I've never been to more than one concert by the same artist on the same tour. Quite honestly... I've really never quite "gotten" how people can follow an artist around from city to city seeing the same show over and over again. Especially some of those artists that just stand there and sing, and tell the same jokes between the same songs. So I really wasn't quite sure what I was getting into seeing Garth three times over. Four if you count tomorrow's movie theater show (which I'm horribly afraid I'm going to forget, because I'm having trouble keeping track of what day of the week it currently is.)
However... my three different shows turned out to be three very different experiences. And I'm curious to hear from all of you how your multi-show experiences was -- and which show was a favorite.
Opening night was special, obviously. The excitement and anticipation of everyone not knowing just what the guy was going to do couldn't be duplicated. This was also the night I had the best seats - in section 107. I like to be several rows up on the lower bowl so I can see what's going on. For instance... my friends on the floor that night had no idea there was a big "g" on stage until they saw my photo of it. From my seat I also felt the impact of the arena singing, because everyone was aiming down at the stage. It probably wasn't the loudest crowd of the week, but to my ears it sounded like it was. I'm sure the fact that I was still riding high from my pre-show Garth hug didn't hurt. But actually, Monday was my second favorite show.
Saturday night I was up in the rafters, section 206 -- back corner of the arena. Whew -- the rows of seats were as steep as the escalator I had to take to get up. From up there, it was an even different view of the stage. This night I was surprised to learn that there was a "g" on the piano too. I hadn't seen the jumbotron from my lower bowl seat on Monday, so Saturday night I learned that the video of Chris LeDeux played during "Good Ride Cowboy." Garth had definitely loosened up a LOT from when I saw him Monday. It was a completely different feel to the performance -- he seemed to be having a lot more fun. Up in the rafters I didn't really "feel" the show itself though - most notably the sing-a-longs weren't nearly as impressive to my ears in the nosebleeds. Loved that he came out in a Chiefs jersey. Loved that I got to share the night with my son and DIL. But I was really glad that this wasn't my only Garth show.
Sunday night was far and away my favorite. (Which is cool, because I had no idea about the dated posters at the prior shows and was kicking myself for not getting one from Opening Night. But I wound up with one (thank you roomie!) from my favorite show.) Prior to the show, I was invited to go out and upgrade people to the front two rows - including an adorable couple in the section I'd sat in the night before. That was a trip. Lots of screams, a few hugs, and plenty of Garthbumps. My seats were near the top of 122 -- dead center at the other end of the arena from the stage. There was some dangling cable of some sort I had to look through all night, and my view of the jumbotron -- which would have helped immensely with the distance -- was completely obstructed by the spotlight platform. But from straight on you really felt the impact of all the stage lighting that I hadn't gotten on either of the other 2 nights. And the setlist... especially the encore... it was amazing. This was also the only night I saw Trisha come back out, and I really enjoyed seeing them interact together, even though I'd read about that whole routine about her t-shirts not having "Brooks" on them on the internet from a previous show. Even though Garth's voice was weaker Saturday and Sunday, he seemed to be getting so much joy from just being able to play for us. It was a great way to end my run.
Loved staying at the Hilton... it really made you feel like you were in the center of the Garth universe, when you walked in and saw cowboy hats and Garth gear everywhere... radio and tv stations doing interviews or broadcasting... and running into old friends in the hallway. More on my nutty roommates and our new use for salsa in another post... I'm awaiting photographic evidence of the stories I may or may not tell...
I'm also really grateful to everyone who took a few minutes to find me at the other end of a text message, holler at me across the concorse, or meet up with me somewhere, even if only for a couple of minutes. It was a good reminder of what a small world it really is. It was hard to miss the NY gals in those awesome "Walkers & Wheelchairs Tour 2015" shirts, those were freakin' awesome! Please please please someone send me a picture! Friends from the UK were literally staying across the hall from me, I met Rachel from Oz and Jona from Norway for the first time, and bless my kiwi friend Debbie's heart, the woman carried four bags of castor sugar across both the equator and the international date line for me! Friends in low places indeed!
So... my conclusion is that I still don't think I'd be good at seeing most artists over and over again... but for this event -- 3 nights was a perfect balance of everything. One night less and I'd have been disappointed. One night more and my husband would have divorced me. ;-)
Now your turn -- how many nights did you see, which was your favorite, and why?
18 comments:
J, Thanks for your excellent review of the shows. I guess you could call me one of those people that will go from show to show of a certain artist or two (which reminds me I have to get airfare soon for a upcoming show.
I only got to go to the show on sat. night. My friend who went with wouldn't fly, so we drove it all the way from Nashville. 18 hours total. eek! But it was worth it. I thought the show was amazing, even though we were in the nosebleeds, section 216, 3rd row from the very last in the area. We were behind the stage, so that helped. We had to deal with drunk people on both sides of us, which was annoying, but not Garth's fault lol. I was really sad that Trisha didn't come back out. But, I'm going to see the show in the theater tomorrow. So, hopefully I'll see what I missed then. I'm just glad that I got to be there. I have been regretting the fact that I didn't get to see Garth in concert since he quit touring. I thought I'd never get to see him. Well, regret fullfilled and now a memory. :)
PS~~~ Thanks for sharing your experiences. Reading them really makes me wish I'd stayed for the sunday show. Stupid school/college!
J. I hope you already know how much I love reading, well, pretty much everything you write :o) Wonderful words.
As always, a great BIG thanks for all you share with us.
If I was single I'd follow Trent WIllmon from one end of the country to the other. LOL But alas, I'm married with children (very happily I might add !) so I have to settle for when he's with in and hour or two drive.
And Texas is wwwaaayyy to big by the way LOL
I went to three shows in a row when Garth played in Baton Rouge and it was something I never thought I would do. It was so worth it because he played different songs every night and each encore was different. I have never regretted those three shows and hopefully, someday I will get to do it again.
Love your descriptions of your time in Missouri and am so glad you decided to go. Except for your little souvenir, it sounds like you had a great time.
Mary Ann
J, I hope you weren't one of the fans who left early Sunday night because they had to work in the morning. I couldn't believe that I saw people leaving during his "request hour." I was absolutely blown away that he played for (according to my watch) 2 hr, 32 min! And 27 songs, plus Trisha's "Georgia Rain." I was not expecting that long of a show at all. I was very pleasantly surprised!
I wish I had known that you were going to be at the show... my wife and I could have used an upgrade from Sec 201!
Loved the Chris LeDoux songs back-to-back as well! I teared up!
I only saw tonight's show and that I was in a movie theater. It was a great show although it seemed shorter than all the others that I have read about...in regards to the multiple concerts...I am one of those freaks. This past September I saw Trisha 6 times in 11 days and I loved every show for different reasons...
My sister and I only intended on going to the Saturday night show but ended up going to the Sunday show as well and man, am I ever glad we did.
Saturday night we were behind the stage and Sunday we were off to the side in section 108. Great seats both nights but it was great to be able to see the jumbotron on the second night. I was so happy Trisha came out to sing with him on Sunday and Georgia Rain was a bonus too...that was awesome! Combining the two shows it was everything I dreamed it would be with the exception of him not singing "If Tomorrow Never Comes" but that's okay because I probably would have cried all the way through it anyway...LOL!
Before the show on Saturday my sister made a comment about what she thought was going to be the best thing to see this weekend and of course I said, d'uh Garth of course and she said, 'No, it's gonna be, seeing your face when he comes out on that stage.' That was priceless.
We had a fabulous weekend all in all. I thought for sure I would run into someone I recognized at the hotel whether it be you, Paula or Sandi. By any chance, were you eating breakfast Monday morning by yourself in the hotel?
Susan, I **HATE** that I missed you! I kept thinking I'd see you too, but I was at the hotel so little. I wound up with a couple hours Sunday afternoon with nothing to do, I wish I could have found you!
And yes, that WAS me in the restaurant Monday morning -- my co-worker had given me a free breakfast coupon from his Monday stay, so I grabbed food before I hit the road. UGH -- don't tell me we were THAT close!!!!!
I did see Penny, Jude, Ros, Norma, the Irish Girls, Katie and her husband Phillip, all at the hotel, and then I was staying with Sandi, Alecia and Anne. Penny and I talked to Shawn Camp for a while too, LOL.
Your sister sounds like an awesome traveling companion! I'm so glad you had a good time.
And Ezherman -- I definitely was NOT one of the people who left early Sunday -- in fact, my brothers and I were some of the last people on the Sprint Center concourse after the show. We were hanging out out front - I was looking for some people I knew were there, and hoping to see some of the people I'd upgraded as they left.
It was such a beautiful night out that night - I definitely didn't want to leave!
I went Monday 5th and Tues the 6th I loved both shows. I think Monday was awesome becasue it has been 9 years since I have been to a Garth Statium Concert and I was so excited and just seeing the crowd for the first time was really awesome.
Tues I had front row which was amazing and Garth and Trisha sang together which I loved. I think overall Monday might have been a better GARTH show but I was so happy to have them both as they were both very different.
Jen
I still haven't heard the story of how you got upgraded - and by who!
I really had nothing to do with getting the upgrade, the friends I was with knew the crew did the upgrads so they went and found the crew member I was standing in conssestion line nearby when they got asked how many in their party they luckly said 5 so we all got to go to the front row, he had excattly five tickets so we were very lucky. When they started yelling and scraming I went over and thanked the guy he said, you take it easy up there and laughed. He was very nice and funny but as I said it was all my friends who did the work to get us upgraded :)
We weren't at the hotel much either...we went shopping at the Crown Centre on Saturday, which by the way, there wasn't a store we went into that I didn't hear something about Garth...that was very cool! My sister thinks I have Garth radar...LOL! Sunday we went to the Country Club Plaza and didn't return until around 5, then went on a search for tickets...that was pretty comical!
But yes J, we were THAT close...I believe you were text messaging when I saw you and said to my sister that I didn't want to disturb you. I'm too polite for my own good sometimes..lol!
I thought I spotted you another time walking down 14th towards the Sprint Centre on Sunday night amidst a herd of people. Were you wearing your Garth hoodie? We were just heading back to the hotel to get our cameras after getting tickets.
I would have loved for you to meet my sister, she's a hoot!
Ohhhh susan! :-( That was a text completely wasted on someone who didn't want to see me, and then to hear it got in the way of someone who DID, just breaks my heart.
And yes, I was in the Garth hoodie Sunday night, and the herd I was in included Sandi and Lish from PG (and here) and their friend Anne.
Girls... I think she just called us cows. ;-)
You're JUST going to have to come back Susan.
You know who else I didn't get to see? (well actually, that's a long list, LMAO) Annette, from Kansas, who always hooked me up with Chiefs stuff for Gary. Are you still out there Annette? And did you make it to a show?
I don't know where to start. I was at the shows Monday 11/5, Tuesday 11/6 and Wednesday 11/7. And they where all awesome. The first show was great because of all the emotions in it. And he seemed sooo happy. I saw him mouth to the woman in the band ( I can't think of her name right now): "Can you believe this!!!" Very cool! I had great 4th row tickets this night. I think the crowd was at the loudest this night from the 3 shows I attended.
The Tuesday show was great too. But a bit short I think. He did just two encores. But one of them where Shameless, so that made up a bit for the shortness. Even without the Swivel ;) He told us his daughters was there that night. That was cool.
This show was great for me, because Garth waived at me, and recognized me from the night before. He pointed at the seats I had the night before :))) He probably saw the flag on my chest ;)I had great seats this day too, section 108.
The third show was better than #2 I think. Our seats this night wasnt very good. We where in section 205, but the main thing was that we had tickets. Living just two minutes from the Sprint center made us go down there often and check the box office for better tickets. And lucky us, we got section 108 again :)
Another great show. And the encore where fantastic. He did my favorite George Strait song, Amarillo by morning, and a lots of other great stuff from musicians that had influenced him. This show lasted for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. So he really made up for the shorter show the night before. "If tomorrow never comes" was great this night. He played air guitar, and even smashed it in the end. Hilarious. He (and we) sang the lines, then there was a pause while he was "playing" then we sang again, and so it went on until the song was finished. He did say something about that the CMA was that night, and that we missed the biggest night in country music. I got to see the greatest entertainer in country music that night, nothing could be bigger for me!!
This 3 shows where absolutely worth the long airfare and all the money I spent. If he ever does something like this again, I will try to be there for all the shows.
It was awesome to meet you, Joyce. I'm just sorry it was just a few minutes. I did look for you inside the Sprint center later, but didn't see you. Next time I will remember there is no need to rush in as long as your seats have numbers.
I love reading the stories of people who have been to see Garth in KC! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
I was there Fri Sat and Sun!!
I agree with Joyce at the different perspectives of seeing the show from different places in the arena!!
Each show was different and special in it's own way.
The best part was the reunion with all our friends from all over the country.
I'm from NY, and met friends from TN, AL, PA, NC, IL, VA, IA. Saw Moni from FL and a buds from Canada, MA, and God knows where else!!! LOL
So seeing Garth was fantastic. BUT the rest was icing on the cake!!!
I agree JoAnn... the best part of Garth adventures rarely have to do with the Gman himself.
Let's not tell him that, though... ok? ;-)
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