Reba McEntire makes triumphant headlining debut at Madison Square Garden

The Music Universe exclusively reports that the concert was professionally recorded

Two songs into the night on Saturday (Apr 15th), Reba McEntire seemed to choke up as she soaked in the adoration of her fans in the Big Apple on the final night of her Reba Live in Concert tour. The mononymous redhead went on to explain that her family has a storied history of rodeoing at the Garden, going back close to 100 years.

Reba continued the tradition, making her debut at The Worldโ€™s Most Famous Arena nearly five decades into a storied career. She has received every honor that can be bestowed on an artist, from multiple Grammy Awards to induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But up till now, she had not headlined the storied New York City venue.

But that milestone comes with some impressive statistics: Reba is the only country artist and one of five women to headline a solo show at the Garden four decades into their career. The other four women include Madonna, Cher, Diana Ross, and Liza Minelli. Some fine company to keep, for sure.

The night was packed with about 30 songs, from Rebaโ€™s biggest hits to gospel music and even a Linda Ronstadt medley with show openers The Isaacs and Terri Clark, respectively. The most poignant moment of the night came when Reba sang โ€œThe Greatest Man I Never Knew,โ€ which brought sentimental tears to the eyes of 15,000 in a city often known for its hurried cynicism.

Another highlight was the arrangement of โ€œIs There Life Out There,โ€ which featured The Isaacs on harmonies. It was an arrangement that delivered both thrills and chills with the pacing and vocal perfection blending together exceptionally well. Main set closer โ€œTake it Back/Why Havenโ€™t I Heard From Youโ€ has been a live staple that has recently been immortalized as a studio recording in Rebaโ€™s Revised, Remixed, Revisited release.

In fact the RRR studio recordings are to date the only offering of Rebaโ€™s โ€œliveโ€ arrangements currently available to fans. But that might be changing. As The Music Universe Editor in Chief Buddy Iahn reported in real-time via Twitter, a crew was seen professionally filming the historic Garden concert. While we are currently unable to confirm what will be done with the recording, we have reached out to Rebaโ€™s team to inquire.

The night at the Garden was absolutely triumphant. Reba put on an incredible show featuring an 8K screen that added depth to the stage. There were the requisite costume changes from one glittery top to the next, and of course a stellar band. The band featured on Bob Wills-inspired โ€œOklahoma Swing,โ€ which included a larger-than-life screen appearance by Brooks & Dunn. Her band seems to breathe country music in all styles. They mastered her 90โ€™s hits (โ€œWhoever’s in New England,โ€ โ€œThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,โ€) as well as the rock-edged numbers that have defined her career in the 2000โ€™s (โ€œTurn On Your Radio,โ€ โ€œGoing Out Like Thatโ€)

New York has a reputation for being the exact opposite of the typical country music audience. But then again, Reba has never appealed to that audience alone. Filled with gays that love the camp of โ€œFancy,โ€ families that relate to โ€œIโ€™m a Survivor,โ€ and 90โ€™s country fanatics. Love of country music is universal because it is storytelling at its finest. And as Reba made her too-long-in-coming debut at Madison Square Garden to a crowd that often drowned her out, one thing was clear: There is life out there, and Rebaโ€™s fans were living their very best.

Matt Bailey
Matt Bailey

Matt Bailey is a media producer currently located in Washington, DC. He has worked as a writer, producer, and host in a variety of mediums including television news, podcasting, daytime television, and live entertainment. He joined The Music Universe in 2016. Since then, Bailey has traveled across the country to review hundreds of concerts and interview some of music's biggest hitmakers. Bailey truly believes in the unifying power of experiencing live music. To reach him, please email matt@themusicuniverse.com.