"Before we go back on tour in the Fall of 2014, I want to challenge myself, the band, and crew," he says. "In '97, we were lucky enough to play Croke Park, the stadium was under construction. 130,000+ of some of the greatest fans in the world. I was quoted then as saying 'When this stadium is finished, I would love to come back and try to fill it again... this time to the brink.' And we're back to do just that!?
HP’s Craig Fitzpatrick is in attendance and will be bringing you a full report shortly along with a full gallery of pics.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma man has sold a staggering 68 million albums – and rising! – in a career dating back to 1989 when his eponymous debut went ten times platinum.
His last studio outing, Scarecrow, was released in 2001 and immediately topped the Billboard 200.
Brooks’ 2014 kicked off with a brace of full band shows in Las Vegas’ Wynn Encore Theater, which in addition to his own huge back catalogue included tributes to such musical heroes of his as Bob Seeger, Merle Haggard and George Jones.
“I think what I like best is getting to play music,” he reflected afterwards. “I haven’t got to play music in a hundred years. We’ve been joking, but it’s not a joke. In Vegas, if you guys have seen the show in Vegas, we cover 82 songs in Vegas in a show, but they’re all little snippets. I’m not sure I remember all the lyrics to our stuff, you know, ‘cause we haven’t done it in 100 years.”
Watch the full gig below: