Article by Nicole Carlisano – special to TCM
If there were any Minnesotans with problems on Friday night, they forgot them and buried them in the sand as they came out to watch country icon Garth Brooks during his first of two sold out performances at US bank Stadium.
As the minutes ticked down to seconds to when Garth would take the stage, a deafening cheer overcame the crowd as Garth arose from under the stage. Garth opened his performance with his 2018 Hit All Day Long. Taking advantage of the 360 degree stage dancing back and forth, Garth immediately took it back to his roots with one of his first hits Rodeo. His set list continued with a number of his hits, even sprinkling in a few covers like Fishin’ in the Dark by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Garth’s connections with his fans goes unparalleled, Taking time to acknowledge signs in the crowd, one in particular, an engagement prompted Garth to sing “Make you Feel My Love” a nod to one of Minnesota’s most famous singer-songwriters Bob Dylan. Garth ran around the stage slapping hands with his fans, even at one point feeding M&Ms to those up close.
If his interactions with his fans aren’t a testament to the type of man he is, maybe the fact that some of those in his 10 member band have been with the artist for thirty plus years. As Garth has churned out hit after hit, he has maintained the same members of his band. There was no shortage of love for Garth on Friday night.
Garth’s encore was show in and of itself, taking a more acoustic approach but with as much energy and enthusiasm that he carried throughout his main performance. His performance in all lasted over two hours. Garth’s love for Minneapolis was apparent, so much so you would have thought Minnesota was home for him.
Set List:
All Day Long \ Rodeo \ Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House (Dennis Robbins cover) \ Two Piña Coladas \ The Beaches of Cheyenne \ Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up) \ The River \ Fishin’ in the Dark (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band cover) \ We Shall Be Free \ The Thunder Rolls \ Standing Outside the Fire \ Unanswered Prayers \ That Summer \ More Than a Memory \ Papa Loved Mama \ Ask Me How I Know \ Callin’ Baton Rouge (The Oak Ridge Boys cover) \ Shameless (Billy Joel cover) \ Happy Birthday to You (Mildred J. Hill & Patty Hill cover) \ Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan cover) \ Friends In Low Places \ The Dance
Encore: Ireland \ Learning to Live Again \ Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) \ The Change \ Wild Horses \ Night Moves (Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band cover) \ American Pie (Don McLean cover)
