Ruth and I felt very fortunate to get to attend the concert because we originally had no intentions of being able to go to it. I can remember hearing on the radio a few months back that Garth would be coming to Salt Lake, but I didn't hear anything else about it so I had forgotten all about it. Earlier in the week we found out that Farley and Tina had tickets to the show, and they were planning on staying at our house when they came up for it. As Ruth and I were getting ready for Farley and Tina to get here Ruth threw out the idea of going with them to the concert. I really didn't think there would be any tickets left, but we decided to take a look anyway. We found some tickets available on KSL Classifieds, but they were a little outside of the price range we wanted to pay. So we kind of abandoned the idea. Just before Farley and Tina made it to our house I decided to check one more time, and I wound up finding an incredible deal on Vivid Seats. With only about three hours left until showtime we purchased our tickets. While the decision to go was last minute, and a little spontaneous, it was definitely a great choice.
The opening act for the concert was a singer and songwriter named Karyn Rochelle. We found out later in the show that she is actually one of the back-up singers for Garth, but she did a really good job with her time in the spotlight. After Karyn finished her set there was a surprisingly long break before the rest of the show went on. Even though the wait was a bit of a drag, I could definitely feel the anticipation and excitement building. When Garth finally made it out on stage the arena erupted!
From the minute Garth stepped out on stage until the encore performances had ended the whole arena was energized. It was incredible to see how Garth and even the people in his band fed off of the energy from the crowd. Aside from how fun it was to be a part of that atmosphere it was also so much fun to hear and sing along with all of the classic hits that we know and love. There is just something about getting to sing along with the artist that made all of those songs so famous that really makes you feel connected to the artist. While our seating, the lighting, and the quality of the camera may not have been the best, I did manage to get a few pictures and videos during the concert. These pictures and clips are a bit random, but I was more focused on enjoying the show then trying to capture it.
Garth was immortalized in the rafters with a banner for the most tickets ever sold
Our seats were on the second row of the upper bowl. I think we got a better discount because they were side stage seats, but since Garth moved around so much I don't feel like we really missed out on anything.
Any show would be awesome getting to sit next to such a pretty girl!
Who needs a lighter when everyone can just use their phones?
Rodeo
I don't know why this video skips and changes directions, but the first part turned out pretty good
Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House
The River
The Thunder Rolls
Probably the best video I got was of Friends in Low Places, but the file was too big to be uploaded to to the site. As the concert did happen on Halloween there were several fans who wore their costumes. While it wasn't a big surprise to see fans in costume, it was a pretty big surprise when Trisha Yearwood came out on stage dressed as a witch.
I know that all entertainers do their best to make each city feel like their's is the greatest, but I think Garth may have had a little stronger connection to Salt Lake because of the impact it had on his career. Apparently the crowd at his show from 17 years ago helped the CEO of the record company understand how successful Garth would eventually become. I don't know if his shows here were impacted by that or not, but I know we received an awesome performance. Garth has definitely still got it, and we are lucky to have seen him perform. Thank you Farley and Tina for helping make this new memory possible!
