Strait returns to T-Mobile Arena
George Strait is the King of Country Music with his 60 No. 1 hits that span five decades. His Strait to Vegas show on Friday (Feb 11th) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was quite the occasion. We were there to document the night that included hit after hit and songs that have rarely, if ever, been performed live. The concert was held a day after Nevada’s governor lifted the mask mandate and the audience represented it well!
The 20 thousand capacity arena was filled to the brim with country fans eager to see the five-foot-ten-inch tall country crooner perform with his 11-piece Ace in the Hole band. The country legend graced the stage at around 9:15 with Waylon Jennings walk-on music. After he was introduced with a huge audience welcome, he kicked off the show with “Heartland,” the theme song to Pure Country that is doesn’t feel 30 years old.
Strait performed 31 songs during the two hour and 15 minute set with hits that included “Check Yes Or No,” “Amarillo By Morning,” “The Chair,” “The Fireman” and more. It was also the debut live performance of “Come On, Joe,” from his 2006 It Just Comes Natural album. Strait shared that it’s his wife Norma’s favorite song of his and had never performed it live before.
The night’s most poignant moment came when he performed the autobiographical “I’ll Always Remember You,” which is a tribute to the fans. Strait co-wrote the song with his son Bubba and iconic songwriter Dean Dillon. The crowd cheered loudly as Strait sang, “My feet don’t touch the ground again / ‘Til I walk out and get back on that bus that got me here / I don’t know how many more years I’ve got left to do this / But I figure a few.”
Strait also paid tribute to Waylon Jennings and Tom Petty. Early in the set, he performed Jennings’ “Waymore Blues.” But the most rocking moment came during the four song encore with an impressive rocking rendition of Petty’s “You Wreck Me” that featured killer solos from his band.
Strait may have a reputation for being a stoic cowboy hero, but he was all smiles and often thanked the fans for their support with a wave after songs. Early on, he asked about Super Bowl predictions with some of the loudest cheers in support of the Bengals, who Strait said he was hopeful would win.
It was clear Strait enjoys performing live. In 2012, Strait announced his retirement from the road with The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. However, in 2015, he announced the Strait to Vegas series that has seen him perform 34 shows (as of this weekend) at the MGM-owned arena since 2016. Strait to Vegas features the “Marina Del Rey” singer performing back to back nights with a different opener with each weekend.
Seeing Strait live in concert was a bucket list item that is now checked. He’s a neotraditionalist who has influenced some of country music’s biggest and upcoming stars. I don’t want to give any specifics away with his show, but it’s a must see that will keep you entertained while singing all night long!
Set List:
- Heartland
- I Can Still Make Cheyenne
- Here For A Good Time
- I Saw God Today
- Check Yes Or No
- I Got A Car
- Wrapped
- Easy Come Easy Go
- Ocean Front Property
- Waymore Blues (Waylon Jennings cover)
- I Ain’t Her Cowboy Anymore
- Breaking Hearts
- Give It Away
- Every Little Honky Tonk Bad
- Marina del Rey
- The Weight Of The Badge
- Codigo
- Adalina
- The King of Broken Hearts
- Amarillo By Morning
- The Chair
- The Fireman
- Run
- Come on Joe
- I’ll Always Remember You
- Troubadour
- Unwound
- Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind
- Take Me to Texas
- You Wreck Me (Tom Petty cover)
- Cowboy Rides Away
