I have somewhat diverse taste in music. Eclectic would be the polite description. A little weird would probably be more accurate. I took seven years of classical piano and still really enjoy Bach, Mozart, etc. I also dig everything from oldies to some of todays new voices, but I gotta tell you, I love me some Garth. I always said that the only performer I would stand in line to get tickets to see was Garth Brooks.....and then he went into retirement. Back in the old days I could sing harmony for just about every song he recorded, cause you know if he ever was in a pinch for a back up singer, I was there for him. Oh yeah.
So Wednesday I get an email from Garth - uh, his newsletter- telling me he was doing a series of 9 concerts in Kansas City (oh you lucky folks) and 90 minutes of the last one was going to be simulcast all over the world. AND, shock of all shocks, it was going to show locally. I got my little self right on over to Fandango, but the live cast was sold out. Bummer. They were, however, going to show the concert again the next night and we were able to get tickets to last nights show. We arrived about 20 minutes before show time and I have to admit I was surprised to see that the only seats left were near the front. It was kind of a strange experience watching a high energy concert in a movie theater, but we were encouraged to treat it like a concert venue and people did clap and sing along....at least I think so cause it was sort of hard to tell from the front.
In 9 sold out concerts 159,000+ people showed up in Kansas City to see Garth perform. I would be curious to know the stats on the theater attendance. He's older ( I got a chuckle out of his fuzzy gray hair), but in good shape, although he joked about his gut a few times, and the man has seriously still got it. I was so tickled for him and the response he was getting from the live crowd, cheering and singing along. The man is a legend. At the end of the concert he told the crowd, in a choked up voice, that if we were willing to wait for him, he WOULD be back. Hallelujah. I may get the chance to stand in line for concert tickets after all.
I got the feeling that these concerts were perhaps Garth testing the water to see if there was still any interest in a come-back, so to speak. It would appear that any fears he might have had were loudly put to rest. I hope he doesn't cave on his plan to stay a "dad" until his girls grow up, but I'll be thrilled to see him back on the front lines of music again. There is no question that he is a force to be reckoned with and I say bring it on!
I saw Garth in concert in college. It was amazing.
I have to admit, though, that my stand-in-line band/musician is U2. I've seen them - once - and I cried when I realized I was in. the. same. room. as BONO. Nevermind I was in the last row of a stadium. Technically, one room. Technically, the SAME room. :P
Posted by: wenders | November 16, 2007 at 02:36 PM