Editor’s Note: In honor of King George’s Birthday, we thought it would be nice to repost a review we did of his last concert in Cowtown.
The cool crooning of George Strait on Saturday night at Dickies Arena was so good it required some serious coping mechanisms.
Each one of those songs, composed and performed over the course of more than 40 years, not only reminds the listener of a time and place, but when you’ve lived long enough, you realize you have actually lived most of these lyrics.
Save for staying atop a beast for 8 seconds.
In short, an extended stay in the kingdom of King George requires ice and TX Whiskey.
For this writer at least.
After all, who hasn’t pined for an ex in Dallas?
Speaking of those purported kings of things, so named by marketing powerhouses. King George is, of course, now a regular in Cowtown. It only seems the natural order of things. But Elvis made stops here. In fact, he was here about a year before the legendary fall from his throne. There is no recollection of Michael Jackson, the king of pop, they say, ever playing here solo, though young MJ’s dancing feet made at least one stop at the space ship, our then-named Tarrant County Convention Center.
No one needs to tell you that Elvis was a hit in Fort Worth. It goes without saying, but if it’s evidence — that precious data — you need, he sold out four successive shows at the convention center in 1974. Total tickets sold: 56,000, according to the people who count.
King George could have done that, no one doubts. Performers who sell out Dickies Arena are gifted a silver belt buckle. Strait received two belt buckles. And they were gold. True story.
This audience hung on his every syllable, that iconic voice hovering the way cigarette smoke used to do at Will Rogers Coliseum. The revisionists would have a stroke if they knew that we watched the rodeo and the Fort Worth Texans through that fog.
He brought with him his acclaimed Ace in the Hole band and Tenille Townes, who opened. Townes is from Grande Prairie. That’s Grande Prairie, with an extra “e,” in Alberta. She’s high-energy Canadian and set the mood with deep contralto vocals. A gentleman named Wes Hightower did backup vocals for Strait. Hightower is from Weatherford and received a nice ovation when introduced. Strait made note of the Wes Hightower Weatherford fan club.
If you’re reading this, Mr. Hightower, give us a call. We’d like to write about you.
At any rate, everyone was there, of course, for King George, our Bing Crosby in a black Resistol, Wranglers, and Justin boots and with just a hint of twang.
He took us through a survey of his greatness, 27 or so songs over the course of the two-plus hours. (I stopped counting at 27. You should expect lousy reporting when your reporter is drinking on the job.) Four microphones were set up on the quadrangle stage in the center of the arena. He went from spot to spot.
“Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” held a prominent place on the set list. That’s the piece written by Sanger “Whitey” Shafer, the Whitney-born artist, who told the story about the fellow in Fort Worth drinking beer and thinking about his ex-girlfriend who has a new beau in Dallas.
Moe Bandy first took a crack at the song in 1977. Keith Whitley also recorded it, but it was Strait who made it timeless as the title track of his fourth studio album. The song shot up the charts.
Shafer also wrote “All My Exes Live in Texas.” (Another nice gulp of TX Whiskey.) Who doesn’t have this problem? All of mine live here, too, but instead of hanging my hat in Tennessee, it’s just going to have to be awkward because I’m not going anywhere.
He also broke out a Chris Stapleton song, “You Don’t Know What You’re Missing (until it’s gone.” “How ’Bout Them Cowgirls,” off “It Just Comes Natural” and written by Casey Beathard and Ed Hill,” was a smash hit for his audience. Strait noted that there were many cowboys in Fort Worth. “It’s Cowtown after all, but what we really like is that you bring your cowgirls.”
He made his first exit with “Unwound,” off 1981’s “Strait Country. “’Cause that woman that I had wrapped around my finger just come unwound” hits close to home, not to mention hits my funny bone. Very funny. On the topic of waggish, “The Fireman.”
Hey, they call me the fireman, that’s my name
Makin’ my rounds all over town
Puttin’ out old flames.
“Check Yes or No:" It's safe to assume that our king gets more yeses than no's. Strait also admitted during the show that “Amarillo By Morning” is his favorite of all those melodies over the years. “The Chair,” off 1985’s “Something Special” is smooth King George in a nutshell. “That wasn’t my chair after all.” Very slick, King George. Always swore I was going to try that one.
The sellout, of course, demanded a reappearance from the king and his band, and they obliged with a Tom Petty ditty, as well as “Take Me To Texas” and the sentimental “The Cowboy Rides Away.”
Sure enough, he was gone for good. Well, not for good. There's still a lot of life in that voice at 70.
