Yesterday I was on tour with Garth Brooks. OK, it was a tour of the new Las Vegas Arena, and I was wearing a hard hat and flashy florescent vest, but Garth was there. Besides, the setting doesn’t have to be glamorous to be great when you’re hanging out with a music icon like Brooks. He may have friends in low places, but few artists are more down to earth and genuinely kind than the biggest-selling solo artist. So being smack-in-the-middle of the still-under-construction Las Vegas Arena was both surreal and inspiring. With 20,000 seats, the expansive state-of-the art venue will give Vegas and Brooks’ fans something to cheer about. Whoever said, “Build it and they will come”, should have said, “Build it and Garth Brooks fans will come.” Because you know they will. Maybe that’s why Brooks, Rick Arpin, senior vice president of entertainment and development for MGM Resorts International, and Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events were thrilled to introduce the press to the new venue yesterday. It’s hard not to share the excitement.
Brooks, who is slated to perform at the Las Vegas Arena July 2-4, 2016, will undoubtedly create his own Fourth of July fireworks in Vegas given his track record of spectacular sell-out performances and a loyal mega fan base that continues to grow. Set to open April 2016, the Las Vegas arena will host a Who’s Who of stars and popular shows. But Brooks will be the icing on this 650,00-square-foot concrete cake. The country star promises to rock Vegas in a unique show that will keep people talking. There’s a reason it’s been dubbed #GarthVegas. When it comes to performing, Brooks isn’t known for putting a toe in the water to feel things out. I suspect he’ll jump into the deep end and come out with an Olympic medal—and the Vegas seal of approval.
Brooks tells me his wishes for #GarthVegas! Listen here.
Successful because of his talent, Brooks is beloved because of his fan-driven philosophy. And this time, he will be putting the fans front and center again. “You know what I really, really hope? I hope that Thanksgiving of 2016, they’re all sitting around the table at some house somewhere and someone says, ‘Oh, U2 was the best concert I’ve ever seen.’ And someone goes, ‘No Pink was the best.’ And someone goes, “Dude, if you weren’t in Vegas July 4 of this year….’ So that’s what we’re hoping. We just want to be one of those names around the table that people are fighting for and it’s our job to make the show that much.”
But even in the middle of the excitement of a new arena, and the anticipation of a concert that will rock the new venue, Brooks’ humility and groundedness still comes shining through. And you immediately love him more. Says Brooks, “You’re in a business that might be the most humbling business there is. Here today, gone tomorrow. I’ve been very thankful to just get to be here. And if I’m gone tomorrow, I’ve got the health of my children and the love of my life with me, so I feel very lucky.”
The artist admits he feels very fortunate and lucky for this Vegas opportunity which he compares to other career milestones like his iconic concert in Central Park. “This is going to be epic and to have those things still out in front of you this late in your career—you just feel very humbled and very thankful.” In the end, I’m not sure who will be more grateful, Brooks, his fans, or the city that showcases the best talent in the business.
Watch a touching piece of Brooks’ press conference (and you’ll also see why I will never be hired as a videographer).
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