‘Party in the Back’ a blast inside the arena
Shania! The Hits and Slamabama perform at Prairie Jam
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MARSHALL -- Shania! The Hits had already performed several Shania Twain hits when the lead guitarist welcomed the Prairie Jame audience inside the Red Baron Arena and introduced the lead vocalist.
"You may not recognize her later when she comes out. Believe it or not this is her natural hair color," he bellowed out to the crowd standing in front of him on the floor and more people in the stands and up in the VIP section.
"Please make some noise for my lovely wife. A Kentucky girl, Mrs. Rosanna Juliano," he said.
While the Saturday concert was advertised as the show starting with the Shania! The Hits! and then finishing with the main event, Slamabama; as it turned out, one group of entertainers make up both shows.
After Jay Juliano introduced his wife, Rosanna returned the favor.
"Did I tell you he's my husband," she said pointing to Jay.
"I've already told them you are my wife. They figured that out," Jay said.
Right after that, Rosanna asked,"We're having a party, you want to come," she yelled.
"I don't think so," Jay answered.
"A party of two," she said, and the band started to perform the Shania Twain song.
And followed with "Man! I Feel Like a Woman."
After the Shania! The Hits performance, Jay Juliano visited with the Independent while taking a break in between shows.
"I thought it was great. I mean, you know, just for the opening act, you know the Shania act is a blast," Jay Juliano said. "It’s funny, because I was just having a conversation with the folks from Marshall here, and this Shania opening set is so fun because it’s a good way to kind of just get things going. And you can feel the energy kind of build throughout.Then you hit, and 'I feel like a woman,' and the place just goes nuts. Which sets the pace for what we’re about to do with (the) Party in the Back (show) because that Party in the Back is just a blast."
The Independent asked Jay Juliano on how he met his bandmate, who is also his wife.
"I actually auditioned her almost 20 years ago to do a band. You know I wanted to do a male-female thing at the time. You know Sugarland was really hot. Lady Annabelle was really hot, and so we wanted to do something kind of like that. So I auditioned two days. I had 16 girls a day come in and sing for two days, one every half hour for eight hours. Rosanna was my first audition on day one, and then I had to sit through 31 more singers at that point because I knew. I never thought in a million years that we would end up married. And we’ll be married 17 years this year, and together for almost 20,” he said.
Jay Juliano said the two of them have a blast singing together.
While the band is considered from the Fargo, North Dakota, area, they actually live 20 miles east from there in Barnsville, Minnesota.
They are not the only Slamabama performers living in Minnesota. During his Shania! The Hits introductions, Jay Juliano announced that bass guitarist Joey Anton is from Jackson.
The drummer, Alec Garcia, is originally from the California Bay Area and has been with the group for 13 years.
After the short break, the group was back on stage.
"I got a question for y’all. How many of y’all were born in the '90s?" the audience was asked. "Where’s my '90s people? How many of you have raised in the ’90s? And how many of y’all raised your kids in the ’90s?
"I tell you what, it was better in the ’90s. And we are going to show you how to throw down here tonight like it is the ’90s. ... That’s what Slamabama is all about. So, ladies and gentlemen, cowboys and cowgirls, let’s give it up for Slamabama!"
With that, the crowd was entertained with a variety of country hits such as "Here for the Party" and "Meet in the Middle."