Garth Brooks masterful in Albany

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

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Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Image 2 of 26

Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Image 3 of 26

Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Image 4 of 26

Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Image 5 of 26

Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Image 6 of 26

Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Image 7 of 26

Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Image 8 of 26

Garth Brooks performs Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, the first of three nights of concerts with his wife, Trisha Yearwood. (Trudi Shaffer/Times Union)

Photo: Trudi Shaffer / Times Union

Garth Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood answer questions during a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. The two singers will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Garth Brooks, who gets emotional easily, teared up a couple times when talking about his wife and family during a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Garth Brooks talks how important teamwork is when touring during a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Garth Brooks answers questions during a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood answer questions during a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. The two singers will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Trisha Yearwood answers questions during a press conference at the Times Union Center Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Yearwood and her husband Garth Brooks will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Garth Brooks answers questions during a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Brooks and his wife TrishaYearwood will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Garth Brooks answers questions during a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Brooks and his wife TrishaYearwood will be performing for three nights at the Times ... more

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Times Union reporter Amy Biancolli engages in a one-on-one interview with Garth Brooks after a press conference at the Times Union Center on Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Brooks and his wife Trisha Yearwood will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

Times Union reporter Amy Biancolli engages in a one-on-one interview with Trisha Yearwood after a press conference at the Times Union Center Friday, March. 10, 2017 in Albany, N.Y. Yearwood and her husband Garth Brooks will be performing for three nights at the Times Union Center starting tonight. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union) less

Photo: Lori Van Buren

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Albany

A masterful entertainer does three things: makes the audience feel as if it's part of something larger than itself, projects an outsized image of himself or herself that plays throughout an entire venue, and makes the fans feel as if the songs being performed that night are the most meaningful renditions yet, even if the artist has played them countless times before and likely will again the next two nights. Garth Brooks is a masterful entertainer.

The biggest star in the history of country music rolled into Albany on Friday for the first time in 20 years for three shows in three nights and gave the 15,000 strong at the Times Union Center a two-hour, hits-centric performance that had fans raving while walking down Pearl Street after concert's end.

After a brief video package highlighting Brooks' mega-successful career, he came out and opened with "Baby Let's Lay Down and Dance," his vocals drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Brooks clearly loved the adoration and during the next few songs, "Rodeo" and "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" had the arena going bonkers with every random point, stomp and wild-eyed smile.

Between tracks, Brooks was conversational and promised to play the hits, explaining, "When I come to concerts, I come to hear the old stuff." Throughout the night he delivered just that, running and jumping around the stage and euphorically throwing his arms in the air triumphantly a la Rocky Balboa at each tune's end. Time and again, the audience obliged Brooks' exhortations to sing along, leading to him exclaim, before launching into "The Thunder Rolls," "You treated each one like it was your very favorite song!"

After "The Thunder Rolls," Brooks' wife, Trisha Yearwood, joined him for a duet on "In Another's Eyes" and took lead vocals on three tracks, including a version of "She's in Love With the Boy" that had couples dancing and smooching for the giant video screen above the stage.

Brooks returned for an inspired cover of Billy Joel's "Shameless," before hitting on a ripping version of "Callin' Baton Rouge" and the crowd-favorite "Friends in Low Places." Following a brief encore break, he returned and took requests, choosing seven random signs in the audience and playing large parts of each song. A killer "Standing Outside the Fire" brought the show to a strong conclusion.

Concert

Garth Brooks with Trisha Yearwood Also featuring Mitch Rossell and Karyn Rochelle

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Times Union Center, 51 S. Pearl St., Albany

Length: Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, 2 hours 12 minutes; Karyn Rochelle, 17 minutes; Mitch Rossell, 14 minutes

Highlights: Brooks' "The River," "The Thunder Rolls," "Shameless," "Friends in Low Places" and "Standing Outside the Fire;" Yearwood's "She's in Love with the Boy;" Rochelle's "Red High Heels"

Crowd: 15,000 and vocal

The evening started with two brief openers: Mitch Rossell and Karyn Rochelle, who was one of Brooks' back-up singers. Both closed their sets with similarly themed ditties centered on name-dropping a bunch of famous songs they liked hearing on the radio in their youth. Both songs, and sets, were solid and well-received.

Source: www.bing.com

Garth Brooks masterful in Albany

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