Photos Courtesy of My iPhone
(The tour turned down our request for photo access)
The Scene: On Tuesday night the Pepsi Center was a sea of denim, cowboy hats, belt buckles and short shorts. It was a people watching frenzy (at least for those of us who don’t frequent Country shows) but it’s important to note that all walks of life were represented. Garth Brooks is the world’s biggest Country star – as his nine sold-out shows demonstrated in spades – but more than just your stereotypical Country fans came out for this one. To say the atmosphere in the arena was electric as we approached showtime would be doing a disservice to the thousands of buzzing fans who could barely sit still as they snapped selfies with the giant “G” that sat center stage on a huge digital cube.
Garth Brooks: Let’s get this out of the way right up front, I don’t consider myself a “Country music fan.” I like some of the Outlaw Country that’s out there (Willie, Merle, Waylon, Johnny, etc.) and I listen to Ryan Bingham and Lyle Lovett, but my time with mainstream Country was in the 80’s and early 90’s. My tastes have evolved, but I have paramount respect a good performer and songwriter, so when Garth Brooks announced his string of shows here in Denver I knew I had to make it to one.
After a brief opening set by one of the shows background singers – and singer/songwriter in her own right – Karen Rochelle, the Garth Brooks buzz machine went into full effect and it wasn’t long before a low rumble was pumped out over the PA which brought the crowd to their feet only to be told by a voice over the PA that we were still “five minutes from Garth.” A brief stunt where some of the tour’s roadies appeared on-stage to deal with a “problem” with the shows light and sound rig followed and then the giant cube at center stage began a countdown from one minute. When that clock reached zero the arena literally exploded…well at least it sounded like it as all 20,000 people let 18 years of pent up excitement escape in one thunderous roar.
The band appeared on stage and began playing the title track from Brooks’ most recent album, Man Against Machine, while smoke filled the stage. As the smoke cleared Brooks himself stood center stage in his signature pose and again the crowd collectively lost it. I’ve been to thousands of concerts, literally, and I have NEVER heard a crowd make that much noise or experienced crowd energy like I did on Tuesday. It was simply unbelievable and, unless you were at one of these nine shows, you won’t get it no matter how many superlatives I throw into the mix.
Brooks probably gets responses like this in every city he plays, but he made the crowd on Tuesday feel every bit as special as they were hoping to feel. He showered praise on the town and the fans as he ran through classics like “Rodeo,” “Two Of A Kind, Workin’ On A Full House,” and “The River,” and even told us all that since we were the last show we’d be getting an extra long performance “because there ain’t no show tomorrow.” Finally he claimed that “each night got something special and you’re gonna see all that plus we saved something extra special for this last show.” While I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not, a quick check of setlists on Wednesday morning supported his claim as there were several songs in the 30 song setlist that hadn’t been played much during the previous 40+ dates of the tour including “What She’s Doing Now,” “She’s Every Woman,” and “Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy.”
From where I sat 10 rows back from the stage, Brooks’ stage persona proved to be nothing short of Oscar worthy as he soaked up the deafening cheers during a lengthy crowd noise battle that he directed, ran circles around the stage, and even talked directly with fans. At one point he walked up to a woman in the front row who was holding a sign that read “We Shall Be Free” and said to her “your arms must be tired, you’ve been holding that up since I got out here. Well, you can put it down now, here’s your song.” As he and the band ran through 1992 hit, Brooks took the sign, held it up to the crowd, and then gave it to a roadie to stash backstage. That’s a story the woman will be telling for years to come!
At this point in the show the band filtered off and left Brooks’ alone on stage with his guitar for a four song solo set that included the three aforementioned rarities and the number 1 smash “Unanswered Prayers.” It was right about this point in the show when I got a text message from my wife that contained a photo of a good friend’s brand new baby boy. The little guy had been born 13 weeks early and weighed in at less than two pounds. Needless to say it was a heart-wrenching photo and I couldn’t help but apply the words of the song to our friend’s situation.
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
We had all been praying for this little guy and his family for several weeks in our own ways and while his early arrival wasn’t the best development, I couldn’t help but think about the joy he is going to bring his family and how they are going to rally around him and the struggles he faces in his first few months of life. Quite simply I had to believe that there is good that will come of his premature birth and with Brooks’ song as the soundtrack I choked back tears that would rise again later in the night when the second encore kicked off with “Mom” (again played for a fan holding a heartfelt sign with a request that it be played for “Our Brooke”).
A little baby told God, “Hey, I’m kinda scared
Don’t really know if I want to go down there
From here it looks like a little blue ball
That’s a great big place and I’m so small”
“Why can’t I just stay here with you
Did I make you mad, don’t you want me to?”
God said, “Oh, child, of course I do
But there’s somebody special waiting for you”
So, hush now baby don’t you cry
‘Cause there’s someone down there waiting
Whose only goal in life
Is makin’ sure you’re always gonna be alright
A loving angel, tender, tough and strong
It’s almost time to go and meet your mom
While the connections between the music and our new little friend rang in my head for much of the night, songs like “The Thunder Rolls,” a great cover of Billy Joel’s “Shameless,” and the blistering “Callin’ Baton Rouge” had me singing along to songs I forgot I once knew the words to as I got a little lost in the frenzy.
I guess what I learned at this show was that no matter the genre, music has a power to connect with us all on the deepest of levels. I haven’t actively listened to Garth Brooks in almost 25 years, but this show moved me in ways that a concert has moved me in a long, long time. Sure, some of that came from outside influences, unrelated to the show, but none the less it connected and like it or not we all bring the baggage from our lives to these experiences and it takes a special kind of performer to tap into them. Well done Mr. Brooks.
Energy: A+
Musicianship: A
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A
Set/Light Show: A
Overall: A
+ There are no comments
Add yours