Blast From the Past

Every once in a while, by pure chance, you hear a song or see an image that triggers a distant memory in your brain, opening a tiny window into your past. In an instant, you’re transported to another place and time, as surely as if you had been Captain Kirk in Star Trek and said “Beam me up, Scotty.”

This happened to me the other day. My daughter and I were going to Petsmart for a dog bed for an upcoming road trip (more about that in a later post) when I saw something that took me back thirty years.

In the Petsmart parking lot, we saw a replica of the “General Lee,” the car driven in the 1970’s tv show “The Dukes of Hazzard.” (I assume it was a replica - it had Nevada plates.) It was parked among other cars so I couldn’t get a great picture of it. Plus I didn’t want to linger around, lining up multiple shots and running the risk of getting extremely embarrassed when the car’s owner came out. (There is a better picture, plus tons of information about the show, on Wikipedia.)

Just seeing that car brought back memories. In my mind, I could hear Waylon Jennings singing the Dukes of Hazzard theme song, "Just a good ol' boy, never meaning no harm...."

I remember many Friday nights watching the Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas with my younger brother in our Albuquerque home. It seems like I was in high school but since the Dukes of Hazzard apparently aired from 1979 – 1985, I would already have been in college and I was surely spending my Friday nights at fraternity parties and football games instead of watching tv. So this memory must come from the summers at home with my family.

My teenage years saw an ever-changing line-up of Friday night tv shows: the Brady Bunch, the Partridge Family, the Donny and Marie show, Love American Style, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat (or was that on Saturday??), MASH, and the aforementioned Dukes of Hazzard and Dallas. Now I’m not saying that I was overly influenced by all that tv-watching, but it is worth noting that my first job after college was in Dallas, in the very office building where J.R. Ewing had his office on the show Dallas.

I don’t know when those Friday nights of faithful tv watching ended. I suspect it coincided with either turning the legal drinking age and/or moving away from home and family. Things go full circle though. Now it’s my family, just the three of us, watching tv on Friday nights. Our typical Friday schedule starts, much to our daughter’s dismay, with a half-hour of “Nevada Week in Review” on our local PBS station, and then we watch more family-friendly entertainment. I wonder if my daughter will remember any of this someday when she stumbles upon a blast from her past.

If you want to have some fun hearing sound clips from the past, from tv show theme songs (like I Dream of Jeannie and I Love Lucy) to great one-liners in movies (including what remains to me the most terrifying sentence ever spoken in a movie: “I’ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too”), check out this website, which I learned about from one of my favorite bloggers, Ro.

Garth Brooks in Las Vegas - Version 2.0

It was just after 3:00 p.m. yesterday on a sunny June afternoon in Las Vegas. It was 103 degrees outside but I was inside, shopping on the freezer aisle at the grocery store and was, well, freezing. My cell phone rang and my husband said some magical words: “I have two tickets for Garth tonight!”

“Woo-hoo!” I exclaimed in the general direction of the frozen peas. A short time later, with the groceries put away and dinner plans revised in favor of an early dinner out, I was heading down to the Strip to see my second Garth Brooks performance in just two weeks.

Garth Brooks returned to the Encore Theater in Las Vegas last night for another private show for Steve Wynn and invited guests. This time, Garth brought his 6-person band with him. While the first show was an intimate solo gig with just Garth and his guitar, last night’s show was classic Garth, minus the cowboy hat.

Garth was again attired casually in jeans, t-shirt and a baseball cap (a Pittsburgh Pirates hat this time, prompting my husband to surmise that Garth’s support for the “team that hasn’t had a winning season since 1992” must have more to do with Garth’s self-deprecating humor than any devotion to the team itself; I say maybe it’s his charitable nature).

The balcony was open for this show and the theater was packed; I spotted only one empty seat from my vantage point. Unlike Garth’s last performance at Encore, this appearance was no secret: the crowd knew who they were coming to see and they were primed for a great show. Garth said that the goal for the night was to “get better,” to make it seem “like last time sucked.”

Garth told how he got the call from Steve Wynn last Friday with a proposal to perform at Encore on Tuesday; that’s four days notice. Garth said that he and his band got to fly in the Wynn corporate jet. (As I noted in my previous post, Garth flew on the corporate jet last time too, but he didn’t share that tidbit with the audience last time). Garth joked that the plane was so big that they didn’t have time to go to the back of the plane and return to the front before they landed, and that the front and back of the plane had different area codes (were they making phone calls from the plane or what?).

Garth asked how many in the audience had been to the performance on June 8th and he received a respectable cheer in response. A much larger cheer arose, however, when he asked who hadn’t attended the first show, indicating that this was mostly a new crowd - a fresh audience. This audience wasn’t disappointed either. Garth, the consummate performer, rocked the house, if you can say that about a country music artist. It was a great evening.

Garth Brooks and his band performed for almost 2 ½ hours. As one would expect, they sang many of their hits, including two of my favorites that weren’t included in the first show, “Longneck Bottle” and “Two of a Kind.” (I’m still waiting to hear “Two Pina Coladas,” though). Garth joked and talked about himself and the band, but there was more emphasis on his music during this show. He had funny stories about being mistaken for George Strait and being asked by a confused fan to play Clint Black's “A Better Man.” He said the band’s motto is “Whatever It Takes,” echoing the “do-what-you-got-to-do” theme reflected in many of his songs.

Garth again raised the house lights and took questions and requests from the audience. He noted that he got the idea of talking with the audience from his wife, Trisha Yearwood. He sang some songs requested by the audience. He even sang “Happy Birthday” to a woman named Andy. And, after hemming and hawing a bit, complaining that it was too hard to sing, Garth sang “Shameless” upon a request. He said he wouldn’t have been able to sing it two weeks ago, but last night he did, and he nailed it (of course!). The energy and enthusiasm in the room was what you’d expect in an arena with 25,000 fans. Afterwards, Garth ended the show with Don McLean’s “American Pie;” the audience sang along with exuberance.

There was no announcement or hint about any future shows. It’s clear though that Steve Wynn and Garth Brooks get along well and that they are talking about something. Steve Wynn called Garth Brooks “delightful” and “remarkable.” Garth said that he “loves” Steve Wynn, even though they haven’t known each other very long. According to Garth, Trisha Yearwood says that he and Steve Wynn have “man crushes” on each other. Garth said he didn’t know if this relationship was going to work out or end in divorce. He acknowledged that he’s not used to working for someone else (or I imagine, putting together a concert with four days notice). And perhaps alluding to some ambivalence on Garth’s part, Garth said he doesn’t know if Steve Wynn is trying to “make my life better” or “screw it up.”

As the evening closed, Garth said he was heading back home, to fix Trisha’s morning coffee and do her laundry. What a guy. What a performer.

Garth Brooks Returns for Encore at Encore

Garth Brooks is returning to Encore at Wynn Las Vegas for another free show tonight. I got to go to Garth’s super-secret show at Encore on June 8th. Tonight’s show is not quite so secret: during last Friday’s performance by Larry King at Encore, Steve Wynn announced that Garth Brooks would be performing this Tuesday to do a show for invited guests. The upcoming show was also reported by Norm Clarke in his column on Sunday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

I was out of town over the weekend and am still catching up on the news. I’m also trying to figure out how to get on the guest list, since I don’t seem to see my invitation to tonight’s show….

It will be interesting to see who gets invited to tonight’s show, what the turnout is, and how the audience reacts to his performance.

Last Thursday, I posted a list of 10 good reasons why Garth Brooks should come to Las Vegas. The very next day, on Friday, news of Garth’s return performance was announced. Ok, I’ll concede that the timing must be a coincidence. I doubt that my arguments, persuasive and well-reasoned as they were, had anything to do with Garth’s decision to return for another performance. I am however hoping that my powers of persuasion are strong enough to snag two tickets for tonight’s show. Based upon the last performance, I want to be there!

Top Ten Reasons Why Garth Brooks Should Come to Las Vegas

Garth Brooks’ surprise performance at Encore/Wynn Las Vegas last week (click here to read my description of the evening) has added to ongoing speculation that Garth might come out of retirement for a long-term show in Las Vegas. Norm Clarke reported in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on June 10th that a spy told him “Garth has a contract in his hands” and that they are negotiating over ticket prices. Anonymous sources on the internet say similar things.

I myself heard Steve Wynn say “Yes” when Garth asked aloud during his Encore performance if he could come back to the Encore Theatre and bring his band. Yet, still, we’ve heard no official announcement.

This has got me thinking that maybe Garth needs a little nudge. Maybe he’s mulling it over and needs some persuading.

It’s been widely reported that Garth Brooks doesn’t want to tour while his daughters are still in school. Las Vegas offers the perfect setup for Garth - he can perform for a new crowd every night without having to leave home. He just has to move to Las Vegas first.

With that in mind, I’ve come up with my own list of reasons why Garth Brooks should come to Vegas.

1. Real estate is cheap in Las Vegas right now. And since Las Vegans have a particular fondness for mega-mansions, there are probably many 10,000+ sq. ft. houses to choose from for immediate move-in. (I figure Garth can afford one of those.) Besides, everyone here knows that you need to get a big house, because once you move to Las Vegas, all of your out-of-town friends come to visit.

2. Garth could easily commute to Las Vegas while he’s house-hunting. Southwest Airlines alone has five flights daily between Tulsa and LV. Not that he needs to rely on Southwest Airlines. I hear that Garth got to fly to Las Vegas on the Wynn corporate jet for his performance last week, but Garth will find it nice to know he has options in case the Wynn plane is unavailable.

3. Garth would have a virtual lock on the country music market – there are no country music shows in Las Vegas. Yes, Las Vegas is a stop on the concert tour schedule of many country performers, but the competition would be ephemeral.

4. There is no state income tax in Nevada! Even if Garth’s already got all the walking-around money he needs, the lack of a state income tax means more money for his kids’ college fund and his charitable pursuits. That’s good for kids and charities – who can argue with that?

5. A Garth Brooks show would provide an instant boost to the Las Vegas economy. Believe me, we could use it. Room rates are down, occupancy levels are down and the visitor count is down. A Garth show could bring in gobs of tourists. Our mayor, Oscar Goodman, would probably show up accompanied by his customary showgirls and give Garth the proverbial keys to the city. Mayor Goodman, a known martini fan, might even switch his beverage of choice to beer in a Longneck Bottle or perhaps even try Two Pina Coladas, one for each hand, of course.

6. Some say the weather is not great here. I’ll be the first to admit that it may be hot in Las Vegas, but it’s hot in Oklahoma, too (ever been to Hartshorne in the summer?). And on the flip side, there’s no snow to shovel in Las Vegas. Plus, we don’t have tornadoes.

7. The number “7” is considered a lucky number in Las Vegas. Garth has a successful album titled “Sevens.” See the connection? I think a Las Vegas show would bring good luck to Garth. By the way, the main phone number of Wynn Las Vegas is (702) 770-7000.

8. Since there is currently no bar in Las Vegas named “The Oasis,” Garth could consider, as a fall back plan, opening up a dive bar/gathering place for all of his Friends in Low Places. I would seriously hope to be invited.

9. It would be good for the environment. Garth wouldn’t have to travel when the ACM awards come to town.

10. There are 800 attendees from Garth’s Encore performance that need someplace to wear their new black cowboy hats to.

So, in closing, I borrow Garth's own words and ask:

How you ever gonna know
What it's like to live there…
How you ever gonna know
If you never take a chance.

There ARE Nice People in the World!

Just when you’ve had enough of people cutting you off on the freeway, abandoning their shopping carts haphazardly in the grocery store parking lot, or talking on their cell phone and ignoring a store clerk, all of a sudden somebody does something really nice for no reason whatsoever. It renews your faith in humanity.

Today, my daughter and I went shopping at the Fashion Show Mall. We were on a mission to find a Father’s Day gift for my husband.

We found some good stuff for Father’s Day at our first store (sorry, Mr. M, no hints here). And since shopping with my daughter is rarely complete without shopping for my daughter, we shopped for her as well, finding two cute summer outfits and some earrings. Thus, having our serious shopping out of the way, we were doing some browsing just for fun at a home store called Z Gallerie.

I had just picked out a cool tealight holder when my daughter and I came upon some fun rhinestone-covered trinkets: a computer mouse, a lipstick case, and a cell phone-sized calculator, among other things. The items were so cute that we spent several minutes picking things up and showing them to each other. I especially liked the monogram keychains. I found the “E” keychain for my daughter and held it up for her to see; she let out a squeal of delight that only a 9-year-old can do. Our enthusiasm was infectious: another shopper joined in and began examining the sparkly items too, holding up a tiny crystal-covered stapler for us to see.

Eventually we left the little assortment of bling to finish our tour of the store. My daughter plopped down on an oversized round swivel chair called the “Cuddler Chair” while I went to pay for my tealight. Another shopper, the woman who had shown us the sparkly stapler, was in front of me at the cash register. As she was leaving, she asked me what my daughter’s name was, smiled at my reply, and left. I turned my attention to the store clerk to pay for my purchase. After a minute or so, the clerk called over to my daughter, still lounging in the Cuddler, and asked “Are you going to open that now?” I turned around, perplexed, to look at my daughter. Open what?

My daughter was holding a little package wrapped in Z Gallerie tissue paper. It seems that the woman in front of me, our fellow bling-admirer, had walked by my daughter on her way out, handed her the package, and said “This is for you.”

At the clerk’s urging, my daughter unfolded the tissue paper and out slid a sparkly “E” keychain. I was astounded! Apparently the other shopper had noticed us admiring the keychain and decided to do something nice for a complete stranger. The clerk told us that the woman had asked her to “just add it in” with her purchases, saying that she likes to do things like that every now and then. It gave me chill bumps then, and I got them again now, just writing about it. What a nice thing to do!

The clerk and I were just as excited as my daughter. Each of us was touched by another person’s act of kindness and we all enjoyed the moment. Although the nice woman left the store without waiting for a thank you or any sign of appreciation, I’m hoping she left with the satisfaction of having done something nice for someone else. And for her, I have to say, you made our day!

Garth Brooks at Encore Wynn Las Vegas

My husband came home last Thursday night with a copy of a brief, two-paragraph memo. It seems we were invited to a performance at Encore on Monday evening by an unnamed, “surprise” guest. “Mum’s the word,” the memo said. No further information was given. Except that the attire would be casual; jeans were acceptable, encouraged even.

“It’s Garth!” I replied. “It has to be!”

It had just been a week since R-J columnist Norm Clarke reported that Garth Brooks had dinner with Steve Wynn at SW at Wynn Las Vegas. Norm queried whether Garth might be returning to Las Vegas with a show deal. The next day however, Norm reported a flat-out denial by Garth’s publicist that any deal was in the works.

My initial certainty about the mystery performer’s identity gave way to doubt over the ensuing weekend, realizing that it was probably wishful thinking on my part (I’m a long time country music fan). Garth’s retired, after all, and there was also that public denial in the newspaper. My husband and I discussed other possibilities. Perhaps it was Larry King or maybe even Beyonce working in a practice run before their upcoming gigs. Maybe it was a new talent that was hoping to earn a spot in the now-empty Encore showroom. But nothing else made sense besides Garth: not the timing, not the secrecy, and certainly not the reference to denim attire.

When we walked in the Encore Theater last night, I knew I had gotten it right: each empty seat held a souvenir black cowboy hat.

Steve Wynn, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, introduced Garth Brooks without any fanfare, simply explaining that when he had dinner with Garth and Trisha Yearwood (a.k.a. Mrs. Brooks), he had been impressed by Garth, his personal story and his love for his family.

And with that, Garth Brooks walked out on stage, wearing jeans, an old t-shirt and a baseball cap worn backwards, as casual in his attitude and demeanor as he was in his attire. We were treated to an almost-two-hour performance that could best be described as “Garth Brooks Deconstructed.” It was just Garth with his guitar and a microphone. No trademark black cowboy hat. No button-down shirt. No band behind him; just a stool, a bottle of water and some stage lights.

The performance was part concert and part auto-biography. Garth joked about himself and told stories about his family and growing up in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He talked about his musical influences over the years and sang bits and pieces of songs by Merle Haggard, George, Jones, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Bob Seger, Dan Fogelberg, George Strait, Billy Joel, Randy Travis, and Keith Whitley.

Garth sang many of his own songs too, weaving in stories about how some of them were pitched to other artists but were turned down (“The River” for James Taylor; “Friends in Low Places” for George Strait). He talked about which song he won’t let his daughters listen to when it comes on the radio (“That Summer,” a song about a “lonely-widowed woman” with “a hunger that even a boy could recognize”). Garth didn’t get around to all of my favorites including some like “Two Pina Coladas,” “Longneck Bottle” and “Two of a Kind;” there just wasn’t time for all of his great songs.

There was a poignant moment when Garth performed his song about unexpected good-bye's, “If Tomorrow Never Comes.” Garth never mentioned Danny Gans but I suspect many in the audience were thinking about him in that moment; Danny Gans opened the Encore Theater in February and performed on that stage until his untimely death in May, 2009 from what is now said to be a toxic reaction to a pain killer.

All in all, it was an intimate, casual evening that was more like a conversation with an old friend than a formal entertainment event. Garth was funny and friendly. He was clearly at ease and enjoying himself on stage, saying at one point, “This is easier than breathing.” During the show, Garth mentioned that he’d like to bring his band back with him to “try the room out” with them. This was met by enthusiastic applause from the audience as a whole, and with an audible and emphatic “Yes” by Steve Wynn himself.

After Garth sang his traditional closing song “The Dance,” he asked for the house lights to be turned up so that he could take requests or answer questions from the audience. He graciously talked with the audience for ten minutes or so, sang a few more songs, then thanked everyone for coming and walked off stage, leaving us wanting more.

I hope that won’t be the last time we see him here in Las Vegas. I had a great evening and it appeared the rest of the audience did too.