ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, November 9, 1996             TAG: 9611120020
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 12   EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: CONCERT REVIEW
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER

... AND FROM THE AUDIENCE, THE THUNDER ROLLED GARTH BROOKS' SWEAT-SOAKED ROANOKE PERFORMANCE WAS A SCREAMING SUCCESS

Country superstar Garth Brooks had the crowd on its feet Thursday night at the Roanoke Civic Center, screaming and shouting as cameras flashed and cowboy boots stomped - and this was nearly two hours before showtime.

Speaking with members of the Roanoke media in the lobby of the civic center auditorium, Brooks tipped his hat through the window to the hundreds of onlookers outside and the fun began.

A little taste of Brooks was all these country music lovers needed to get their engines revving. Barely able to sit through the five-song warm-up performed by members of Brooks' band, the audience was rocked by the grand opening. Accompanied by booming sounds, a circular venue of lights was lowered to the floor, sounding more like a space shuttle landing at a rock concert than the arrival of one of country music's biggest stars.

The entire stage then rose, and Brooks made his apparent entrance onto the stage. A figure in a white tuxedo and oversized cowboy hat sat hunched over a piano as the lyrics to "The Old Stuff" blazed, giving way to an array of flash bulbs and blood-curdling screams. But to the audience's surprise, it wasn't the man for whom they waited. The real Brooks emerged through a trap door in the stage moments later, hitting full stride as he "prayed that Virginia would go wild tonight."

His prayers were answered.

The sold-out crowd of 10,326 at the coliseum Thursday was on its feet the entire evening, clapping and cheering, screaming and singing along, dancing and waving their arms - following Brooks' instructions to a T.

"I don't know how many of you were here the last time," Brooks said of his 1992 visit to Roanoke. "But we came here again for the same reason. We came here to raise some hell and have some fun, so let's get to it."

The friendly and playful banter gave way to a 17-song set that lasted more than two hours and left Brooks wringing with sweat after the fifth song.

"Trust me," Brooks said as he flung the sweat from under his signature cowboy hat to the stage. "Of anyone in here I guarantee I've seen more Garth Brooks shows than anyone. You're going to be here awhile and it's going to get awful hot."

Energy overflowed on stage with both Brooks and his dynamic seven-member band racing almost in circles on the stage, bumping into one another, leaping over stage props and sliding their way into the audience's hearts.

The risque third verses of "The Thunder Rolls" and "Friends in Low Places" - primarily heard only in concert until the upcoming release of a live album - brought the house down. A quiet rendition of "Unanswered Prayers" left nearly every audience member whispering the lyrics, and stopped Brooks in his tracks.

As he gathered up the dozens of roses, balloons and stuffed animals accumulated during the night, Brooks thanked the crowd for its enthusiasm. He added with as much surprise as sincerity, "It seems like yesterday we were here, and I have a pretty good memory of things but I don't remember you guys being this good."

He emerged for three encores, conquering a thin metal ladder hanging from the stage lighting even at the expense of missing some lyrics to ``Ain't Going Down 'Til the Sun Comes Up.'' The ladder had proved Brooks' nemesis in the Roanoke leg of his 1992 tour, when he fell in front of a packed house as he attempted his ascent.

"I've kept that ladder in the act for four years just to redeem myself," Brooks said before the show. "When we leave Virginia we'll probably do away with it."

The country icon halted his singing to yell something at the ladder as it swung in the wake of his theatrics. He ended the night with renditions of Bob Seger's ``Night Moves'' and Don McLean's ``American Pie,'' finishing on a subdued note that left the audience wanting more Brooks originals.

Maybe that's exactly how it was planned.

Angie Watts covers sports for The New River Current.

LENGTH: Medium:   79 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  NHAT MEYER\Staff. 1. On Thursday night, Garth Brooks 
          played to a sold-out house at the Roanoke Civic Center. 2. Fans 
          Sally Phillippi and Brandyn Sayers (below) of Fort Chiswell react 
          when Brooks approaches their second-row seats. color.