George Strait

[grg_straitfan]

Here ya go! Sorry, I had an internet meltdown. Maybe too much George going through the line! All good now!

♫We got married in a fever, hotter then a pepper sprout♫

[grg_straitfan]

♫In a pawn shop in Chicago, on a sunny summer day, a couple gazes at the wedding rings there on display♫

[grg_straitfan]

♫If you leave me, I won't miss you, and I won't ever take you back♫

[grg_straitfan]

♫And tonight I'll be Honky Tonk Crazy, retro and wild one more time♫

[grg_straitfan]

♫I look into the mirror, bottle in my hand. I'd like to pour it out, I just don't think I can♫

[grg_straitfan]

My George Strait concert review from Grandforks, ND. February/16/2013

As the Ace in the Hole band made its way to the stage the crowd went crazy! And then the guy on vocals (sorry the name escapes me) announced George Strait. And the crowd really went wild! He started his show with "Here for a good time, Ocean front property" here he stopped and said how this might be his last go around, and he got boos! He said that was ok. And then he moved on to "Check yes or no, I saw God today" these he sang in the corner left of me. And then he got to the corner to the right of me. Where he sang "Drinking' Man, Showman's life, Love's gonna make it alright" for "Drinkin Man" he said he knew some men who were in this situation, and couldn't get out. And also some men had told him this song helped them quit drinking. Next he moved away from my right corner (😩) and he sang "Arkansas Dave, Jackson with Martina, Golden Ring with Martina, Blame it on Mexico. When he got to my left corner he sang, "Her Goodbye hit me in the heart, 80 proof Bottle of tear stopper, Honky tonk crazy, Marina Del Rey" and on to my right corner "A fire I can't put out, The Chair, River of Love" and he moved away from me again "How about them Cowgirls, Give it away, Amarillo by morning, Give it all we've got tonight. When he got back to my right corner he did "I'll always remember you, Troubadour"

ENCORE:
Same kind of crazy as me
All my exes live in Texas
Folsom Prison Blues
The Cowboy rides away

All through the concert he was talking about when he recorded a certain song, or on what album it was on and do forth. I found that very entertaining. Gave me new insight on some things in his life. He sang a total of 28 songs. Pretty amazing if ya ask me!

Hope my review is not too boring!

[kora]

Tina - Your review is not boring. You know we can never get enough of George! LOL! You also got some really good videos, and thanks for sharing. I also enjoyed his comments on songs going back to the beginning of his career and moving forward during the show. He has a really good memory for past events (also for songs that were way before his time).

How was your seat? You didn't mention it. Were you close enough and did you have a good view, etc?

[kora]

Pre-Concert Article - Knoxville, TN, Thompson-Boling Arena, 3/1/13

Campus Prepares for George Strait Concert March 1

Posted on February 25, 2013

The University of Tennessee is welcoming fans of country music star George Strait, who will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 1, in Thompson-Boling Arena. The sold-out concert will bring more than 20,000 guests to campus, affecting traffic and parking.

Special event parking is available after 4:00 p.m. in the G10 garage next to the arena, the Andy Holt Tower garage across the street, and many other faculty/staff lots on the main campus and just north across Cumberland Ave in Fort Sanders.

To avoid traffic congestion in the heart of campus, concertgoers can park on the agriculture campus and ride a shuttle to the arena. Shuttle service will begin at 6:00 p.m. and continue until the show starts, and will resume at the end of the concert. The parking fee is $10 on campus and includes shuttle service to and from the agriculture campus.

Members of the campus community should be aware that a surge in traffic is expected that afternoon and will continue until the start of the concert. University students and employees leaving campus Friday afternoon are encouraged to avoid Lake Loudoun Blvd. and use either Joe Johnson Drive or Cumberland Ave. to exit campus.

Concertgoers are not allowed to bring backpacks or large bags into the arena. Video cameras or unauthorized recording devices will not be allowed into the concert.

For more information, call the arena management office at 974-0953.

[kora]

FYI: A reminder…

George Strait Being Honored by Country Radio Hall of Fame

The legendary George Strait is set to be honored by the Country Radio Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Feb. 26, where he will receive the Country Radio Broadcasters’ 2013 Career Achievement Award. The music icon, who has scored an astonishing 59 No. 1 hit singles in his career, is being recognized for his indelible contributions to country radio over the last several decades.

Strait’s long string of hits includes ‘Amarillo by Morning,’ ‘Fool Hearted Memory,’ ‘Carrying Your Love With Me’ and ‘She’ll Leave You With a Smile.’ He has scored top hits at country radio every couple of years virtually like clockwork since his 1981 debut. Strait recently announced that he will retire from touring after he completes a series of concert dates this near and next, but the musician still intends to continue his recording career.

The country king will accept the award in Nashville at the Country Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “George Strait has done a superb job promoting country music and country radio over the years,” says Mike Culotta, President of the Country Radio Seminar (quote via Artist Direct). “His dedication to the format and on-going contribution to the industry as a whole make him the perfect recipient for this award.”

[grg_straitfan]

Feb 25, 2013 16:36:28 GMT -5 kora said:

How was your seat? You didn't mention it. Were you close enough and did you have a good view, etc?

My seat was very nice. The fans around me were all very nice. Nobody drunk and obnoxious or anything like that. So all good on that part.

[grg_straitfan]

I wonder if that award thing will be taped to put on YouTube for the rest if us to watch? Or new pictures from then? I can only hope!

[topgsfan]

Tina, thanks for the review! It's not at all boring! I loved it!

[topgsfan]

From Youtube

As a tribute to George's incredible career, and his influence on Country music and other recording artists, help make "Give It All We Got Tonight" George Strait's 60th #1 single, while he's 60 years old.

George Strait - "Sixty For Sixty"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bExXap4zEx4

[topgsfan]

Concert review: George Strait brings country music tour to XL Center in Hartford

HARTFORD _ For more than two hours on Saturday night country star George Strait worked through a comprehensive musical retrospective on his 30-plus year career touching on old, new, and everything in between in front of a sold out house at the XL Center.

While it might seem near-impossible to trim a legendary catalog into a single performance (Strait has more than 50 Number One country singles), Strait somehow managed to satisfy everyone who had come to watch his “Cowboy Rides Away” tour, the one he says will be his last.

Strait was sentimental only on occasion during the night, specifically when he reprised his crowd tribute “I’ll Always Remember You” near the end of the set.

“When I wrote this two years ago I wasn’t thinking about not touring,” he said. “I just wanted to write about how much you all mean to me.”

The performance started with a lengthy (out of necessity) video tribute of Strait’s hits and awards-show acceptance speeches along with taped testimonials from Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Alan Jackson.

Strait entered the arena from the side, walking to a center stage like a heavyweight champ entering the ring. He performed “in-the-round” during the night, most often performing two songs at a time to each side of the room. His physical rotation was often accompanied by a change in tempo or pace in his song choices.

Strait, with his 10-piece Ace in the Hole band backing him, opened the show with “Here for A Good Time,” and followed it up with “Ocean Front Property,” and “Check Yes or No.”

He promised old and new, along with some surprises, the first of which was a duet with opener Martina McBride on a cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s “Jackson.” The pair then moved to George Jones and Tammy Wynette with a cover of “Golden Ring.”

Strait also led the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday to You,” for his wife Norma who was in attendance and presided over the presentation of a new home to a wounded vet as part of the Homes 4 Wounded Heroes project.

After one rotation around the stage, Strait went back to the beginning, playing songs from 1981’s “Strait Country” release including “Blame It on Mexico” and “Her Goodbye Hit Me in the Heart.” When he moved to his second release with “Honky Tonk Crazy” and “Marina Del Rey,” it caused some to wonder if he would touch on every album in the catalog.

“Hang with me,” he said, as if in response. “I’ve got more.”

After a run through the 90s that included hits from his best-selling “Pure Country” album, Strait finally wrapped things up with “Unwound,” before returning for a multi-song encore that included “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

The fact that Martina McBride opened the show is proof enough that Strait is the true King of Country. McBride has headlined similar size venues throughout her own hit-making career and gave a rousing 70-minute performance to open the show.

Along with covers like Rod Stewart’s “First Cut is the Deepest,” which turned into Tom Petty’s “Free Falling,” she performed her most popular songs such as “Independence Day,” and “Broken Wing.” Her performance on the latter song, as it often does, resulted in a standing ovation.

www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/02/concert_review_george_strait_b.html

[kora]

Jane, thanks for the Hartford concert review. I wonder if they put the spotlight on Norma when George led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to her? That would have been nice to see.