George Strait Review

Okay you know the song "Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys?"  Well, aren't we glad that no one stood in this man's way?  I tell you what--he sure does look good in jeans!

So there is no confusion on what my listening tastes/preferences are here goes.  I love Southern Gospel music--anything along the line of the Gaithers and their homecoming friends.  Growing up my Daddy listened to the classic country (Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, the Statler Brothers, and so forth).  My mother loved the golden oldies like Elvis, the music from the '50s (sockhops) and that stuff.  I was on a speed skating team growing up and at the rink 2 and 3 times a week--my generation was listening to the '80s (pop/lite rock).  When I went away to college, a Baptist university, I was introduced to Contemporary Christian and praise and worship.  So I have a great range of listening pleasure.  I don't listen to hard rock/heavy metal, new age, or Christian Rock and it's very difficult to get me to listen to instrumental (unless I'm practicing ballet) and easy listening but I can handle Barry Manilow. 

My first love is southern gospel so that is what you will usually find me listening to.  If a new movie comes out and I like the music I will buy the soundtrack--let's hear it for Hairspray and Mamma Mia--oh yeah! Music is a lot like people--"you're known by the company you keep."  Well, you are also known by the places you frequent and the music you listen to.  I want my music to send a message to my friends and family that I love my Savior but I still appreciate my grassroots and heritage and classic country will always be in my bones.  My Daddy says I can belt out the old stuff just like Loretta Lynn or Tammy Wynette but my friends love to hear me sing the traditional hymns--I'm well versed!

Well, James and Linda took me to the George Strait concert back on May 4th at the Colonial Center in Columbia.  They rented us a Humvee stretch limo.  I tried to post the picture but it blurred--I guess it's cause there was too many people in the photo!  We had awesome seats and I got some awesome photos!  In some of the closeups I swear George Strait looks like George Bush--what do you think? 

He had two opening acts: Sarah Johns (Jones?) and Miranda Lambert.  Sarah was a fou fou girl--reminded me of Reese Witherspoon in "Walk the Line."  She was a good performer but it was Miranda Lambert who stole the show!  She should have been a head banger.  She sure did have fun on stage and when she sang Kerosene you could have heard the applause and cheering from miles around. 

Well, I knew some of George's old music but not much of the new stuff.  My sister kept telling me about "I Saw God Today" and I was clueless but yes, it was a great song!  It's nice to see those in the secular world acknowledge the God of the universe.  This concert introduced me to one powerful song "She Let Herself Go" on his Troubador CD.   Now those of you who know the song will understand what I am about to say.  You think this song is about a lady who totally falls apart when her man leaves her but oh that is so far from the truth.  This lady reclaimed who she was and went everywhere that her  relationship with him forbid her to go.  She let herself go to the places she wanted to see and that he was too busy to go to.  I felt like this song along with many of his others was very empowering for a generation of people who feel they need others approval to be loved and accepted. 

George Strait has always been a good, clean down-home artist.  He sings sweet love songs without getting too risque.  He sings ballads that make you wish there was a book out there to follow up on the song.   I don't follow the celebrities too much but to the best of my knowledge he hasn't done much of anything to tarnish his "good boy" reputation or make the headlines for some stupid or negligent thing he was caught saying or doing.

He brought the roof down and did two encores.  He performed a song and brought several smaller children up on stage with him and my sister and I just thought that was the sweetest thing.   I knew he would close with "Here Is Where the Cowboy Rides Away" and I shall close with "She let herself go..."  You shall find me in the writer's corner producing yet another review!