Las Vegas Weekly

December 14, 2009 · 12:09 PM

Garth Brooks conquers critics and fans in opening weekend at Wynn

By Don Chareunsy, Robin Leach

Garth Brooks performs at Encore Theater in the Wynn on Dec. 12, 2009.

Photo: Henry Diltz

The first standing ovation was the most important one for country king Garth Brooks. He looked at the audience and said, “I now know this works. I can do this gig.”

Up until that moment, I seriously believe that even he had doubts that a Las Vegas audience would accept him singing by himself -- without a band -- and only a trusty guitar, which sometimes he just set aside, too. In fact, the only item on the curtained but otherwise barren stage was a stool that he never sat on and just used for three water bottles that he never drank.

Critics loved him. Even the most hard-boiled, cynical and savage reviewers were spellbound and penned unanimous raves. Our Senior Editor John Katsilometes and our Las Vegas Weekly colleague Joe Brown were among them.

It wasn’t just his music, songs or even when he sang a cappella. It was Garth’s interaction with the audience and his humor. It was the back-and-forth with country singer wife Trisha Yearwood when she stepped onstage for two numbers. She needled him about his unfashionable outfit of baggy cargo jeans, work boots, hoodie, T-shirt and baseball cap. He promptly turned the peak backward to “give himself a wardrobe change.” Tricia even told him the right key to accompany one of her songs.

The audience ate it up. The country king could do no wrong. It was a historic event for country music. Running late from his back-and-forth private jet flights three times between Memphis and Las Vegas all weekend so he could watch his daughter’s soccer games, he missed one sound check. So he simply performed it for a few moments onstage until the engineer was happy with the volume and clarity -- and then announced himself for the show to start.

It was the first of 300 shows he will perform in spontaneous style for the next five years and thus ending a nine-year, self-imposed retirement in favor of not missing out on his three daughters’ school years. He says in 2015, when the last one graduates, he’ll go out on a world tour with his band again, and then it becomes Trisha’s turn for a New York show on Broadway.

The performance I saw (8 p.m. Saturday) didn’t allow Garth to run over time before a second show the same night. But at other shows this debut weekend, people talked about getting as long as a 20-minute encore. Garth has no set running time on his show. It depends solely on audience requests and questions, but it’s going to be at least 95 minutes, with some 30 songs a show.

His performance, devoid of all Las Vegas glitz, glamour, acrobatics, dancers, aerialists and feather-plumed showgirls, was incredible. It was so brilliant, I even forgot I was allergic to country music. Steve Wynn was proved right when he told me in advance: “You can hear a pin drop in between his words. He has the audience in the palms of his hands completely hypnotized with that voice.”

Despite that reverence and an almost spiritual experience, the show was totally comfortable. It was as if Garth had invited you to his home to sit on the couch, have a beer and just listen to him play until he could play no more. The Wynn’s Encore Theater is an intimate, 1,500-seat home, and Garth makes you feel as if you were at his Oklahoma home, where he’d celebrated his fourth anniversary with Trisha last Thursday at McDonald’s, no less!

The show is genius because it is purity. He said: “I believe this is why I was put on Earth. I’m connecting with the audience on a very intimate level. With the other shows, there were many things to hide behind. This time up here, there’s nothing to hide behind except a guitar, and the older I get, the smaller that guitar gets. I want it to be their most intimate experience ever. I want them to laugh and cry.”

As Steve told me: “With a voice like that, he couldn’t sit away from his fans and deny them this talent any longer.” Now back for fans and singing again, Garth added: “I don’t look at this as coming out of retirement. This is my second act.”

Garth asked the media not to divulge the set list and other specifics so it would remain a surprise to fans, but he also assured that it changes every night anyway. “I want it to be kept secret so it surprises fans,” he noted. He’d ordered ushers to prevent any video so the shows didn’t wind up on YouTube and spoil it for future audiences. We’ve happily complied with his request, but can tell you that he sings many of his hits and cover versions of singers including Merle Haggard, George Strait and James Taylor -- his own personal heroes.

Steve and lady friend Andrea Hissom saw the show Friday and Saturday, the second night with actor Sylvester Stallone, wife Jennifer Flavin, Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Joe Torre as his guests after treating them to dinner at Victor Drai’s Botero in the Encore. Elaine Wynn saw the show Saturday, and Marie Osmond was at last night’s performance.

Garth likened his show to the time he sang at Wild Willie’s Saloon in Stillwater, Okla. “It’s my personal story -- the journey of my career,” he said. Back then, he sang for tips, and the more songs he sang, the more money he made in his senior year at Oklahoma State University.

That was 1984. Today, we’re nudging into 2010, and he’ll be performing through 2015 during 15 weekends a year as his daughters complete their education. It’s a mind-blowing contract valued by some at more than $100 million. His biggest thrill, though, this weekend also was the biggest tip he’s ever received: flying the private $15 million Challenger 604 jet for the first time that Steve gave him on top of the contract. It makes the Las Vegas treks possible so he doesn’t break the promise he made to his family.

In his office, Steve told me: “It was better than I ever thought. He delivered more than I could have asked. The audience loved him even more than I guessed. He is so natural and sings better than Sinatra, Bob Seger, Boz Scaggs. I go back to the days of Martin & Lewis, Lena Horne, Johnny Mathis, Harry Belafonte. They were magnetic, but I never saw anybody like Garth Brooks.

“Celine Dion is a superstar. She talks, but Garth talks better. This is something I haven’t seen since The Rat Pack. Garth had Vegas in its hands. He makes an entire audience fall in love. He has a confidence and personality and ability to communicate that is without compare. If I could sound like him, I would give my life to sing like that.”

Editor’s notes

From our Editor Don Chareunsy:

Garth’s “Friends in Low Places,” arguably his most well-known song among dozens of hits, was a 10-gallon-hat-sized mega-hit when I was attending high school in Helena, Mont. Saturday’s 10:30 p.m. second concert was a reminder of why Garth is the top-selling solo act in music history and trails only The Beatles.

After walking onstage to a thunderous standing ovation, he told the audience that the night’s first audience at 8 was limited on time, but the sky’s the limit for his 10:30 p.m. concert. These are some of the highlights after two hours of Garth’s songs (a typical show is reportedly 90 to 100 minutes, so Garth clearly loved us), tunes by his inspirations (George Strait, Bob Seger and Merle Haggard, among others), a lot of laughs (Garth has a great sense of humor) and more standing ovations and audience sing-alongs than I have ever experienced at a concert:

*Quote of the night: “I was in Memphis at 5 p.m. today. Thank you, Mr. Wynn,” referencing the $15 million jet given to him by Steve Wynn as part of his multi-million deal at the Wynn.

*Much to the delight of the audience, he gave a guitar he thought wasn’t working properly anymore to a female audience member about halfway through the concert. Wow. She insisted on a kiss from Garth, too.

*Garth’s mad skills as a true performer were evidenced by song requests from the audience. These unplanned numbers will keep each performance fresh and unpredictable.

*He ended his encore -- and concert -- with a touching tribute to his mother and two songs by one of her favorite singers, Don McLean.

*Actually, he ended the night by singing -- on bended knee, without a microphone and with a big assist from the audience -- “If Tomorrow Never Comes” to a couple who were celebrating their anniversary.

*The low points: Three rowdy cowboys with Stetsons on their heads and beers in their hands in the front row were escorted from the Encore Theater about 20 to 25 minutes into the show. The hugging, touchy-touchy Brokeback Mountain boys were charming at first, but it was time to go after they started interrupting Garth after each line of a song. The couple behind me talked for much of the first third of the concert, and one of them kicked the back of my chair three times. Fortunately, the increasingly angry mob near them, including yours truly, didn’t have to act because they were finally overcome by the power of Garth’s music and STFU.

Even with these minor irritations, Garth’s concert was intimate, inspirational and incredible and gets my vote for the must-see concert on the Strip.

*Pre-Garth performance: I had a refreshing Grape Crush cocktail at Botero’s bar in the Encore served by friendly bartender Jennifer before the concert. Actor Sylvester Stallone and his wife Jennifer Flavin were having dinner at the restaurant with Steve Wynn, his girlfriend Andrea Hissom and Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Joe Torre. A little later upon entering the small-walk-in-closet-sized bathroom in Botero and noticing that the two sections were both occupied, I stopped in my tracks and realized that I was standing behind Rambo while waiting patiently. The sharp dressed man was wearing a gray pinstripe suit and stylish black dress shoes.

Garth returns to Las Vegas from Jan. 1-3 and Jan 22- 24 and again Feb. 12-14 and 26-28, with the next set of dates on sale to be announced shortly.

Tomorrow right here at Vegas DeLuxe, we’ll have our conversation with Garth and the answers he gave to our questions at Friday’s media meet-and-greet.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter HERE.

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