Joey Guerra
Entertainment Editor
Review
"G-minus five minutes," boomed the announcer's voice. It was all the warning the capacity crowd at Compaq Center needed to herald the arrival of one of the best-selling artists in music history.
Kicking off his five-night, practically sold-out stint in Houston, country king Garth Brooks exploded onto the stage in a blur of lights, steel rigs and cowboy hats. Considering the slick spaceship look of the set as Brooks made his entrance, the relatively spare set-up once the seven-piece band was in place seemed relatively modest.
Brooks' media persona is a strange mix of country-boy humbleness and superstar ego. He dove into songs like "Rodeo" and "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" with dramatic abandon, and his first initial is emblazoned on everything imaginable, from set pieces and lighting rigs to T-shirts and speakers.
Brooks' growling talent, though, may have been more than justified. Despite all the endless scampering around the stage and the mock humility in his song introductions, Brooks emanated an electric, fired-up stage presence that oozed out into the roaring crowd.
"We should've come back here a hell of a lot sooner," Brooks said, sounding like he meant every word of it.
"Shameless," Brooks' crossover hit that was written and originally recorded by Billy Joel, was a shimmering highlight, and "The Thunder Rolls" boomed with intensity.
Opening act Trisha Yearwood joined Brooks for "In Another's Eyes," the duo's recent country chart-topper, and "Walkaway Joe," one of her early hits. Stripped of showbiz pretenses, it was a shining moment between two highly talented artists. Yearwood's all-too-brief warm-up set proved why this gal is currently riding a wave of success. Songs like "She's in Love With the Boy," "The Song Remembers When" and "Everybody Knows" showcased Yearwood's elegant, full-bodied singing style, a perfect blend of country roots and pop sensibilities.
Yearwood's final song, though, the Diane Warren-penned "How Do I Live?" was a perfect showcase for the singer. The song provided Yearwood with her first pop Top 40 hit, and soared on her effortless vocal delivery.
That most of the fans in the audience knew the lyrics to that song was probably due in large part to a second version from country-teen diva Leann Rimes that spent over 6 months in the upper regions of the pop charts. For a moment, though, the song, and the evening, rested on the angelic sounds of Yearwood's impressive voice.