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.
Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Vegas. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
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.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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.
“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.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
An "Infernal" Machine?
On Monday, a US Marine was arrested for carrying a gun, ammunition, and bomb-making materials on a commercial flight from Las Vegas to Boston. I read about the incident in Tuesday's Las Vegas Review-Journal. TSA employees in Boston discovered the banned items during the Marine's layover; apparently the Marine's bag was mistakenly unloaded in Boston and had to be re-screened so that it could be returned to the aircraft for the last leg of the Marine's trip. Good job, Boston TSA. The question now is "How did this stuff get by the Las Vegas TSA?" I was curious, and not just because I live in, and travel from, Las Vegas. I read on.
The article said the Marine was charged with possession of a concealed weapon and "possession of an infernal machine." I did a double take to make sure I read the words correctly. An infernal machine? Isn't "infernal" simply an adjective used to associate something with hell or damnation? A word you use in a moment of frustration to convey your negative feelings about a person or object? (I'm fairly certain I've heard the word used in the same sentence as the word "lawyers"). Surely someone can't be arrested for owning something "infernal."
There was no dictionary close by so I reached for my laptop. Dictionary.com indicated that "infernal" means hellish, fiendish, or diabolical. OK, so nothing new there: infernal really does just means hellish and bad. So how is it that one could be arrested, in this day and age, for possessing a "hellish" or "diabolical" machine? I mean really, my curling iron could qualify for that title on some days.
I walked in the next room to consult a dog-eared paperback American Heritage Dictionary which I think accompanied me to college, meaning that it is not very up-to-date. It provided no further illumination. Just the same "relating to hell" et al. Thus, I'm still left with the worrisome premise that you could be arrested for possessing something that another finds hellish or diabolical. That's a highly-subective standard that even a non-attorney like me can see is unworkable. Surely after 9/11 and the Shoe-bomber we would have learned how to write our laws so they can be enforced if someone tries to carry bombs on to an airplane.
I sighed, realizing that I would have to walk all the way downstairs to get our super-duper dictionary: a leather-bound 1,500 page volume of Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary with gold-edged pages and my husband's name embossed on the cover. (My husband received the book as a gift for speaking at some accounting conference years ago but hasn't used it 1/100th as much as I have). I thumbed through the pages, landing on page 619 where I found the entry for "infernal," including the now expected hellish and diabolical references, followed by {drum roll please} an entry for "infernal machine." For the record, an infernal machine is "a machine or apparatus maliciously designed to explode and destroy life or property." Thus, I learned an "infernal" machine is quite different than an "infernal machine." Mystery solved.
I finished reading the paper with a sense of relief, satisfied that I didn't need to worry about the vocabulary skills of our lawmakers just yet. I brushed away any doubts about the adequacy of my own vocabulary with a pledge to sign up for Dictionary.com's word-of-the-day email. And best of all, I wouldn't have to worry about getting arrested for possession of an infernal curling iron the next time I travel on a bad hair day.
The article said the Marine was charged with possession of a concealed weapon and "possession of an infernal machine." I did a double take to make sure I read the words correctly. An infernal machine? Isn't "infernal" simply an adjective used to associate something with hell or damnation? A word you use in a moment of frustration to convey your negative feelings about a person or object? (I'm fairly certain I've heard the word used in the same sentence as the word "lawyers"). Surely someone can't be arrested for owning something "infernal."
There was no dictionary close by so I reached for my laptop. Dictionary.com indicated that "infernal" means hellish, fiendish, or diabolical. OK, so nothing new there: infernal really does just means hellish and bad. So how is it that one could be arrested, in this day and age, for possessing a "hellish" or "diabolical" machine? I mean really, my curling iron could qualify for that title on some days.
I walked in the next room to consult a dog-eared paperback American Heritage Dictionary which I think accompanied me to college, meaning that it is not very up-to-date. It provided no further illumination. Just the same "relating to hell" et al. Thus, I'm still left with the worrisome premise that you could be arrested for possessing something that another finds hellish or diabolical. That's a highly-subective standard that even a non-attorney like me can see is unworkable. Surely after 9/11 and the Shoe-bomber we would have learned how to write our laws so they can be enforced if someone tries to carry bombs on to an airplane.
I sighed, realizing that I would have to walk all the way downstairs to get our super-duper dictionary: a leather-bound 1,500 page volume of Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary with gold-edged pages and my husband's name embossed on the cover. (My husband received the book as a gift for speaking at some accounting conference years ago but hasn't used it 1/100th as much as I have). I thumbed through the pages, landing on page 619 where I found the entry for "infernal," including the now expected hellish and diabolical references, followed by {drum roll please} an entry for "infernal machine." For the record, an infernal machine is "a machine or apparatus maliciously designed to explode and destroy life or property." Thus, I learned an "infernal" machine is quite different than an "infernal machine." Mystery solved.
I finished reading the paper with a sense of relief, satisfied that I didn't need to worry about the vocabulary skills of our lawmakers just yet. I brushed away any doubts about the adequacy of my own vocabulary with a pledge to sign up for Dictionary.com's word-of-the-day email. And best of all, I wouldn't have to worry about getting arrested for possession of an infernal curling iron the next time I travel on a bad hair day.
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