Itap no secret that people in Colorado love , which is why his Shot Gun Rider tour sold out two nights at Red Rocks. Maybe itap his skin-tight jeans, or the way his wicked white teeth sparkle as he takes endless selfies with his screaming and overeager fans. Or perhaps itap that southern charm. But last night, the 26-year country music veteran showed us how much we really love him.
McGraw, an admitted Red Rocks virgin, took the stage to a seizure-inducing light show, backed by an energetic, capable band. He wasted no time getting people on their feet in the cool night air with “Truck Yeah,” which sent the ladies swooning and the fellas throwing their plaid-clad arms into the air. McGraw’s stage presence demands attention. And as those of you who’ve drank your weight in Coors Light and then tried to shimmy your way up those millions of Red Rocks stairs know, the high altitude can take you down. Quick. But even when crouched down on the stage (which McGraw did frequently throughout the night) his voice never wavered.
McGraw didn’t speak much to the crowd, but he gave a shout out to the troops and told his thousands of fans that he could “stay here all week. We know a lot of songs.” McGraw spoke more to his fans by moving seamlessly from “Something Like That” and “Down on the Farm” to “Southern Girl” and “Real Good Man.” And he wasn’t alone in keeping the crowd moving. From the hard beat of the steel guitar to the soul pounding of the drums, McGraw has backed himself with one hell of an eclectic, energized team.
The face of country music has drastically changed over the last 30 years and McGraw has been at the forefront of that switch. This was never more apparent than last night with the digitally focused crowd. But McGraw handled the endless selfies and videos like a champ. He sang and smiled and was gracious to every single middle-aged drunk lady who grabbed his arm or turned her back to him just to take yet another photo of herself with the country music superstar.
McGraw’s lyrics and ability to make thousands of people feel like he’s singing directly to them came through when he slowed things down a bit to perform “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools.” Of course he couldn’t keep it mellow for too long — the Coors Light audience had to be kept on their feet, or they’d pass out, so he quickly shot into “Top of the World,” “Let it Go,” “Last Dollar” and “Where the Green Grass Grows.”
McGraw stuck mainly to his greatest hits — always a damn good idea when you’re dealing with tipsy, short-short wearing country music groupies. He did veer off just one time to perform his new song “Here Tonight,” which fans ate up. McGraw, being the marketing machine he is, recently made news when he performed the song with his daughter. Colorado fans didn’t get the pleasure of meeting his daughter, but they didn’t seem to mind and swayed appropriately.
McGraw wrapped up the show by bringing out fellow tour mates Chase Bryant (who announced he was very single which led thousands of screaming girls to flip their hair… a lot) and Billy Currington to help sing “I Wanna Go Crazy” and “I Like It, I Love It.” McGraw’s encore did not disappoint either. His version of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” is something that Elton himself would be proud of. McGraw brought the sexy back when he slowly swayed his denim covered booty and showed the ladies his crazy ripped abs while he sang “Indian Outlaw.”
His abs. Abs. Abs.
Switching the bright white lights into the audience and asking his thousands of fans to sing “Live Like You Were Dying,” McGraw closed out the show like the true gentleman that he is. In McGraw’s own words: “Hallelujah. Amen. Shit.”
Set list
Truck Yeah
Something Like That
Down on the Farm
Southern Girl
Real Good Man
One of Those Nights
Just to See You Smile
Diamond Rings and Old Barstools
Top of the World
Let it Go
Last Dollar (Fly Away)
Where the Green Grass Grows
New: Here Tonight
Shotgun Rider
Damn Country Music
Felt Good on My Lips
I Like It, I Love It
The Cowboy in Me
Encore
Tiny Dancer
Mexicoma
Indian Outlaw
Live Like You Were Dying
