George Straits Timeless Performance One for the Ages at Ford Field In Detroit
Detroit, Michigan (June 13,2024)-“I didn’t come for a long time,I’m here for a good time!” Legendary country artist George Strait announced to fans Saturday night at Ford Field in Detroit,before taking them on a ride through his illustrious musical career. Although it wasn’t a hit song or a new release, but a monologue reflecting on his final curtain call that made the biggest emotional impact of the evening, the seventh stop on his 2024 stadium tour.
Dressed in his signature cowboy hat, Wranglers and boots with a button-down shirt, George Strait has never been the type of entertainer to approach a concert with the feverish intensity a guy like Garth Brooks might invest in playing to the back rows of a stadium. Strait’s more the type to stand there and focus his efforts on drawing the audience into the lyrical heart of the matter with the strength of his delivery, punctuating what he’s singing with a smile that hasn’t lost its charm with age. That’s how he has become known as the King of Country Music, sending 44 songs to the top on Billboard’s country singles chart, the most of any artist in the history of the genre.
Early in the evening, the guitar-wielding, golden-throated Chris Stapleton, one of the evening’s two openers alongside superb vocal group Little Big Town set the tone of the evening by telling the crowd, “I’m not going to do a whole lot of talking; I’m going to play a whole lot of music in the time that we have,” as his thundering voice brought seemingly effortless gravitas to a 17-song set that included “Parachute,” “Nobody to Blame,” “Fire Away,” “Starting Over,” “Tennessee Whiskey” and “White Horse,” along with a new unreleased bluesy-rocker from his upcoming November release Higher, that already sounds like a classic
That same ethos of letting the songs, the stories and the voice take center stage equally applied to Strait himself, who led the packed audience in nearly three dozen songs in his 130-minute headlining set. At 72, Strait’s proud Texas twang and earnest vocal delivery is still in fine form.“We got some new stuff, too, I’m gonna throw in throughout the night, because I broke down and did another record, and I’m gonna play a few of those for you tonight,” Strait shared two songs into his performance , playing the first-of-four, “Three Drinks Behind,” from his forthcoming album while also revealing the new studio album will be titled Cowboys and Dreamers.
It was a night of connection for all the cowboys and dreamers in the crowd, too. During “Check Yes or No” a growing trend with concert goers continued with a couple getting engaged while surrounding friends captured the moment, sharing in their celebration. Before “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls,” Strait remarked, “I always like seeing some cowboys in the crowd because that means cowgirls are nearby.” Pausing briefly after to share that the next song was written by his longtime manager, Erv Woolsey, a cowboy himself who recently passed, Strait shared, “I miss you, Erv.”
“We always like to do songs from our old heroes that have passed on and finally got this one down (recorded) and gonna do it now live, Waylon Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues,’” he offered halfway through his 32-song set. It was the first of multiple covers, culminating with an encore of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” that gave the legendary Ace in the Hole band some room to stretch out musically.
With a music library stocked full of chart-toppers to his credit, it’s a formidable challenge to fit in every classic Strait hit in a setlist. But Saturday night, like on so many of his concerts, he essentially offered up his own version of the Eras Tour, leading a well-curated, decades-spanning set of songs. There was his 1981 debut single, the top 10 hit “Unwound,” and No. 1 hits from the 1980s including 1985’s “The Chair” and 1987’s “Ocean Front Property.” He also offered the 1990s hits “Write This Down,” and “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” along with his 2008’s career defining hit “Troubadour.”
Strait was also joined onstage by Chris Stapleton for a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho and Lefty” (as famously covered by Waylon & Willie) and a Stapleton penned song recorded by Strait,“You Don’t Know What You’re Missing.” The pair also combined on a rousing cut off the upcoming new album “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame,” that proved to the 47000 plus in attendance that Straits new music could still be relevant, challenging the “modern” country artists for positions on the Country music charts.
Conversely, in comparison to modern country artists, Strait’s sound is more classically country, as he played out the troubadour role on songs like “I Can Still Make Cheyenne” and “Amarillo by Morning.” Story telling cuts that have traditionally invoked images of lonely cowboys, dusty highways and broken hearts. Strait hasn’t lost a step in his delivery whatsoever, as continues to play these stories with conviction, the same way he still lands the punchline at the close of “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”: you know it’s coming, but you can’t wait until it gets there.
Strait dedicated “The Weight of the Badge” to first responders, making an oblique reference to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally earlier in the day as he said, “Thank you for coming when we need you. We appreciate that so much, especially after today.” Strait never mentioned the former President by name, but at the conclusion of the song he held his hand over his heart, as photos of Bradley Reckling, the Oakland County deputy killed last month in what was described as an ambush, flashed on the stage’s video screens at the close of the song.
Those were somber moments in what was otherwise a jovial celebration of Strait’s 40-plus year career in country music. It was his first local concert since a 2014 visit to the Palace of Auburn Hills, and it might not necessarily be his last in the Motor City. While he put a finishing touches on his touring career a decade ago, he has continued touring steadily since his return to live music over the last few years, playing a handful of Stadiums each run giving fans hope for a future return. Remember though, the guy is 72 how much more does HE really want to do?
Tonight it was Ford Field in Detroit, a highlight in a legacy city going through a Renaissance of its own. George Straits performance had no shortages of highlights either. From “The Fireman” to “Here For a Good Time” and “Ocean Front Property” each inspiring the massive singalongs you’d expect to the more poignant moments that had Strait dedicating “I’ll Always Remember You,” to the fans. Otherwise the songs themselves, both old and new, were an array of honky tonkers, Texas two-steppers and high and lonesome ballads that were kept mostly neat, tight and faithful to their original versions by the long tenured Ace in the Hole band.
“I do want you to know, though, that when I do walk off this stage for the last time and I’m all settled in, away from all this, you won’t be far away. I’ll still hear your screams and cheers in my mind. And I’ll always remember you,” which Strait mentioned deep into the 31 song performance. It was a standout amongst several reflective moments during the set that had to leave a person wondering as the final notes resonated from “The Cowboy Rides Away,” if this was really the end.