It was back in the fall when I learned that Garth Brooks was coming, not only to Canada, not only to Alberta, he was coming to my city: Edmonton.
And I was determined to be there.
I spent the morning tickets went on sale in front of my computer, watching the timer tick down the seconds, heart pounding furiously, and anxiously awaiting my chance to get in on this once in a lifetime event.
To no avail.
Tickets for 5 shows sold out within seconds. My hopes were shattered as I learned that my co-conspirator had also had no luck, and I resigned myself to the idea that this bucket list item would remain exactly that.
But Garth was having none of it.
Another show, scheduled for the next weekend. Tickets on sale Monday because Garth is a firm believer that no one who wants to see his show should go without.
And so I found myself on Monday morning, poised again in front of the keyboard, willing the seats to show up available.
13 seconds before tickets went on sale, up popped three more shows for a grand total of nine. The odds were in my favour, but I dared not get my hopes up too high.
Then it happened.
Floor seats, row 25, February 24.
And I got a text: Floor, row 12, February 25!
"Garth Brooks twice?"
Nope. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Man, I had NO IDEA how true that would be.
It was more like a party than a concert really. The energy was palpable, and he sounded amazing. I'm really not sure who was having more fun: this incredible performer on stage, or me and the 24,000 other people who attended that last night's show.
"It's only the first song!" laughs the guy ahead of me.
Indeed it was.
And of course, there was Trisha.
"In Another's Eyes", "How do I Live", and a kiss-cam on the audience for "She's In Love With the Boy."
Nothing short of outstanding.
Back to Garth for another mind-boggling set!
And it wouldn't be a proper party without streamers. They were in my hair, stuck to our shoes, I was finding them on the seats of my truck the next day! The stadium floor was covered and he wasn't done yet.
The Dance.
An incredible fiddle player.
And bringing an audience member on stage.
Turns out she wanted nothing more than to sing with Trisha Yearwood.
Done deal.
He sang every song from every sign in the audience, even ones that weren't his own.
At 11:30 p.m., he finished up the third encore of the evening, and I scratched "See Garth Brooks live in concert" off of my bucket list.
The last song of the evening, indeed the last song of 9 shows, and still ...
This:
"Meh, I give it a five." ~ sarcastic me
"Yeah, on a scale of one to two!"
"Yeah, on a scale of one to two!"
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