she did not disappoint. Even those critics who are not fans had to admit it all: her vocal performance was outstanding. This was the fourth time I saw her in concert and I must admit that was her best vocal ever. On the radio, Jasmin Roy, who was on duty as a reporter, said that he loved her. He mentioned how professional and grounded she was when she saved the moment: she had to be rushed out of the central stage while singing Fantasy, due to a wardrobe malfunction.

I loved the show. The stage was beautiful, the dancers good, loved their costumes. BUT, I did not like MC’s outfits. The opening black bikini, as well as the dresses is really ugly. Also she disappeared for costume change but did not change: she did not put on the red number for Shake It Off, neither the white blazer for Honey.

She belted out her big ballads perfectly: My All, Fly Like A Bird, Hero, and Vision Of Love… The public really enjoyed It’s Like That, Heartbreaker, Always Be My Baby, I’ll Be There, One Sweet Day, and so did I. Shake It Off was enjoyable as well, but I was very happy she sang Thank God I Found You/Make It Last remix. I would have loved Stay The Night, it is so amazing, live. Anyway, it really was THE VOICE, THE HITS, and THE TOUR!


By Jean-Francois Loubier:
On August 15, 2006, I finally got the chance to see (and hear) one of the most wonderful artists of all times: Mariah Carey.

The show opened with Sean Paul at around 7:45 p.m. I must admit that I am not really a fan of this rapper. Well, I am not a fan of any rapper. Ha ha! Rap is just not my cup of tea. But I realised that I had heard a few of his songs before. The thing that disturbed me the most was the two other guys who were on stage with him. I mean, what are they paid for? Saying "hey, hey, hey" all the time? Saying "give it up for Sean Paul, y'all" crowd? It just looked like they were hired to brag about Sean Paul during the entire set. I guess it's a cultural thing. Ha ha!

Mariah finally appeared… an hour later! (That woman has a lot of qualities, but punctuality isn't one of them.) The crowd went wild when she made her entrance, singing "It's Like That." Her voice was perfect.

She sang most of her hits ("Heartbreaker," "Dreamlover," "Vision of Love") as well as songs from "The Emancipation of Mimi." I believe she sang the same songs as in Toronto, but maybe not in the same order.

During "Fantasy," she had a wardrobe malfunction. As you probably know, she sings this song on the "B" stage. She had to go backstage, but she kept on singing anyway. When she came back, she was screaming "Cut it out, cut it out." When the musicians finally stopped playing, she told us that "the twins did not want to stay were they were supposed to." It was quite funny! Then, she added that she wanted to give us a great show, but not that kind of show, that she was not that kind of girl. She went back to the "B" stage and continued the show with her seventeenth number one hit, "Don't Forget About Us."

As another fan mentioned, she told us that we were her best crowd yet. I guess she meant it since nobody wrote that she said it during other shows.

I was really happy that she sang a little part of "Can't Let Go." Even after all these years, that ballad is still beautiful. Trey Lorenz joined her on "Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix)" and on "One Sweet Day."

When came the time to sing "Hero," she explained that when she wrote it, she was not supposed to sing it, but that it kind of became her "signature song." There were lots of lighters in the air during this song. Ha ha!

There was not a choir during "Make It Happen," but it was still good though.

Then, I heard the introduction of "We Belong Together." I was sad because I knew that she ended the show with that wonderful song. It was so beautiful!

I wish I had been able to take pictures. I had bought a camera ($300) just for the show a week before for that purpose. I was able to get it in the Bell Centre with no problem. But I wanted to make a test and take a picture without the flash before the show began. However, a security guard came to me and told me I had to follow him outside. Come on! I had the camera in my hands for two seconds! I had to leave it downstairs. But if I had known that they would not check that I still had my camera with me, I would have hidden it under my clothes… like the first time. I was so mad! How come people with cell phones can take pictures and film with their cell phones, but people with cameras cannot? This is so unfair.

There was even a guy in the fifth row in front of me who smoked dope during the concert. Yes, smoking in Mariah Carey concert! He had time to finish his stuff (whatever that was) before a security guard went to him and asked him to get out. We see where are their priorities:
"Sir, you have a camera? You have to get out NOW!"
"Oh, you are smoking marijuana. Please, finish enjoying it and come see me after please."

Well, next time, I'll try to wait till the show begins before taking pictures. The girl next to me was able to take a few during the first three or four songs. The security guard only told her to put her camera in her bag. Grrrrrrr! Damn her! Ha ha!

All in all, I really enjoyed Mariah's show. She did a wonderful job in Montreal. She did not look natural when she was dancing. However, Mariah is a singer, not a dancer. Her voice was fantastic. She hit all the notes, even the incredibly high ones. I can assure you that everything was live. Even "Fantasy"! I was certain that she would lip-sync it as she did in her previous tours. But she sang it quite differently from the album version. Well, to me, it sounded live.

I was really satisfied with the setlist too. I know that many fans wish that she would sing less known songs, like "Close My Eyes" or "anishing." But you have to remember that the tour is called "The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour." You must expect the hits and a few songs from "The Emancipation of Mimi." This is the way I see it at least.

As for the costumes, I did not think they were so bad. The first outfit (the black bikini) is a little weird, but the rest is okay in my opinion. Mariah looked awesome in her yellow dress. My favourite was probably the blue one though. The design reminds me of the orange outfit she wore at "VH1 Save The Music."

In conclusion, if you have a chance, go see her in concert. It is totally worth it according to me.