Note: this was the first concert on this George Strait tour this year
With lawn seats, the pictures aren't great... but the crowd sure is fun to watch!
Sadly, my friends were running late and i missed Julianne Hough. I hate that i missed her because last year - she was by far the best of the Opening, Opening, Opening acts in the concert series. She had tons of energy and really got the crowd pumped up - a difficult task for an Opening, Opening Opening act. And, imho, she di a better job than her soon-to-be boyfriend, Chuck WIcks, who was the Opening, Opening Act. Perhaps is was the short shorts and the legs that go on forever (which i'm sure is why my husband paid attention) but she was good. I'm sure she was that good or better this year, too.
I did, however, definitely make it on time to see Blake Shelton - since he is my Miranda's beau, i'm certain i'm biased about Blake. First of all - you just gotta love a star that stays true to himself - his signature plaid flannel shirt was the first clue.While i am happy that Blake [finally] got rid of hte mullet, his apparel choices have not drifted far from his pre-country-star days.
As expected, his performance was excellent and he covered all of his hits and played some fun, new songs, too. While Blake has had a resent string of hits, like She Wouldn't Be Gone and Home - which were very powerful as live performances - the oldies Austin and Old Red are still my favorites. He sang these perfectly as well. I just love his new single, Green, too (I think i heard it on the radio the other day - i assume it will be his next release). Blake's quirky take on politically correct nonsense never fails to entertain. In this song, he was "Green before Green was a Thing", but referring to his John Deere tractor and garm and garden, not the "Save the Environment" initiative. All in all - very solid performance - it only could have been enhanced if Miranda showed up to sing the background vocals for Home like she does on the single - but oh well... maybe next time. Here he is singing Home:
Then it was time for The Man... The Legend... Mr George Strait. You know - there are only 2 acts in country music that truly entertain at a concert even though their whole act is standing at the mic in the center of the stage and playing a guitar and singing - George Strait and Alan Jackson. I think it's because all of the songs are so good - and everyone knows ALL of them. And this concert was no exception. Actually this wasn't my first George Strait concert - but it was my first in 16 years - and i think this one was better.
I should point out that it must be very difficult for stars that are successforl for decades to come up with a song list for new concerts. There's not enough time to play ALL their hits, and they'll surely disappoint some fans no matter which ones they leave out. It's a no-win situation and it's unfortunate that it's only the successful singers that experience it. But overall, George did a nice job of navigating this obstacle (defined as: he sang my favorite song, Amarillo By Morning).
George's recent successes are quite impressive - Give It Away, I Saw God Today, Troubadour - all solid award-winning hits that are excellent songs. His success is well-deserved. The songs were entertaining all on their own - even though there wasn't the "energy" you see at a Kenny Chesney or Sugarland performance, the songs all have a life and energy of their own. From the old classics like I Can Still Make Cheyenne, The Fireman and Ocean Front Property - to the new classics like The Seashores of Old Mexico (my favorite video) and Rolling On THe River, he kept the crown excited to be there and you could tell he was excited to be there, too.
It should also be noted that this was the first concert of the summer tour and it had been only a few weeks since the unexpected death of his brother. But George is a true professional and neither of those things seemed to be a factor in his performance.
All in all - it wasn't the best concert i've ever been to but it was definitely worth the trip! Good music - good friends to enjoy it with - and cold beer! All that makes for a great way to spend a Friday night.
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