I have a deep affinity for live music, so it’s not too difficult to talk me into concerts. Garth Brooks has always been a bucket-list type of wish because, you know, it’s Garth Brooks.
If you didn’t get a chance to catch one of his shows over the weekend, stop reading this column and try to find a way to the final concert on Tuesday. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.
I’m not a superfan, but more of a nostalgic fan. Everybody fell in love with Garth’s music when he first appeared on the country music scene, and I definitely had a phase in my youth when that genre connected with me. But it doesn’t really matter what your music taste is — Garth is a superstar and an amazing entertainer.
The Garth Brooks World Tour dominated social media this weekend, which was particularly fun if you were a participant. The hard core fans really impressed me, particularly with the 10:30 p.m. concert times, those who hit back-to-back shows and a colleague of mine who is maybe the ultimate fan — she is attending not one, but three shows.
When tickets went on sale in March, we had our point man staking out the tickets and securing seats for our group of friends. I am really a big fan of not having to do the ticket-buying part. That morning my phone was blowing up with alerts about the ticket sales and quickly expanding shows Garth would perform in Des Moines. He sold more than 70,000 tickets in an hour.
Then I learned we were going to a 10:30 p.m. Saturday night show. That’s when the anxiety began. I am a bit of a night owl, but that sounded insane ... and the parking and the thousands of and thousands of people.
It ended up being one of those nights I’ll never forget. Along with spending another fun night with good friends, I got to make a couple of more. We ventured out to West Des Moines for dinner and avoided the downtown chaos. Parking was essentially a snap and we even made it to Buzzard Billy’s for the pre-party.
Then, we ended up standing in a long line for about an hour in a misting rain. It was completely worth it. When the show began about an hour later than expected, that didn’t deter the crowd. The roar was nearly deafening, and Garth was all smiles and high-energy until the very end.
We all enjoyed belting out the lyrics to his classic songs and real camaraderie with all in attendance. The tour was touted as the Garth Brooks World tour with very special guest Trisha Yearwood, and her performance did not disappoint. It was a spectacular show I certainly feel privileged to have seen.
However, the concert didn’t conclude until 2 a.m. I arrived home at 4 a.m. — although “Ain’t Goin’ Down ‘Til the Sun Comes Up” is a great Garth song, I’m quite confident I’m far too old to be getting home at 4 a.m. ... and “Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old.”
It was a great experience and one my friends and I will recall fondly for years to come.
Contact Abigail Pelzer
at apelzer@newtondailynews.com