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Post by kora on Jan 25, 2013 13:32:31 GMT -5
Here's a journalist going to one of George's concerts to make sure he sees him one more time to say goodbye.Harrington: George Strait says farewell to fans By Jim Harrington Oakland Tribunemercurynews.com 01/24/2013 It's going to be a long drive. But it's well worth it. It looks like it's my one shot at saying goodbye. I'm planning on driving up to Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on Thursday (Jan. 31) to catch George Strait's farewell tour, which for some bizarre reason isn't stopping in the Bay Area. That's one heck of a round trip, from my home in San Jose. Yet, it's also a pilgrimage I feel compelled to make. I just have to see the "King of Country" one more time. There have been, of course, many contenders/pretenders to the country throne over the decades. None of them can match Strait's credentials. He has scored a staggering 59 No. 1 hits in his career -- which is more than any artist (country or other) in history. Unlike many country chart-toppers, most of Strait's smashes have stood the test of time. He's also sold more than 68 million albums in the U.S. alone, which is a tad short of Michael Jackson's tally and just above the Rolling Stones' total. The only country artist to have sold more than Strait, at least in the U.S., is Garth Brooks. I have so many memories connected to Strait's mighty songbook. The tunes that resonate the loudest with me are the 1980s tear-jerkers, such as "A Fire I Can't Put Out," "You Look So Good in Love," "Let's Fall to Pieces Together," "The Chair" and "What's Going On in Your World" (all of which were No. 1 country hits). Another big selling point of Strait's Cowboy Rides Away Tour is the opening act, Martina McBride, who is hands-down the best female country artist of the last 20-plus years. She's also my pick for the genre's best live act. I'll be tweeting about the journey, during stops to fuel up at gas stations and at Jimboy's Tacos, as well as, of course, from the actual concert. So feel free to follow along on Twitter (my handle is @jimthecritic). Better yet, why don't you join me in Sacramento for the concert? Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $69.50-$89.50 (www.ticketmaster.com). Follow Jim Harrington at twitter.com/jimthecritic, www.facebook.com/jim.bayareanews and blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/category/concerts.
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Post by kora on Jan 26, 2013 18:59:01 GMT -5
I'm still in SLC. I was hesitant about buying the broker ticket for this concert, but it was worth every cent and way above my expectations. Will explain in my report soon about the concert. I'm going to miss that man, but I still have Vegas to look forward to. Here's The Salt Lake Tribune review.Concert Review - Salt Lake City, UT, Energy Solutions Arena, 1/25/13George Strait, Martina McBride give Salt Lake some twangby Kathy Stephenson The Salt Lake Tribune Saying good-bye to old friends is suppose to be sad. But George Strait’s farewell tour at the EnergySolutions Arena on Friday night was clearly a celebration of the King of Country’s legendary career — one that spans more than three decades. After opening with "Here For a Good Time" and "Ocean Front Property," Strait acknowledged the significance of his final trip to Salt Lake City. "As you know, it’s probably going to be our last time here," he said, getting boos from the nearly sold-out crowd. "Thank you for those boos," he said gratefully. "I’m really going to miss it. But we’ve got tonight." Then, with the help of his 11-member Ace in the Hole band, Strait launched into a mix of both old and new favorites including "Check Yes or No," "I Saw God Today" and "Love’s Gonna Make It." Even though Strait is winding down his career, his children are continuing in the music business. Strait performed "A Drinkin’ Man" and "Arkansas Dave," both written by his son George Strait Jr. "We just call him Bubba for short," said Strait, who was more talkative than in his previous concerts, reminiscing about his first recordings and songwriters he worked with over the years. In between stories, he would pound out song after song without much glitz and fanfare of his younger country colleagues. For the concert, EnergySolutions featured an "in the round" set up, with the stage in the middle of the floor, which meant there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. Both Strait and Martina McBride, who opened the show, lapped around the stage several times. Projection screens, hung from the ceiling, capturing both performers’ emotions, smiles and waves. During his performance, Strait reached back to 1981 for "Blame It on Mexico" then moved steadily forward to "80 Proof Bottle of Tear Stopper," "Honky Tonk Crazy," "Marina Del Rey," "A Fire I Can’t Put Out," "The Chair," "Stars on the Water," "Give It All We Got Tonight" and more. After years of devotion, fans couldn’t help but hang on every word or simply sing along. Near the end of the concert Strait gave away a new home to a veteran of the Iraq war from Cedar City and, of course, followed up with "Just Give It Away." He ended the show with favorites such as "Amarillo By Morning," "Unwound" and "Cowboy Rides Away." For her 70-minute performance, McBride offered up more than a dozen of her hits, including "When God-Fearin’ Women Get The Blue," "Wild Angels," "Teenage Daughters," as well as several covers including "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden" and "At Last" While McBride is capable of headlining her own show, on Friday, she was clearly happy to be playing second fiddle to Strait. I’m so lucky," she said. "I get to tour with George frickin’ Strait." Go here to see the photos. Hurry before they change it.www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/55702849-223/strait-george-lake-mcbride.html.csp
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Post by kora on Jan 27, 2013 16:16:35 GMT -5
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Post by kora on Jan 27, 2013 20:12:54 GMT -5
My Concert Report on Seeing George in Salt Lake City, UT, Energy Solutions Arena, 1/25/13
I haven't been this close to George in a long time and never for this long. The last time I was this close was at The Pyramid in Vegas, when I got to the stage as he was starting to move on and he saw me and started walking toward me He reached down to offer his hand, and I froze, but managed to grab his hand and blurt out something dumb about thanking him for being him. He grinned and said, "Thanks to you, too," and moved on. The gals standing around me were mad and jealous.
My seat at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City was in the third row on the floor, directly in front of the point where they placed his mic on stage. Really close to the stage. Only a chair width separated the stage from a fence that went all around it. An attendant was sitting near us outside the fence and another one was sitting inside the fence leaning against the point of the stage.
Martina McBride was on from 7:35pm until 8:45pm, too long for me, and her screaming was hurting my ears, but the crowd liked her.
George was on for two hours, starting at 9:15pm until leaving the stage for good at 11:15pm. When he came to our side the first time, we rushed to the fence. It was so awesome being so close to him. I could see little marks on his face and the slight blue tint in his hat and every facial expression. That man is so trim. His clothes fit so nicely and look "so" good on him. They looked so good, in fact, that I think he's lost some upper body weight. His shirts last year had a lot of blousing (for a better word) to them. This year, not so. He really looks AWESOME, very good at his age.
The lighting in ESA is not as dark as in most arenas, and George could clearly see us at the fence and even those in many floor rows. I was right in front of him and he saw me and grinned. That grin, and again so close! Sigh! I blew him a kiss and he grinned again, nodded and pointed to me. I almost died right there. There were both gals and guys at the fence, young and mid-age, and we all screamed, yelled, danced, waved arms and acted like idiots. We sang along with him on so many songs and he knew it. You can tell he loves the attention and the screaming and the yelling and the clapping. He even says so in his song that he wrote to us. LOL! This is what he says he will miss the most.
When you are this close to George, you can see every movement, every facial and hand expression, eye reactions, feelings, emotions, his signals and communication with the band and when he fiddles with his hat and guitar, just everything. I still can't believe I was there. When he left us to move on to the next point, the attendants made us go back to our seats, but each time he came to our side, we got up and ran to the fence. The attendants finally gave up and let us do our thing.
I was disappointed when he didn't sit on a stool at our side, but I could see him sitting at the two points nearest us. I hope he uses the stool when he's in front of me in Vegas. He got the biggest ovation for "All My Ex's," and the audience loved "Troubadour," "Honky Tonk Crazy, "Stars On The Water," "80 Proof Bottle Of Tear Stopper," "Folsom Prison Blues" in the encore, and some others, too many to remember. The emotion poured out of him when he sang "The King Of Broken Hearts," and the audience loved it and clapped their hands off for him. This song is high on my fav list and I could listen to him sing it all day long. He said Dusty would never sit when he sang "Where The Sidewalk Ends" from Pure Country and so he would sing it standing up, also. The crowd went wild.
I had tears in my eyes when he sang "I'll Always Remember You" in front of me, and I saw a tear in one of his eyes as he was finishing the song and backing away from the mic. I will never forget looking into his face so closeup when he sang his song to us, his fans.
I'm still on cloud nine, and this will probably be my favorite George concert ever! ESA is the home of the NBA Utah Jazz, and because it's a basketball arena, the sound is not as good in the upper reaches and in corners, so I'm told, and it can get a little tinny. The sound from the fence and my seat in front of George had good sound, and loud. The sound at the MGM Grand in Vegas is super and smoother than at ESA. The vocals sound richer there, also. The Aces in Vegas sound better than at ESA, but some of the band's touches in the older songs Friday night were over the top. I thought they did such a good job, and there are a couple of completely white heads among them. LOL! I love Gene Elders and his fiddle.
It was just so unreal to watch George talk so much, which is amazing, considering that he has always talked very little in his concerts. He didn't seem uneasy doing it either and probably felt that he wanted to share with us during his goodbye concerts. As he went from point to point on the stage, he commented on phases of his career, starting with 1981 and ending at the present. I hope he sits on a stool in front of me in Vegas.
Sorry this is so long, but I get carried away when I think of the concert. They loved him in SLC. There were lots of cowboy hats, all ages, and they danced in the aisle next to us. I could see only a few empty seats, and the arena was packed to the rafters. As far as I could see, people filled every seat in the last upper row all around the arena. I know I probably have forgotten something I feel is special and that all of you maybe would like to know. If I think of anything, I'll post it.
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Post by grg_straitfan on Jan 28, 2013 22:20:21 GMT -5
Hey! Love your review! Can't wait for Grandforks!! Sadly due to some unforeseen financial situation I will not be in 5th row floor seat. 😪😥😩. But I will be in the elevated seats. But I will be there. A bit disappointed, but as long as I'm there! Only 19 more days!!!!
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Post by kora on Jan 29, 2013 17:34:53 GMT -5
Hey! Love your review! Can't wait for Grandforks!! Sadly due to some unforeseen financial situation I will not be in 5th row floor seat. 😪😥😩. But I will be in the elevated seats. But I will be there. A bit disappointed, but as long as I'm there! Only 19 more days!!!! Oh, Tina, I'm disappointed for you that you won't be in the floor seat, but I'm excited that you're going. It will be so wonderful. You must tell us all about it and remember details. LOL! I hope he faces you when he sits on a stool and tells tidbits about the past and sings songs. He didn't sit on a stool facing me in Salt Lake City, but he better do it when I see him in Las Vegas. LOL! I'm going to post a second Salt Lake City concert review which says that 20,000 were at the concert. I believe it. I looked all around and every seat in the last row of the upper bowl was filled. They loved George and we all sang along with him. |
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Post by kora on Jan 29, 2013 17:39:54 GMT -5
Concert Review #2 - Salt Lake City, UT, Energy Solutions Arena, 1/25/13
George Strait bids farewell to Salt Lake City
By Megan Adams on January 26, 2013.
George Strait took his final bow and stepped offstage, saying his final goodbye to his fans in Salt Lake City, as 20,000 people cheered and applauded him.
On Friday night, the King of Country made a stop at Energy Solutions Arena as part of his “Cowboy Rides Away” tour, his last tour before retirement.
Strait set the mood for the evening by opening with one of his 59 No. 1 hits, “Here for a Good Time,” following it quickly with another chart topper, “Check Yes or No.”
His fans sang along with every word throughout the two-and-a-half hour set, only quieting down when Strait reminisced on his more than 30 years in show business. He talked about his first few albums, explained who wrote the songs and joked about his first few albums, “Strait Country” and “Strait from the Heart.”
“Back then, I thought I had to have ‘Strait’ in every album title,” he said.
The concert was a break from most popular music today. There were no special effects and no pressure for Strait to do anything except stand on the stage and sing. He did it well; his voice was as smooth as it was when he started out in 1984.
His deep voice isn’t the only thing that hasn’t changed throughout all his years performing; he said he still feels a huge rush every time he gets onstage.
“My feet don’t touch the ground until I’m behind those curtains again,” Strait said to his fans.
As the concert drew to a close, it was obvious that Strait felt emotional.
“When I first started, I figured I had maybe five good years to play my music for you guys,and now it’s been more than thirty,” he said. “I’ll always remember this.”
Strait isn’t the only person who will remember Friday night’s performance forever. Alex Ackerman, a senior from Filer, Idaho, said it was one of the greatest nights of her life.
“It really was a dream come true for me,” Ackerman said. “My dad is a huge George Strait fan, so growing up, some of my favorite memories were of him teaching me how to two-step in the kitchen to old George Strait albums and rocking out to George Strait on all of our family road trips, so being able to see him on his last tour was really neat.”
As he closed the show, Strait thanked his opener Martina McBride for touring with him and making the night so special for everybody. It was then, after an encore of “All My Exes Live in Texas” and “Folsom Prison Blues,” after hours of performing, that he bowed and left the stage for good.
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Post by kora on Jan 29, 2013 20:12:11 GMT -5
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Post by grg_straitfan on Jan 29, 2013 22:10:33 GMT -5
Hey! Love your review! Can't wait for Grandforks!! Sadly due to some unforeseen financial situation I will not be in 5th row floor seat. 😪😥😩. But I will be in the elevated seats. But I will be there. A bit disappointed, but as long as I'm there! Only 19 more days!!!! Oh, Tina, I'm disappointed for you that you won't be in the floor seat, but I'm excited that you're going. It will be so wonderful. You must tell us all about it and remember details. LOL! My motto is "if he's just gonna stand there and sing, I'm just gonna sit there and listen" |
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Post by topgsfan on Jan 29, 2013 22:46:39 GMT -5
 Does anyone know how I can get my avatar shaped like it is above? Thanks! It's 100 x 113 pixils. |
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Post by kora on Jan 30, 2013 16:23:16 GMT -5
Oh, Tina, I'm disappointed for you that you won't be in the floor seat, but I'm excited that you're going. It will be so wonderful. You must tell us all about it and remember details. LOL! My motto is "if he's just gonna stand there and sing, I'm just gonna sit there and listen" Tina, George can do whatever he wants and it's perfect, because that's what we want him to do. LOL! |
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Post by kora on Jan 30, 2013 16:32:27 GMT -5
Does anyone know how I can get my avatar shaped like it is above? Thanks! It's 100 x 113 pixils. Jane, It looks stretched. My avatar's width and height are both 100. Go back and play with yours until you get what you want. Try changing the height from 113 to 100. |
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Post by kora on Jan 30, 2013 17:35:58 GMT -5
Tina - Here's the first 12 minutes at Okla City when they show photos of his career before he takes the stage, and two songs. Enjoy! When he says hello to the crowd and talks about it being his last time there, you can tell it's a little emotional. This is what you can look forward to in Grand Forks. www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AA1vAj-iNns |
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Post by kora on Jan 31, 2013 14:51:58 GMT -5
Pre-Sacramento article. The concert is tonight, Jan. 31.
George Strait: Maybe its because he has more #1 singles than any artist in history or maybe its his timeless style that has transcended generations; Either way George Strait is the unequivocal King of Country Music, he has 59 #1 singles to his credit and he continues to record relevant and heartfelt music with soul and commercial appeal. Currently, the King is on tour, George Strait concert dates are scheduled nationally throughout 2013.
The native Texan ranks as one of the most celebrated American musicians of any genre and has sold nearly 70 million albums in the United States alone. To speak about his accomplishments would be to merely list the dozens of awards he has received from the Academy of Country Music Awards, Grammy Awards, CMT Awards, American Music Awards, and Country Music Association Awards. The singer has won them all. His music is organic and was cultivated on the rural plains of Texas where he was influenced by George Jones, Merle Haggard, and Frank Sinatra as well as the rugged cowboy lifestyle that reared him.
Strait joined the US Army in 1971 and began performing with the band "Rambling Country" on base while stationed in Hawaii. He returned to Texas after his army stint and enrolled at Texas State University where he joined the country group "Ace in the Hole". Eventually the band gained some recognition and was invited to open for the Texas Playboys. After touring for several years, George was approached by MCA Records who quickly signed Strait to a recording contract in 1981.
Strait released his first album Strait Country in 1981, but it wasn't until 1982's sophomore set Strait From the Heart that he scored his first #1 single "Fool Hearted Memory". Since then Strait has gone on to record a record 57 #1 tracks on country radio. His career spans over thirty years and he has 25 studio albums, 19 of which have hit #1 on the Country Albums charts. He has 13 multi-platinum, 33 platinum, and 38 gold albums under his belt and he has shown no signs of slowing down.
Strait's most recent album Twang marked his 26th studio release and it hit #1 on the Billboard 200 in 2009. Strait was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Country Album for the disc in 2009. He was also honored at the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards with the Artist of The Decade Award and was named Billboard Magazines Country Music Artist of the past 25 years in 2010. Strait is truly an American recording legend, his music has spanned the decades and has captivated the ears of millions of fans.
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Post by kora on Jan 31, 2013 20:38:11 GMT -5
I'm leaving for Vegas early tomorrow to see George.[/size]  Whoopie!!!!
Will return Tuesday, probably.
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