With two new songs already available off his forthcoming Cowboys and Dreamers September 6 album, the demand for the King of Country has never been hotter as made clear at Saturday night’s show (6/15/24). The Texas native set a record for largest single ticketed concert in U.S. History* and a new record for Texas A&M Kyle Field for a single event** with 110,905 fans in attendance for George Strait: The King at Kyle Field with special guests, fellow Lone Star natives and MCA labelmates, Parker McCollum and Catie Offerman.
With energy pulsating throughout the bowl, Strait greeted the record crowd after his second song of the night, “I Got A Car,” taking it all in. “It's so good to be here with Catie Offerman and Parker McCollum - let's have another big round of applause for those two. And happy birthday Parker, my gosh, what a day, what a place to spend your birthday, right?
“Man, I wanna whoop so bad, but you can't whoop if you're not/you don't go to school here? (pausing) Can I whoop, one time, just once? ‘Whoop!’” to which the crowd erupted. “I had to do it - my son said it's okay if I did that, he graduated from A&M…
“We got a lot of songs to play for y'all today/tonight. What a beautiful night, too, right? We got some new stuff that we're gonna do also, we got a new album ... out in September called Cowboys And Dreamers, so we got some stuff from that we're gonna play from that for you also and we got a really special thing we're gonna do for you, so alright, what are we here for?!,” launching into “Here For A Good Time.”
Fans came early and stayed the weekend in the gig ‘em town, filling every hotel, bed & breakfast, and Airbnb within a 40-mile radius. Night-of-the-show, they were dancing in the aisles and rejoicing in a night of hit-soaked country.
Strait’s set included “Here For A Good Time,” “Check Yes or No,” “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” “Troubadour,” “Amarillo By Morning,” and “Take Me To Texas” as well as music off his anticipated new album: “MIA in MIA,” “Three Drinks Behind,” Jennings’ “Waymore’s Blues” and the unreleased “To The Moon.”
Strait paused midway through his set to turn the stage just over to Retired Lt. General Leroy Sisco, presenting his 118th home to hero, Sgt. Tiffany Baker, via Military Warriors Support Foundation’s Homes 4 Wounded Heroes Program. Additionally, through an ongoing front-row ticket raffle fundraiser benefiting the Jenifer Strait Foundation, powered by Propeller, at each of the last 17 shows Strait has signed and donated “the shirt off his back” for the charitable initiative. To date, the program has surpassed $1.1M raised for the foundation.
Four opportunities remain to experience Strait and his Ace in the Hole Band live, visit GeorgeStrait.com for more information.
Strait’s 2024 Concert Calendar:
6/29 Rice-Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT
7/13 Ford Field Detroit, MI
7/20 Soldier Field Chicago, IL
12/7 Allegiant Stadium Las Vegas, NV
Photo Credit: @alivecoverage / Courtesy of Messina Touring Group
*previously held by The Grateful Dead who had 107,019 Deadheads in attendance at their 1977 show at Raceway Park in New Jersey.
**previously recorded on October 11, 2014, at 110,633, for a Texas A&M game against Ole Miss.