Over the weekend, something special was happening at the Germania Insurance Super Stage in Austin—we got to experience Garth Brooks live!
“It feels like I haven’t toured in forever!” Garth, the 63-year-old country icon who’s shifted over 170 million albums, exclaimed to the enthusiastic Austin crowd. “I really needed this right now.”
Just minutes into the show, he shared a heartfelt moment by gifting his signature guitar to a child in the audience, instantly setting the upbeat tone.
“Is it gonna be like this all night long?” he joked as he appeared on stage wearing his signature dark denim, a classic black cowboy hat, and trusty boots.
And honestly, he wasn’t kidding. It was a night to remember.
Also worth mentioning, he donned a hoodie honoring the late Chris LeDoux, a beloved country musician who passed away two decades ago. Brooks and LeDoux were close friends, with Brooks famously going above and beyond to help him out in the past.
Despite the sun-drenched crowd looking a bit worn from the heat, Garth’s performance created an electric atmosphere.
Before the concert kicked off, you could see fans decked out in cowboy hats mingling with folks wearing Porsche shirts, calmly sharing space while engaging in casual chit-chat. One dedicated fan next to me was all-in, catching the Texas Longhorns live game streaming on his phone. Meanwhile, enterprising marketers were peddling promotional Michelob Ultras from sleek coolers. The most animated fan by my observation—a woman who rather abruptly jostled her way toward the front with her seemingly chagrined teenage daughter—was later seen singing along from the screens, making quite the impression!
Families enjoyed the event as parents jammed alongside their adult kids, lured in by the infectious energy of Brooks and his impressive 10-piece backing band, which resembled the dominant Duke Blue Devils back in the day, oscillating between genres from steel to slide guitar.
The highlight was an impromptu rendition of “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” which featured an electrifying live banjo, fiddle instrumental, and accordion—an exhilarating departure from the often lackluster use of synthetic sounds that many of today’s arena acts tend to resort to.
Garth’s performance, described by him as “highly choreographed,” evocated torrents of nostalgia—particularly since his early career days in 1988 where he was conducting nightly gigs at various locations with many of the same talented musicians still by his side today. The 90s do not feel like ancient history; instead, they feel oddly alive.
It was also a testament to those times that the songs had spread far beyond country music barriers—a lyrical reference to Brooks from an underground Harlem rapper like Big L, acknowledging his remarkable album sales back in the day: “I’m down to sell records like Garth Brooks.”
From hits like “The Thunder Rolls” and “The Dance” to heartfelt tracks such as “Unanswered Prayers,” Brooks’ 90-minute set was pure joy, loaded with nostalgic anthems that have become genre cornerstones over the last 30 years. People were filmed capturing moments on their phones, their eyes brimming with tears of memory
Directly after concluding resourceful tracks in the encore with “Standing Outside the Fire,” Garth said delightfully, “You never know what you’re gonna get around here, but you all absolutely rocked it tonight!”
‘Avoiding COTA is Sometimes Easier’
For subsequent local Austin folks—it’s quite common to find ourselves conflicted about Circuit Of the Americas. Parties during the Formula One weekend—whether featuring Taylor Swift, Queen, or any of the renowned musicians over the last decade—might entice you, yet many locals tend to prefer the comfort of their homes.
“Honestly, anything taking place at COTA is nothing short of a hassle,” one friend of mine expressed on Instagram following my post about Garth’s performance.
The main concern usually rolls back to traffic conditions, swelling crowds of visitors and just the sheer complexity of figuring out logistics once you arrive—emptying onto a set about Formula racing remains a whirlwind constructed not for ease.
And who can forget those massive billboards? They’ve been advertising fairly notable acts weeks in advance, which might as well be on the moon for all the locals care about heading out there.
What’s the Concert Ticket Situation?
For interested concertgoers, you need at least one-day race admission to access Garth’s show. Prices are on the steep side, but savvy attendees focused on the music can simply stroll in as most F1 fans start to head home around 6 p.m., leading to light traffic while heading toward COTA.
‘A Nostalgic Night on the Horizon’
Interestingly enough, Garth Brooks is known as the best-selling solo artist in U.S. music history. Yet, his ability to weave compelling narratives combing humor and relatable expressions akin to Jeff Foxworthy creates an unforgettable on-stage intimacy.
It’s amusing how he perfectly connects with Southern audiences—they’re practically family by the end of his shows!
“You’ve got family, and then you’ve got ’those friends’ you can call at 2 a.m.,” he mentioned while showcasing his band of tour-mates he’s performed hand-in-hand with since the early ’90s.
Fresh from a well-received residency in Vegas, Garth polished up a brilliant retrospective setlist that night, even reminiscing about crafting the iconic track “Friends in Low Places” at the bar named “Cowboys” in Dallas.
He picked up some laser-focused insights about knowing it would hit due to guests all belting out lyrics for the chorus—every time.
“I’m a concert-goer too, and honestly, nothing winds me up more than artists solely performing their latest stuff without sharing those fan-favorite hits!” he highlighted prior to jumping into legendary numbers.
His repertoire also included covers: after getting his roots as a musician transmuted into familiar patrons-singing-at-the-bar tropes, Garth humorously cited playing those “most drunken crowds that simply wanted to sing along”, as the formula behind his constant hits!
As a nod to his early days, Garth added Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page,” abstaining from newer trends as he emphasized freedom from outside suggestions concerning his direction.
A slew of catalog gems like Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning,” and Otis Day and the Knights’ “Shout” followed up claiming the audience in tune.
Throughout this, Garth strummed with a hands-free device reminiscent of his ‘guitar shield’—making hardly reacting from focusing on “concealing the gut.”
“In Texas, I might call it home now, or simply being from Oklahoma requires the common bond of welcoming!” Garth concluded. “Y’all better cycle back in real soon!”
