It’s been more than 15 years since Garth Brooks came out of performing retirement in Las Vegas. Although he had made several public appearances and multidate concert runs in Kansas City and Los Angeles since announcing his sabbatical, it wasn’t until the fall of 2009 that he made a full career comeback with a critically acclaimed headlining gig. Now as he approaches the end of his Garth Brooks/Plus ONE at The Colosseum, Brooks has three words for the possibility of a future return: “Never say never.”
So if Brooks and wife Trisha Yearwood don’t set up residence in Ireland, where they are considering buying a house (as he disclosed during a Facebook livestream in October), he has the option to continue being the Elvis of country music, at least in Las Vegas. And as Presley ruled the pop charts of the ’50s and early ’60s, Brooks will always be the undisputed king of country’s 1990s to early 2000s era.
Garth Brooks/Plus ONE could have been a straight career retrospective showcase threaded through a biographical narrative, but Brooks has been taking chances ever since his Garth at Wynn sets at Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theater kicked off Dec. 11, 2009, when he opted for an acoustic show featuring Yearwood. Friends in low places that come to the Strip experience one of its more unorthodox headlining gigs, with Brooks varying his sets show to show and playing covers of songs by artists like Bob Seger and Billy Joel.
They may witness Yearwood appear onstage to duet with Brooks on her 1997 single “In Another’s Eyes.” Fans that attended Brooks’ final Caesars show of 2024 requested Yearwood’s 1991 song “She’s in Love With the Boy” and 1992 single “Walkaway Joe.” Brooks and Yearwood also covered “Shallow” from A Star is Born.
The covers are a major factor in making Garth Brooks/Plus ONE feel spontaneous. Brooks has opened shows with Seger’s “Against the Wind” and Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” He’s performed Joel’s “Shameless” from 1991 album Ropin’ the Wind and played “Piano Man” mid-set. George Strait, The Oak Ridge Boys, David Allen Coe, Nitty Gritty Dirt band and Keith Whitley have all been paid tribute by Brooks in The Colosseum.
Brooks performs solo and with his band, who back him through classics such as “The River,” “The Thunder Rolls” and “The Dance,” as well as deeper cuts requested by the audience like “The Red Strokes,” “Alabama Clay” and “Every Time That It Rains.” He’s also played “Ireland” from 1995 album Fresh Horses, which may whet that notion to relocate to the Emerald Isle once the latest extension of Garth Brooks/Plus ONE concludes in March.
That doesn’t mean Brooks is done with Vegas. As long as the demand is there he’ll likely return for future residencies in some form or fashion, but in order to get a chance to catch him covering The Isley Brother’s “Shout,” it’s best to see him live now, while he’s still taking requests.
Caesars Palace. ticketmaster.com
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