Together and separately, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are country music icons. With their landmark residency, Soul2Soul, now in its second year at The Venetian, we checked in with the 26-time chart-topping McGraw about the intimate show, his rock ’n’ roll roots and life lessons when it comes to Feb. 14. And, yes, they will be performing together that night, all you last-minute shoppers.
Q: Tim, you make no secret of your love for rock ’n’ roll in the show. What was the first rock record that really caught your attention?
A: Probably the Eagles. They have been a huge influence for me and a band I listened to a lot growing up. I was actually able to see their show in L.A. a few weeks ago. It was like witnessing musical history.
Q: You’ve had so many hits over your career; it must have been tough narrowing them down for Soul2Soul.
A: It’s always a tough task to make the final call in deciding what to play, but we always try to come up with a good balance of introducing new music as well as including the songs that fans have supported over the course of my career.
Q: You’ve toured with Faith before, and I imagine a lot of your biggest fans have already seen the two of you onstage together. What’s their incentive to come to The Venetian shows?
A: The Venetian shows are set up so different than anything else we’ve done before. It’s more intimate and we have a chance to really connect with the audience. The sound in the theater is phenomenal.
Q: What has surprised you most about the audiences at your Las Vegas shows?
A: The energy of the crowd is something that blew us both away. I mean, it’s Vegas, so we came in expecting a bit of a crazy crowd at the shows, but they have been fantastic. It’s really fun to see them so amped up, and it gets us excited for each show.
Q: Valentine’s Day is this week. As someone’s who’s likely seen his share of Valentine’s Days, what advice can you give those of us who are trying to make the day special?
A: Living in a house full of women, Valentine’s Day is a big deal. My best advice is just to shut up and listen, but that goes for every single day in my house.
