I was negative 4 years old when "Friends in Low Places" hit the radio in 1990. Yes, please, let out your laughter and or disgust now, because it's about to get heavy.
My first memory of Garth Brooks was driving in the car with my Dad in northeast Pennsylvania and he popped No Fences into the disc player. I was probably 5 at the time.
But as a grown millennial in Dallas tonight, it was as if childhood came to life. Speakers boomed, fiddles were flayed, and faces were melted.
On show No. 5 of his seven show trek through Dallas, Garth Brooks made us all feel like we were just where we needed to be: home. As the drunken masses and cowboy hats galore fluttered the nearly packed 20,000-person arena, not one soul was afraid to belt out their best.
From the minute Garth ejected from below the stage, things were electric.
"Oh, you remember the old stuff!" He knew what the crowd wanted.
But, anyone in the house could tell Garth was tired. After all, he had played a show earlier that night, not to mention the three shows prior. To Garth: All of the props in existence.
Tonight was a special night, though, and he wasn't going to let a few voice cracks get the best of him. It was his wife, Trisha Yearwood's, birthday. And so, the Saturday late night concertgoers were treated to a communal singing of "Happy Birthday." It was great.
When the slow songs played, you could tell the times had changed. Lighters were exchanged for flashlight apps and bright LEDs filled the arena.
When Garth played the fan favorites, not a voice in the place was silent. Kids with their parents jumped up and down, college kids got drunk and the adults danced the night away.
At one point, two girls in the row behind me became infatuated with my hair. That part was weird, but hey, the show had everyone feeling some type of way.
Wide-eyed and ready to charge, Garth rocked hard until nearly 2 a.m. and had plenty of surprises in store. While us young'uns were taken back through our childhood, the older crowd was reminded of the parties of years past.
One thing was for certain: everyone was shown the heart, the soul and the passion of Garth Brooks once again.
Annotated setlist:
1. "Man Against Machine" - solid intro, and Garth and the band had a play fight with the lighting.
2. "Rodeo" - Garth got his crazy eyes here, and the crowd lost it. He walked to the front, stood straight up and said: "Thanks for letting us come back to the great state of Texas."
3. "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House"
4. "The Beaches of Cheyenne" - The violinists first caught my eye here. They were in-sync and it was down home perfection. Garth called himself 116-years-old, just one year younger than he claimed to be at last night's show.
5. "The River" - Here's where the flashlights pop up. What a sight to see.
6. "Two Pina Coladas" - The show hits its stride and doesn't let go from here.
7. "Papa Loved Mama" - After this song, Garth threw his guitar across the stage and grabbed two water bottles.
8. "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" - The water bottles are sprayed into the crowd, and Garth climbs atop the drum cage and rides it like a bull. Get it, Garth!
9. "Unanswered Prayers"
10."The Thunder Rolls" - The stage took an orange hue and the crowd was deep into this one. Garth said it didn't see success as a single, but it grew legs over the years.
11. "Much Too Young (To Feel this Damn Old)"
12. "In Another's Eyes" - Trisha Yearwood takes the stage for a stunning duet with Garth.
13. "X's and O's" - Trisha hangs out for a bit while Garth cools off. Was that an advertisement for her cooking show? Hmm.
14. "How Do I Live" - Brentney Hamilton said it last night. All I can think about is Nicolas Cage.
15. "Prizefighter" - Beautiful tribute to those fighting cancer. Trisha said it best: "Cancer sucks!"
16. "Happy Birthday" - Yes, I did include this on the set list. It's a song. There was also a large cake on stage.
17. "Georgia Rain"
18. "She's in Love with the Boy" - the kiss cam ended with Trisha and Garth snogging. Adorable.
19. "Callin' Baton Rouge" - We've hit the 1 a.m. mark ladies and gents.
20. "Friends in Low Places" - Confetti cannon! The drummer also ran from his cage and threw drumsticks up behind the main stage. No one was injured.
21. "The Dance" - Everyone leaves the stage after.
The encore took a bit of a turn from Friday night. It opened with a killer fiddle solo and a bag full of surprises. I just can't spoil it because it's a sight to see. Here's a hint: Not everyone stays firmly planted on the ground.
Then we've got a misdirect and everyone leaves the stage again. Garth returns solo, plugs in his guitar, and...
22. "If Tomorrow Never Comes"
23. "Amarillo By Morning" - the girl next to me absolutely lost it, as did everyone else in the room. Garth channeled George Strait and the fiddle returns to the stage. Absolutely blissful.
24. "Every Now and Then" - Garth admitted his voice cracking to the crowd, but brings the band back out.
25. "Shameless" - "This is gonna get ugly, but we're gonna finish this thing."
26. "Standing Outside the Fire" - Bring it home, Garth. Absolutely majestic closer.
