86-year-old Vassalboro man attends first-ever concert

John McLean, of Vassalboro, at Shania Twain concert.

by Mark Huard

It was a beautiful evening at the sold-out Maine Savings Amphitheatre, in Bangor, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The stadium was set ablaze by country/pop star Shania Twain and rising star, MacKenzie Porter. Many people were excited to hear Shania Twain was making her way to the waterfront, in Bangor. When the news of this event arrived, it didn’t take long for tickets to fly out of the box offices. It was no different for 86-year-old John McLean, in fact, much to his children’s surprise he was eager to make his way to see Shania in person.

In early July David McLean, of Winslow, received a phone call from his father, John McLean, age 86, asking if he could take him somewhere. He said, “will you give me a ride to see Shania Twain in Bangor?” David, knowing his dad’s 86th birthday was right around the corner, thought this would be a perfect gift. He contacted his brother, Mike, and asked if he would also go. When telling this to the children, they couldn’t believe it either and all decided they wanted to go.

They even reached out to the rest of the grandchildren to see who would be interested, and the response was overwhelming.

Shania Twain

After securing tickets for everyone, they decided to make a night of it and have dinner. They made reservations to have dinner at Timber, which turned out to be a fantastic start to a perfect night with many more surprises. John thought it was just his two sons going to the concert. He was shocked as family members joined him for dinner and even more joined them at the venue.

Although he was willing to walk, David flagged down a tricycle with a seat for four on the back. It had a boombox strapped to the back with Shania Twain tunes cranking.

He had no idea what to expect, as this was his first concert. He was totally amazed by the drummer and the other musicians and definitely by how loud it was, but most of all seeing Shania. He hasn’t stopped talking about how much he enjoyed it and said that he might want to go to another event.

MacKenzie Porter kicked off the show with a high energy half-hour set that got the crowd going.

When Shania Twain hit the stage with Rock This Country, the Maine Savings Amphitheater exploded with excitement. It surely was a fantastic evening of music and entertainment. The sound and lighting were right on, and Shania’s production was outstanding.

A particularly memorable moment came during the finale, when Shania returned to the stage for Man! I Feel Like a Woman! wearing a University of Maine Black Bears hockey jersey. She really raised the spirits of all those present and definitely made it a night to remember. With perfect weather, amazing sound, and two talented artists bringing their all, the night was a celebration of music and community. It was clear from the smiles and energy all around that this was a concert Bangor won’t soon forget.

Maine loves Shania not only for her talents but as a humanitarian. Shania Twain recently donated $25,000 to a food bank in the state. Twain’s donation to the Good Shepherd Food Bank, in Auburn, is part of a greater effort by the Shania Twain Foundation to help food-insecure communities in every state the Canadian singer-songwriter visits on her tour. Good Shepherd Food Bank chief advancement officer Robin McCarthy said the nonprofit organization is grateful that Twain is drawing attention to the issue of food insecurity, and she hopes it will encourage more people to support their local food banks.

“There’s no one way that hunger looks, and you can’t tell by looking at any human being what their experience with food insecurity might be,” McCarthy said. “I think the Shania Twain Foundation takes us seriously, and Shania Twain is so engaged with this issue just proves our point there’s no face of hunger and it really impacts all of us in one way or another.” McCarthy said Twain’s donation will help Good Shepherd Food Bank create approximately 50,000 meals.

Shania made dreams come true for John McLean and many other fans on that beautiful July evening. Shania showcased her talents as a performer and her commitment to helping people. She is a truly special person that made this concert a success, and it’s not a surprise that she sold out the stadium after more than 30 years of performing. Hopefully she keeps that UMAINE jersey and wears it at another event here in our great state very soon.

The McLean family in attendance with John McClean at the Shania Twain concert. Katie Pushard, Josh McLean, Randi McLean, Jared McLean, John McLean, Emily McLean, Desiree Willette, Matt McLean, Mike McLean, Joey McLean, Heather Boutin, Arlene McLean, David McLean. (photo by Mark Huard/Central Maine Photography)