From: thumper@engin.umich.edu (Bob Topping)
Subject: Garth's last(?) concert: A review
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 92 17:38:32 EST
Organization: University of Michigan Engineering, Ann Arbor
Distribution: usa
Keywords: Garth, Brooks, Country, Detroit, WOW!
 

Hello all!

  Firstly, before I get into the actual review, I highly suggest that
everyone see at least one great concert from the twelfth row, main floor!

  Well, being optomistic about traffic flow, we started out for The Palace
of Auburn Hills a mere two hours early.  We should have planned on three
though, as traffic was backed up on I-75 for three miles in places!  I mean
I knew the guy was popular, but GEEZE!  We finally got there, using a few
back roads, a little bit before 8pm, when the concert was supposed to
start.  Fortunately, they began fashionably late, about 8:20, so we had
plenty of time to look around.

  For those of you who have never had the fortune of being very close to
the stage, the best way I can describe it is that it feels like you are
entering an "Inner Sanctum".  There were waiters taking orders for food,
beer and pop; security checks to make sure that you are among the chosen
few...(Hint: ALWAYS keep your ticket stub handy!)  Its just a neat exper-
ience.  As I said; I strongly recommend it!

  At 8:20 or so, Martina McBride came right out to begin her part of the
concert.  I haven't heard much of her stuff, but I'll tell you, she's one
to watch!  She has a wonderful stage presence, and worked the entire crowd,
accepting roses, shaking hands, etc.  She sang about 5 songs, none of which
I recognized unfortunately, but sang them VERY well.  Her last song, after
she introduced the band, was an a capella version of "Oh Holy Night".  Sim-
ply amazing.  The woman has got a set of pipes, and proved that she doesn't
need a band to make her sound good.  Certainly the high point of her per-
formance.

  After Martina left, the tension began to build as we waited for Garth.
I went and chatted with some friends for a couple of minutes, and then
proceeded to spend $8.50 for two glasses of beer.  I got down to my seat
again, going through all the checkpoints, having my ticket peered at by
no less than 5 security guards, and waited.  The stage itself was a very  
simple affair, no props, no lasers, no giant screen tvs.  It was gonna be
just Garth and a few thousand of his closest friends.  About 9:15, the
lights went down and the crowd went wild!  This was IT!  Behind the drums,
a part of the stage rose, with the band on it.  They got off and went to 
their places, and as the lift went back down, it uncovered Garth.  The
first song was "Rodeo", and almost from the first chord, he was all over
the stage.  He covered one end to the other, and front and back.  There
wasn't a single section that he didn't sing to.  After "Rodeo", he just
stood there and drank in all the applause and shouts that were raining
down on him.  I don't think it was out of conceit, but rather just being
overwhelmed by it all.  Everyone knew, on stage and off, that this was
it for them in terms of a daily grind for the next few months.  This was
the climax of a long and hard tour, and the start of a vacation, and so
I think he just was kind of overwhelmed by the emotions of the moment.
Throughout the concert, he thanked us no less than 10 times, both for
himself, and for the band and crew.

  We were sitting on the end of a row, and so were able to go partway    
down the aisle to get pictures.  It was, for the most part, a well behaved 
group.  I was able to get down as far as the 5th row to take a couple of
shots, and was very pleasantly surprised at how polite folks were.  People
calmy waited their turn to get off one or two shots, and then left, and
the next person stepped up.  I heard one of the security guys comment that
he liked working country concerts because everyone was so polite and
well behaved.  Made me feel good, at least.  There were a couple of low
points to it, though.  At the end of "Friends in Low Places", instead of
smashing his guitar like he usually does, he threw it out into the audience.
I'm sure that he meant it as a a treat for someone, unfortunately, it
turned into a mini-brawl, with at least five persons fighting over the
guitar, fists and all.  Kind of sad, considering that the guitar would
have mad a wonderful souvenier, I'm sure, but I doubt it survived the brawl 
that it generated very well.  There were also several very drunk people
wandering down the aisles trying to get better views, but they were more
distracting than annoying.

  Before the end of "Friends in Low Places", the ENTIRE band and most of 
the crew BURIED Garth in Silly String!  It was hilarious!  It looked like
a giant ball of the stuff had gotten up on stage, and was walking around.
When they finished, the stuff was EVERYWHERE, on the drums, on the keyboards,
on the guitars, on Garth, on the audience...

  He sang "Unanswered Prayers" by himself, just on the acoustic guitar,
and a few times just stopped singing and listened to the audience singing
along with him.

  So many more things come to mind; "The Thunder Rolls", "The Dance", "The
River", "Shameless", a great cover of "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" (his
encore).  Its just so much to include.  He did stop for a while, and explain
to us what his plans are right now:  He's NOT going to be actively touring,
just playing occasionally here and there, and making sure that he spends
LOTS of time with his daughter and wife.  He's bringing them with him every-
where he goes, which is the reason for no extended engagements.  He'll
be doing a little work on a new album, but it doesn't sound like he's really
busting his butt to get it out.  So, its not a REAL retirement, or even
a leave of absence.  He's just gonna sit back and take it easy for a year.
I can't say as I blame him much.

  All in all, it was the BEST concert I've ever been to.  I saw Garth up      
close, I saw his face, and saw that his emotional responses to us were real.
As a former "Garth Basher" turned worshiper, I can honestly say that what
I saw was a man who loves his music, and is humble about what he's achieved.

  Major complaints:  Martina McBride only did about 5 songs; I think she
should have been able to do at least 2 or 3 more.  Her stage lighting was
VERY low; at times, it was almost hard to see her.  Garth's promoters don't
sell XX-Large shirts.  This is a constant complaint I have about ALL con-
certs I go to.  The ONLY concert shirt I've ever seen in XX-Large is my
Alabama shirt from the "Pass It on Down" tour.  Don't they realize that
there are a LOT of big guys (and girls) who would buy these things if they
were offered???

  Well, that's it.  Hope you'll forgive the LONG posting, but I figured
that y'all might want to hear about it.

    --Bob


-- 
@ "Our lives are better left to chance;  ****      PLEASE!  E-Mail to:       @
@   I could have missed the pain, but    ****  bob.topping@um.cc.umich.edu   @
@   I'd have had to miss the dance."     ****  phy_astrclub@emunix.emich.edu @
@  Garth Brooks, The Dance.   @>-,'--    ****     :::RETURN OUR HURON!:::    @