The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour

Last night Alison and I had a fun date night. We headed downtown for dinner and a concert. 

We took Trax downtown from our house. We had dinner at Caffé Molise. This is one of our favorite SLC eateries. Caffé Molise offers fresh Italian cuisine inspired by the Molise region of Italy. It is located in a historic building that offers an upscale-casual environment. Per usual it was a delicious meal and the service was excellent. 

When I initially bought tickets to the Garth Brooks concert it was scheduled to start at 7pm. I made reservations at Caffé Molise accordingly. However, because of the extreme heat the start time was pushed back to ~8pm. By then it was too late to shift our dinner reservations. We had some time between dinner and the show. We walked up to City Creek and had some Italian ice and custard for dessert. 

Getting to the concert was a rodeo. We figured we would take Trax up to the stadium. Since the parking situation at Rice Eccles is not good so did most of the 50 thousand other concert goers. We managed to cram our way onto a train, but it was packed. The train also moved somewhat slowly. The train we got on to go to the stadium had to back up and switch tracks. Once it backed up it had to wait for city traffic to clear to move forward. While we were all waiting and many passengers were unsure of what was going on the train broke into a spontaneous rendition of "Friends in Low Places." Once we got to the stadium getting off of the train platform and through security was a nightmare. Alison commented that if the olympics come back to Utah they are going to need to figure out a better way to manage crowds at Rice Eccles Stadium. We finally made it into the stadium around 8pm. I stood in line to buy some water (the temperature was still in the mid-90's so I knew we would want it. I was worried I would miss the start of the show, but I didn't. Garth didn't take the stage until it was almost 9pm. 

The show was epic. 

Here was his setlist - Garth Brooks at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on July 17, 2021:

1. All Day Long
2. Rodeo

3. Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House

4. The Beaches of Cheyenne

5. Two Pina Coladas

6. Fishin' in the Dark

7. The River

8. The Thunder Rolls

9. Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)

10. Unanswered Prayers

11. Make You Feel My Love

12. That Summer

13. Callin' Baton Rouge

14. Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)

15. Friends in Low Places

16. The Dance

Encore

17. Lonesome Dove

18. Ireland

19. Which One of Them

20. She's Every Woman

21. Rocket Man

22. We Shall Be Free

23. Good Ride Cowboy

24. Standing Outside the Fire

I enjoy Garth Brooks music much more live, than I do when I listen to a recording. Garth Brooks is the epitome of an entertainer. He feeds off the energy of the crowd. His energy is so infectious. He easily gets 50,000 people to sing along to all of his greatest hits. We danced and sang and had a great time. Mid-show Garth announced that he wants to make one more stop in SLC next year before he wraps up his stadium tour. We may go to that one too.

The show encapsulated the things Garth Brooks does best he creates a bond with an audience, sends people home happier than they were when they arrived, and gives them a night they’re not bound to forget anytime soon. We won't forget this concert anytime soon.