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Garth Brooks' kickoff show in Dallas: Fans pack the AAC for a singalong party

Garth Brooks made a big deal at a press conference on Thursday afternoon about his affinity for fan singalongs.

"You have no idea how far I travel to hear you sing," he said. But we couldn't have predicted the intensity of that singing until later that evening, when Brooks and his 10-piece band took the stage for the first of seven shows at American Airlines Center.

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There was nothing at the concert louder than those fans, who were packed into the arena and ready to party even when opening act (and Brooks backup singer) Karyn Rochelle was doing her early set. And when Brooks started up, forget it — the juiced-up, cowboy-hat-wearing superstar could barely compete with their voices at some points. But thanks to his wireless head mike — a useful tool from the days of his '90s arena domination — Brooks' colorful and strong instrument could still be heard over the choir of thousands.

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The 53-year-old was in impressively athletic form throughout the show, as he leapt across his stage sideways and held his hat into the air with a wide-eyed expression painted on his face. It was exactly the same Garth who tore the roof off both Reunion Arena and Texas Stadium two decades ago.

And the music — aside from the show's modern-era opening track "Man Against Machine" — was mined from Brooks' greatest hits. He came right out and said it early on: "Concerts should be for the old stuff!"

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The old stuff we got, but as it was repeated back by that all-ages crowd, it sounded completely new again. "Rodeo," "Two of a Kind, Workin' On a Full House," "Papa Loved Mama," "That Summer," "The Thunder Rolls" — all the hits were delivered perfectly and with the kind of expected live vitality that helped sell more than 100,000 tickets for Brooks' run here.

 (Andy Jacobsohn/The Dallas Morning News)
(Andy Jacobsohn/The Dallas Morning News)

Endlessly touching were the tunes that had won the hearts of a generation — "The Dance," "The River" and "Unanswered Prayers" brought joyful tears around us. But equally affecting was Trisha Yearwood's time on stage in the middle of her husband's set.

She reminded us why she's considered one of the finest voices in country, offering up her hits "How Do I Live" and "She's In Love With the Boy." And she even relegated Brooks to backup singer and acoustic accompaniment on a stunning version of "Walkaway Joe."

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Both singers brought their own kind of heat on Thursday, and it's certain to radiate through the next six shows provided they get a little rest.

"I'm, like, 114 years old, so you'll have to carry [me] through these seven shows," Brooks joked early in his set. But we don't believe him. Those spirited singalongs are his lifeblood.

Annotated setlist: Show No. 1 

Do not read if you are going to one of the shows and want to avoid setlist spoilers.

  1. "Man Against Machine" — The lone tune that repped the 2014 album of the same title.
  2. "Rodeo" — One of the many songs during which Brooks humorously feigned shock at people remembering the old hits.
  3. "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" — Those fiddles. That twang. And everybody sang.
  4. "The Beaches of Cheyenne" — Nice surprise hearing this deeper cut. Brooks prefaced it by proclaiming, "You're gonna hear a lot of cowboy songs at a Garth Brooks show."
  5. "The River" — First time people lit up their phones and swayed. Not the last.
  6. "Two Pina Coladas" — Garth's Jimmy Buffett moment. Every country star is required to have one.
  7. "Papa Loved Mama" — Did you know that Mama's in the graveyard, Papa's in the pen?
  8. "Ain't Goin' Down Til the Sun Comes Up" — During which Garth picked up a camera that linked to the big screen, pointed it at audience members and, of course, pointed it at his own face.
  9. "Unanswered Prayers" — Probably the strongest singalong of the bunch. I had no idea this one hit home with so many fans.
  10. "That Summer" — I still cringe at the line about "hands of leather," but Garth sounded wonderful singing and strumming.
  11. "The Thunder Rolls" — Complete with video rain effects and claps of thunder. Straight out of a Broadway production and so magical.
  12. "We Shall Be Free" — Garth goes gospel, and the arena becomes his backing choir.
  13. "In Another's Eyes" — The proud hubby beamed with delight when Trisha Yearwood suddenly appeared. Their voices sound so natural together.
  14. "X's and O's" — Brooks takes a much deserved break while Yearwood sings her all-American hit, with a backdrop of blooper footage from her cooking show.
  15. "How Do I Live" — Didn't LeAnn Rimes also record this song? This reminded me that Trisha's was the far superior version.
  16. "PrizeFighter" — Yearwood dedicated her recent single to those fighting cancer.
  17. "Walkaway Joe" — This seemed to be a spontaneous add to Yearwood's set, although she and Brooks performed it so beautifully together that we have to believe they've practiced it at some point.
  18. "She's In Love With the Boy" — Great song, but we were distracted by the Kiss Cam shots that accompanied it. Shout out to the dude who kissed his girlfriend while pouring popcorn all over both their heads. Total Garth move.
  19. "Shameless" — Garth is back for good, posturing and posing as he sings his heart out.
  20. "Calling Baton Rouge" — He was right when he told me earlier it was his favorite song to perform. The crowd. Went. Wild. Those fiddles did, too.
  21. "Friends in Low Places" — This is the kind of moment for which concerts exist. Nothing more to say about it. Go and live it yourself.
  22. "The Dance" — Brooks dedicated this song to Dallas, which he said again was like a second home and a place that had given him his first real support as an artist. He also admitted before singing that he'd been nervous to play the first Dallas show because he cared so much about what the fans here think of him. Warms the cockles.
  23. Encores — I'll leave these to your imagination. I don't want to spoil everything, even if you enjoy spoilers.