THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701240578
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music Review
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 77 lines
He is standing on stage, an average-looking guy - medium height. Every now and then he takes off his cowboy hat, scratches his head, runs his fingers through his hair, musses it up and smiles a little.
And the audience goes bananas.
It is, of course, Garth Brooks, who began his professional life in 1988 as a country singer and quickly became a country star, moved up to country superstar and is now a country phenomenon.
He played before a full house at Hampton Coliseum on Thursday and will do the same tonight and Saturday.
The concert begins with one of the most wondrous openings you'll ever see. Not to spoil the surprise, let's just say it's ``2001: A Space Odyssey'' meets Billy Bob.
When Garth comes on stage, he promises, ``I'm gonna raise some hell. We're gonna have some fun.'' He keeps that promise.
He is a wild man, seldom still, bouncing and leaping from one part of the stage to another.
It is not the Garth Brooks you will see at a news conference. He talks to reporters about two hours before the show. He is quiet, soft-spoken, almost appearing embarrassed to be in that position.
On stage, he offered his fans mostly the old favorites.
``These are songs I am extra-proud of,'' he said.
They include gems ``Rodeo,'' ``Beaches of Cheyenne'' and ``The Thunder Rolls.'' Then it did. The Coliseum shook.
The big favorite, though, was, of course, ``Friends in Low Places.''
It's one of the many songs the audience sings along with. It's more like a shout-along than a sing-along.
The country singer talked about the common criticism that he draws too much from another genre.
``Some people say we put rock 'n' roll into country music. We call it country music with a lot of muscle,'' Brooks said.
Even when he's not singing, the fans go wild. Brooks knows how to milk applause. He will just stand there or move a little. He'll bow, and then he'll just wait until the fans reply with some of the wildest cheers the Coliseum has heard in a long time.
Part of Brooks' success is due to an excellent selection of material and very good marketing - he has a degree in that. But for the most part, it's the mix of his big, growling voice, his personality and his ability to understand an audience and give them what they want.
There is a magic about the man. Think of people like Sinatra and Streisand; he holds the same magic.
Brooks noted at the press conference that he feels ``the juices flowing and the sugar level going up'' as soon as he steps on stage. He is a confident showman. One of his major hits is ``If Tomorrow Never Comes.'' He will still be here.
The show opened with Bryan Kennedy and Dave Roberts, a couple of guys who have written Garth's hit songs, kidding around a campfire and spending 20 minutes showing off their personalities and their music.
The Garth Brooks 1997 World Tour will continue to be a major success. Brooks is booked until mid-1998.
Another reason for his success, albeit a minor one, is keeping the admission prices as low as possible. Others can learn from this.
He revealed another fan pleaser at the press conference, noting his next album will have 16 songs, but sell for the price of 10.
Garth promised even better shows tonight and Saturday. Egads! ILLUSTRATION: Photo by IAN MARTIN, The Virginian-Pilot
At the Hampton Coliseum on Thursday night, Garth Brooks offered his
fans mostly the old favorites. ``These are songs I am extra-proud
of,'' he said. They included gems ``Rodeo,'' ``Beaches of Cheyenne''
and ``The Thunder Rolls.'' The big favorite, though, was, of course,
``Friends in Low Places,'' one of the many songs the audience sang
along with.
Graphic
CONCERT REVIEW
Garth Brooks at the Hampton Coliseum, with encore shows tonight
and Saturday.