Review: Garth Brooks plays first stadium show since Covid pandemic

Pandemic? What pandemic? That seemed to be the mood among the 68,000 people at Garth Brooks’ concert at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the first major stadium concert in the United States since the arrival of Covid-19.

Social distancing? Nope. Masks? Maybe a few wore them. Heck, Brooks even shared M&M with the crowd at one point.

While there is certainly some apprehension about a mass indoor rally at this time – especially with the emergence of the more transmissible delta variant – the appearance of normality has prevailed over all. stay Saturday night.

“To all the musicians, all I can say is get back into the game because it’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Brooks said, admitting he was “nervous” about the idea. to return to the stage after more than 500 days of hiatus. The crowd, however, was far too grateful, and they sang every word of Brooks’ catalog of country hits, from “Friends in Low Places” and “The Dance” to “Rodeo” and a closing show “Standing Outside the Fire. , “for more than two hours.

“Anytime you’ve been away for a long time and come back, especially when you’ve been gone for as long as we’ve been,” Brooks said on stage, “you think it’s gonna be over. Thanks for making me feel like it.

Truth be told, Brooks showed little sign of rusting, as he went through a list of nearly 30 songs. He rewarded the crowd with all the hits and added a few covers from George Strait, Keith Whitley and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Arguably the climax of the evening came towards the end, when Brooks’ wife Trisha Yearwood dated as a duet on “Shallow” by A star is born with her husband. Then they sang “Walkaway Joe”, the 1992 Yearwood hit.

“I have never felt at home as quickly as you made me feel,” said Brooks.

The Brooks Loop Concert was a bit of a time capsule, as it looked and felt like pre-Covid concerts. It remains to be seen if this is what gigs can really be like again, as the delta variant becomes the most dominant strain of the virus in the United States and vaccinations are delayed. Last week, Nevada reported the third highest number of new coronavirus cases per capita, behind current hot spots of Missouri and Arkansas.

In a meeting with reporters on Friday, Brooks himself said he had no idea “officially” that the show would continue until just four weeks ago, recounting how he and his team “expected the [Nevada] governor to declare whether Vegas was open or not.

Las Vegas fully reopened and lifted all Covid restrictions on June 1.

For the vast majority of those attending the sold-out concert, it was likely their first time stepping inside Allegiant Stadium, which opened during the throes of the pandemic in July 2020. Brooks was due Originally christened the football stadium, an enclosed, air-conditioned structure to shield itself from the Vegas heat, last August, but the show was postponed (and postponed a second time in February.)

Due to the delays, Brooks actually missed the bragging rights of being the first to play at the home of the Las Vegas Raiders – the EDM star Illenium performed there a week before 35,000 people did. Brooks played in front of 68,000.

The fact that the Brooks are the first major artist to bring fans back to the stadiums is not lost on him. He spoke at length about this “responsibility” during the press conference on Friday.

“I think what you got here is to show some kind of fucking responsibility, right?” Now you have an obligation to the rest of this industry to say, “This is what we do, it works for us. What about you guys? ‘ he said. “We take every precaution possible to make sure that we do our part. Then, for the rest, you kind of reject the fate and common sense of the people you play for, and I really hope so. that this message will get across, that if you want to do it, do it responsibly until we can become real musicians again and not have to be responsible.

Brooks’ next stadium concert is July 17 in Salt Lake City. As with the Las Vegas show, a disclaimer on Brooks’ website reads: “Buyer bears the risk of Covid. All Covid rules apply.

SET LIST

All day
Rodeo
Two of a kind, working a packed house
Cheyenne beaches
Two Piña Coladas
Fish in the dark
River
The rolls of thunder
Ain’t Goin ‘Down (Until the sun comes up)
Prayers without answers
Ask me how i know
This summer
Callin ‘Baton Rouge
Shameless
Friends in low places
Daddy loved mom
Dance
Mom
In the lonely dove
Do not close your eyes
Amarillo in the morning
Wild horses
Lovebug
Troubadour
Far too young (to feel so old)
Shallow
Joe on foot
Standing outside the fire