"It's An Unfreakin' Real Crowd For A Tuesday." Garth Brooks Brings relief to Nashville
15 years. Imagine that you have been waiting 15 years for the man that was your childhood hero to come back around to perform the songs that mean everything to you. That is my story. Actually, that was my story…
Garth Brooks retired around the new millennium. I had seen him live when I was in first grade. I remember very little. It was St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta, Georgia at the old Omni. Garth wore green that night. I remember my little brother, only 5 (I think) at the time, falling asleep during the show and missing everything. I was 7 though. We were 14th row and I sang along to every song. Yet I only remember one song from that night, “The River.” So now as a 22 year old I could not wait for my chance to see Garth again.
Hope arised in 2007 when he did a string of shows in Kansas City; then again later that year when he did a Fire Benefit in Los Angeles. Then a residency in Vegas gave us all a chance to finally get to see Garth. My parents went; I’m still trying to figure out how to afford it. But then Garth shocked me by announcing a show in Nashville, just up the road from where I live in Knoxville.
The day tickets went on sale was momentous. One show turned into nine. When it was all said and done my family and I had gotten a total of 16 tickets across the final four shows. And I was attending all 4. Here’s the story of the first two…
Parking was a pride swallower. 20 freakin’ bucks just to park, that’s almost as much as the ticket! But it was absolutely worth it. Tonight, I brought along my aunt and partner in concerts, Jamie. We had club level tickets in the 200 level. Seats were great. The first show was treated to an opening act.
Karen Rochelle came out swinging performing her quick paced traditional brand of country music. She has been writing in Nashville for years but just recorded her first EP. Garth produced it so be on the lookout for her to be recording a full album soon. She was a great singer and a decent performer. She warmed us up for the storm ahead. Show 1 for Garth followed immediately after.
I would equate Garth’s show intro as the Rescue Party arriving in Nashville. These shows are benefitting Flood Relief in middle Tennessee and the theme of the show is “Nashville ’10 The Rescue Party.” The intro saw a huge lighting structure come down from the ceiling and give us a great light show. The band came on a broke into some intro music and at the very back of the stage, a platform rose up. As the band breaks into the opening number, “Rodeo,” The platform slowly lowers revealing Garth standing there singing.
He jumped down and got right into the show. We moved along quickly through classic Garth numbers and even when we slowed down the music, the momentum just kept building. Steve Wariner came on and showcased his amazing guitar skills as they did “Longneck Bottle.” It was just like I was 11 years-old again listening to the "Double Live" album. Wife Trisha Yearwood was the next guest. She came on stage during “In Another’s Eyes,” and then performed two of her own songs before leaving Garth to rattle through “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” and the arena rousing “Friends in Low Places.” “The Dance” closed the regular set but the inevitable encore of “Ain’t Goin’ Down ‘til The Sun Comes Up” followed. The lighting rig really came to life here as thing started moving and going literally crazy. It was just awesome. Garth returned for a second encore and played some of his old favorites. Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” and George Strait’s “Unwound” were followed by the show closing “Piano Man.” Billy Joel had closed with this same song a couple of years ago when I saw him in that very same arena. It was fitting. Thus show one was over. I left thinking that was a really good show, a solid set and a decent crowd. But I hadn’t seen anything yet…
Karen Rochelle Opening for Garth
1. I Like ‘Em like That
2. Cowboys Are My Weakness
3. When He Told Me He Didn’t Love Me No More
4. It’s Workin’
Garth Brooks – 12/21/2010 – 6 PM
1. Rodeo
2. Papa Loved Mama
3. Beaches of Cheyenne
4. Two of a Kind (Workin on a Full House)
5. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)
6. Shameless
7. Unanswered Prayers (Solo Acoustic)
8. We Shall Be Free
9. The Thunder Rolls
10. Longneck Bottle (w/ Steve Wariner)
11. The River
12. That Summer
13. In Another’s Eyes (w/ Trisha Yearwood)
14. She’s In Love With The Boy (Trisha Yearwood)
15. How Do I Live (Trisha Yearwood)
16. Callin’ Baton Rouge
17. Friends In Low Places
18. The Dance
19. Ain’t Goin’ Down (Till The Sun Comes Up)
20. Night Moves (Solo Acoustic Bob Seger Cover)
21. Fire and Rain (Solo Acoustic James Taylor Cover)
22. Unwound Solo (Acoustic George Strait Cover)
23. Piano Man (Solo Acoustic Billy Joel Cover)
Show Rating- 9/10
I was actually in Nashville when the flood came. I was attending a Jimmy Buffett concert the night the rain pummeled the city. I woke up the next morning and high-tailed it out of there. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to get out or how bad it actually was. I still can’t fathom that people are still having so much trouble. My heart goes out to them. Garth told us that we’ve made a difference with this relief, now approaching close to 5 million dollars raised. I hope everyone gets what they need to get through this disaster.
Show 2 opened up just as show 1 had, except with one minor difference, this crowd came to party. The loudest crowd I’ve ever been a part of showed up to the late show. It was staggering. They were overpowering the band at some points. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Jamie and I moved up to the 300 balcony seating for this one, but the seats were great. It was on the side so it wasn’t really that far away and we got a different view of the stage. Jamie liked it better than the first seats. My brother and his girlfriend, Jennifer, joined us on this show. They were right below us so we could see each other perfect. We exchanged motions to each other all night. It was really cool, almost like we were sitting next to each other.
Everything in the second show just popped more. “Papa Loved Mama” had more energy. “Shameless” was more soulful and dare I say, the sound was sexy. This is definitely a song for lovers. “Unanswered Prayers” was so loud. The crowd was brilliant. Garth added “If Tomorrow Never Comes” to the set just to hear the crowd sing to him again. “We Shall Be Free” felt more emotional. Pictures of Flood Relief showed up on the screen just as it had before, but this time it felt more real. “The River” flowed beautifully and transformed me into a 7 year-old again. It was almost life changing. It reaffirmed me to continue persevering to achieve my dreams. “The Thunder Rolls” had great lighting effects. The screens literally became a stormy night and Garth took on the menacing personality of the song. “Callin’ Baton Rouge” was a spur of the moment song as Garth moved it on the setlist because it felt right. He told us before playing it that we shouldn’t push him cause he was going to stay as long as we wanted him to. And he did.
Trisha’s portion was once again great. She really has an astounding voice. “Friends In Low Places” and the confetti cannons rained down upon us next as he closed the regular set with “The Dance.” His traditional encore followed and he again returned for a second encore, but this time he started taking requests from signs.
I knew it was going to be a magical ending when he did “Learning to Live Again.” It was so cool to hear that song. The surprises continued as he did the rare “It’s Your Song” next. This song was dedicated to his mom, you could see the emotion in Garth’s eyes and certainly hear it in his voice. “To make You Feel My Love” was next, and it was followed by a song from the "Ropin’ the Wind" album that was always one of my favorites. I remember that Matthew, my brother, loved it too. “Burning Bridges” was a huge highlight. It still hasn’t hit me that he actually played it. “The Red Strokes” was played at one of the earlier shows last week and I was so jealous, but I got to hear it tonight. It was always my favorite music video of his and the song is genius. “That Girl is a Cowboy” was a song that I thought was going to be a smash single but it never got the push. I can’t see why, the crowd tonight loved hearing it.
It was at this point that Garth realized we weren’t going home. He called the band back onto the stage and they broke into Jamie’s favorite, “Two Pina Coladas.” He followed it with another request, “Standing Outside the Fire.” To my knowledge, this one hadn’t been played in an arena with the band for well over 10 years. It was phenomenal even though the band had a little trouble remembering how it ended. Next was “More Than A Memory.” I’ll be honest and admit I fought back tears during this one. This song was there for me last summer when I was going through a rough patch, it was the story of my life I felt. The words in the song could have very well have been written by me. But not even the high of hearing it was enough for Nashville.
The band linked arms and took a final bow and the lights lowered but the crowd refused to leave. So Garth came back onto the stage to perform some different covers. After “Piano Man” and a David Allen Coe classic, he finally closed the show with the Don McClean standard, “American Pie.”
I don’t see how anything can top that ending. I am still floored by it. My throat hurts from singing along so loud. I have no idea how I’m going to get through the two shows tonight. But I can’t wait. Thank you Garth for reminding me what music is. Thank you for playing the songs that have touched me in all eras of my life. It
means more than you’ll ever know to get to hear these songs. We’ll see ya tonight!
Garth Brooks – 12/21/2010 – 9 PM
1. Rodeo
2. Papa Loved Mama
3. Beaches of Cheyenne
4. Two of a Kind (Workin on A Full House)
5. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)
6. Shameless
7. Unanswered Prayers
8. If Tomorrow Never Comes
9. We Shall Be Free
10. The River
11. Longneck Bottle (w/ Steve Wariner)
12. The Thunder Rolls
13. That Summer
14. Callin’ Baton Rouge
15. In Another’s Eyes (w/ Trisha Yearwood)
16. She’s In Love With The Boy (Trisha Yearwood)
17. How Do I Live (Trisha Yearwood)
18. Friends In Low Places
19. The Dance
20. Ain’t Goin’ Down (Till The Sun Comes Up)
21. Learning To Live Again (Solo Acoustic)
22. It’s Your Song (Solo Acoustic)
23. To Make You Feel My Love (Solo Acoustic)
24. Burning Bridges (Solo Acoustic)
25. The Red Strokes (Solo Acoustic)
26. That Girl Is A Cowboy (Solo Acoustic)
27. Two Pina Coladas
28. Standing Outside The Fire
29. More Than A Memory
30. Piano Man(Solo Acoustic Billy Joel Cover)
31. You Never Even Call Me By My Name (Solo Acoustic David Allen Coe Cover)
32. American Pie (Solo Acoustic Don McClean Cover)
Show Rating- 10/10
Notes- The crowd exchange between the two shows was crazy. 40 thousand people in the street of Nashville. I had never seen anything like it.---My brother was on one side of the crowd and I was on the other. I called him and told him about where I was and told him to look for me as I jumped. It worked!! He saw my blonde head pop up above the crowd. Then he jumped and I saw him! It was pretty funny---Garth’s voice is sounding pretty good. He said it was wearing down but I really couldn’t tell. Not sure how he had the energy for two shows. He leaves it all on the stage--- It was great to see Jimmy Mattingly still putting on a great show. Now if only “Fever” can return to the setlist---Dave Gant is older than I remember, lol, but he was such a professional, never missing a lick---Mike Palmer is still the life of the band, even behind the drum set, his energy radiates through the arena---Mom, Dad, and Sister join Brother and his girlfriend tonight for the last two shows---Sorry you opted out of these Audrey, you’re really missing out---Trisha smacked Garth's butt during "she's In Love With The Boy" on both shows---Garth gave his guitar to a kid with Down Syndrome)I believe) during the second show---I tweeted the setlist for my fellow PlanetGarth members, I will do the same tonight, hopefully you guys who can’t make it enjoyed it. Shout out to Samantha for the “Buring Bridges” sign. See you guys tonight!---
Just some thoughts…
Garth Brooks retired around the new millennium. I had seen him live when I was in first grade. I remember very little. It was St. Patrick’s Day in Atlanta, Georgia at the old Omni. Garth wore green that night. I remember my little brother, only 5 (I think) at the time, falling asleep during the show and missing everything. I was 7 though. We were 14th row and I sang along to every song. Yet I only remember one song from that night, “The River.” So now as a 22 year old I could not wait for my chance to see Garth again.
Hope arised in 2007 when he did a string of shows in Kansas City; then again later that year when he did a Fire Benefit in Los Angeles. Then a residency in Vegas gave us all a chance to finally get to see Garth. My parents went; I’m still trying to figure out how to afford it. But then Garth shocked me by announcing a show in Nashville, just up the road from where I live in Knoxville.
The day tickets went on sale was momentous. One show turned into nine. When it was all said and done my family and I had gotten a total of 16 tickets across the final four shows. And I was attending all 4. Here’s the story of the first two…
Parking was a pride swallower. 20 freakin’ bucks just to park, that’s almost as much as the ticket! But it was absolutely worth it. Tonight, I brought along my aunt and partner in concerts, Jamie. We had club level tickets in the 200 level. Seats were great. The first show was treated to an opening act.
Karen Rochelle came out swinging performing her quick paced traditional brand of country music. She has been writing in Nashville for years but just recorded her first EP. Garth produced it so be on the lookout for her to be recording a full album soon. She was a great singer and a decent performer. She warmed us up for the storm ahead. Show 1 for Garth followed immediately after.
I would equate Garth’s show intro as the Rescue Party arriving in Nashville. These shows are benefitting Flood Relief in middle Tennessee and the theme of the show is “Nashville ’10 The Rescue Party.” The intro saw a huge lighting structure come down from the ceiling and give us a great light show. The band came on a broke into some intro music and at the very back of the stage, a platform rose up. As the band breaks into the opening number, “Rodeo,” The platform slowly lowers revealing Garth standing there singing.
He jumped down and got right into the show. We moved along quickly through classic Garth numbers and even when we slowed down the music, the momentum just kept building. Steve Wariner came on and showcased his amazing guitar skills as they did “Longneck Bottle.” It was just like I was 11 years-old again listening to the "Double Live" album. Wife Trisha Yearwood was the next guest. She came on stage during “In Another’s Eyes,” and then performed two of her own songs before leaving Garth to rattle through “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” and the arena rousing “Friends in Low Places.” “The Dance” closed the regular set but the inevitable encore of “Ain’t Goin’ Down ‘til The Sun Comes Up” followed. The lighting rig really came to life here as thing started moving and going literally crazy. It was just awesome. Garth returned for a second encore and played some of his old favorites. Bob Seger’s “Night Moves,” James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” and George Strait’s “Unwound” were followed by the show closing “Piano Man.” Billy Joel had closed with this same song a couple of years ago when I saw him in that very same arena. It was fitting. Thus show one was over. I left thinking that was a really good show, a solid set and a decent crowd. But I hadn’t seen anything yet…
Karen Rochelle Opening for Garth
1. I Like ‘Em like That
2. Cowboys Are My Weakness
3. When He Told Me He Didn’t Love Me No More
4. It’s Workin’
Garth Brooks – 12/21/2010 – 6 PM
1. Rodeo
2. Papa Loved Mama
3. Beaches of Cheyenne
4. Two of a Kind (Workin on a Full House)
5. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)
6. Shameless
7. Unanswered Prayers (Solo Acoustic)
8. We Shall Be Free
9. The Thunder Rolls
10. Longneck Bottle (w/ Steve Wariner)
11. The River
12. That Summer
13. In Another’s Eyes (w/ Trisha Yearwood)
14. She’s In Love With The Boy (Trisha Yearwood)
15. How Do I Live (Trisha Yearwood)
16. Callin’ Baton Rouge
17. Friends In Low Places
18. The Dance
19. Ain’t Goin’ Down (Till The Sun Comes Up)
20. Night Moves (Solo Acoustic Bob Seger Cover)
21. Fire and Rain (Solo Acoustic James Taylor Cover)
22. Unwound Solo (Acoustic George Strait Cover)
23. Piano Man (Solo Acoustic Billy Joel Cover)
Show Rating- 9/10
I was actually in Nashville when the flood came. I was attending a Jimmy Buffett concert the night the rain pummeled the city. I woke up the next morning and high-tailed it out of there. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to get out or how bad it actually was. I still can’t fathom that people are still having so much trouble. My heart goes out to them. Garth told us that we’ve made a difference with this relief, now approaching close to 5 million dollars raised. I hope everyone gets what they need to get through this disaster.
Show 2 opened up just as show 1 had, except with one minor difference, this crowd came to party. The loudest crowd I’ve ever been a part of showed up to the late show. It was staggering. They were overpowering the band at some points. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Jamie and I moved up to the 300 balcony seating for this one, but the seats were great. It was on the side so it wasn’t really that far away and we got a different view of the stage. Jamie liked it better than the first seats. My brother and his girlfriend, Jennifer, joined us on this show. They were right below us so we could see each other perfect. We exchanged motions to each other all night. It was really cool, almost like we were sitting next to each other.
Everything in the second show just popped more. “Papa Loved Mama” had more energy. “Shameless” was more soulful and dare I say, the sound was sexy. This is definitely a song for lovers. “Unanswered Prayers” was so loud. The crowd was brilliant. Garth added “If Tomorrow Never Comes” to the set just to hear the crowd sing to him again. “We Shall Be Free” felt more emotional. Pictures of Flood Relief showed up on the screen just as it had before, but this time it felt more real. “The River” flowed beautifully and transformed me into a 7 year-old again. It was almost life changing. It reaffirmed me to continue persevering to achieve my dreams. “The Thunder Rolls” had great lighting effects. The screens literally became a stormy night and Garth took on the menacing personality of the song. “Callin’ Baton Rouge” was a spur of the moment song as Garth moved it on the setlist because it felt right. He told us before playing it that we shouldn’t push him cause he was going to stay as long as we wanted him to. And he did.
Trisha’s portion was once again great. She really has an astounding voice. “Friends In Low Places” and the confetti cannons rained down upon us next as he closed the regular set with “The Dance.” His traditional encore followed and he again returned for a second encore, but this time he started taking requests from signs.
I knew it was going to be a magical ending when he did “Learning to Live Again.” It was so cool to hear that song. The surprises continued as he did the rare “It’s Your Song” next. This song was dedicated to his mom, you could see the emotion in Garth’s eyes and certainly hear it in his voice. “To make You Feel My Love” was next, and it was followed by a song from the "Ropin’ the Wind" album that was always one of my favorites. I remember that Matthew, my brother, loved it too. “Burning Bridges” was a huge highlight. It still hasn’t hit me that he actually played it. “The Red Strokes” was played at one of the earlier shows last week and I was so jealous, but I got to hear it tonight. It was always my favorite music video of his and the song is genius. “That Girl is a Cowboy” was a song that I thought was going to be a smash single but it never got the push. I can’t see why, the crowd tonight loved hearing it.
It was at this point that Garth realized we weren’t going home. He called the band back onto the stage and they broke into Jamie’s favorite, “Two Pina Coladas.” He followed it with another request, “Standing Outside the Fire.” To my knowledge, this one hadn’t been played in an arena with the band for well over 10 years. It was phenomenal even though the band had a little trouble remembering how it ended. Next was “More Than A Memory.” I’ll be honest and admit I fought back tears during this one. This song was there for me last summer when I was going through a rough patch, it was the story of my life I felt. The words in the song could have very well have been written by me. But not even the high of hearing it was enough for Nashville.
The band linked arms and took a final bow and the lights lowered but the crowd refused to leave. So Garth came back onto the stage to perform some different covers. After “Piano Man” and a David Allen Coe classic, he finally closed the show with the Don McClean standard, “American Pie.”
I don’t see how anything can top that ending. I am still floored by it. My throat hurts from singing along so loud. I have no idea how I’m going to get through the two shows tonight. But I can’t wait. Thank you Garth for reminding me what music is. Thank you for playing the songs that have touched me in all eras of my life. It
means more than you’ll ever know to get to hear these songs. We’ll see ya tonight!
Garth Brooks – 12/21/2010 – 9 PM
1. Rodeo
2. Papa Loved Mama
3. Beaches of Cheyenne
4. Two of a Kind (Workin on A Full House)
5. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)
6. Shameless
7. Unanswered Prayers
8. If Tomorrow Never Comes
9. We Shall Be Free
10. The River
11. Longneck Bottle (w/ Steve Wariner)
12. The Thunder Rolls
13. That Summer
14. Callin’ Baton Rouge
15. In Another’s Eyes (w/ Trisha Yearwood)
16. She’s In Love With The Boy (Trisha Yearwood)
17. How Do I Live (Trisha Yearwood)
18. Friends In Low Places
19. The Dance
20. Ain’t Goin’ Down (Till The Sun Comes Up)
21. Learning To Live Again (Solo Acoustic)
22. It’s Your Song (Solo Acoustic)
23. To Make You Feel My Love (Solo Acoustic)
24. Burning Bridges (Solo Acoustic)
25. The Red Strokes (Solo Acoustic)
26. That Girl Is A Cowboy (Solo Acoustic)
27. Two Pina Coladas
28. Standing Outside The Fire
29. More Than A Memory
30. Piano Man(Solo Acoustic Billy Joel Cover)
31. You Never Even Call Me By My Name (Solo Acoustic David Allen Coe Cover)
32. American Pie (Solo Acoustic Don McClean Cover)
Show Rating- 10/10
Notes- The crowd exchange between the two shows was crazy. 40 thousand people in the street of Nashville. I had never seen anything like it.---My brother was on one side of the crowd and I was on the other. I called him and told him about where I was and told him to look for me as I jumped. It worked!! He saw my blonde head pop up above the crowd. Then he jumped and I saw him! It was pretty funny---Garth’s voice is sounding pretty good. He said it was wearing down but I really couldn’t tell. Not sure how he had the energy for two shows. He leaves it all on the stage--- It was great to see Jimmy Mattingly still putting on a great show. Now if only “Fever” can return to the setlist---Dave Gant is older than I remember, lol, but he was such a professional, never missing a lick---Mike Palmer is still the life of the band, even behind the drum set, his energy radiates through the arena---Mom, Dad, and Sister join Brother and his girlfriend tonight for the last two shows---Sorry you opted out of these Audrey, you’re really missing out---Trisha smacked Garth's butt during "she's In Love With The Boy" on both shows---Garth gave his guitar to a kid with Down Syndrome)I believe) during the second show---I tweeted the setlist for my fellow PlanetGarth members, I will do the same tonight, hopefully you guys who can’t make it enjoyed it. Shout out to Samantha for the “Buring Bridges” sign. See you guys tonight!---
Just some thoughts…
Comments
Was at both shows on Tuesday as well as the monday nighter. That 2nd crowd was unreal. Sure he's been using the same shtick on stage for years, but it really seems like he appreciates the crowd and feeds off of them.
One thing that I really love is his band. Especially Jimmy Mattingly and Mike Palmer. The 2 of them can get the crowd going like I've never seen. Jimmy is a great player and a blast to watch on stage. He gets really into the crowd and makes you feel like you're a part of the show. That band kills it every time they take the stage. And Johnny Garcia on the guitar is simply amazing. The man can flat out play. I could ramble on for hours about the show and all that, really an amazing experience. Even someone who isn't a fan of Garth or country music would have a great time, IMO.
Again just wanted to say thanks for the post, really hits home with me.