Garth in Philly — The Best Concert I Have Ever Seen

I saw Garth Brooks in concert Saturday night in Philly.

Wow.

55-year-old Garth Brooks hasn't done a concert in our area in 19 years but you never would have known it this past weekend in Philadelphia (even though he did poke fun at himself a couple times, saying he's getting old and tired).

When singers or bands either come out of retirement or they reunite and go on tour, typically they release a new album and that new album is a big part of their concert. Usually, there's nothing worse than hearing, "here are a few songs off of our new album!" -- that's normally when everyone gets up and buys more beer or hits the bathroom.

But not Garth.

While he opened his 7:00 show with one of his newest songs, "Baby Let's Lay Down and Dance," that's as new as his show got. Garth sang Garth. The Garth that everyone knows. Garth did what Garth did to make himself a living legend in country music. Garth worked the crowd. Garth made everyone there feel like they were part of the show. Garth sang with Trisha Yearwood. Trisha Yearwood was Trisha Yearwood.

Garth was Garth.

Trisha was Trisha.

Garth was the "Friends in Low Places"-Garth that made him a household name a couple decades ago.

Trisha was the "She's In Love With The Boy"-Trisha that we all know and love.

The stage was flashy and fun but not obscene. The merchandise was like any other concert swag you might buy.

The icing on the cake: Garth, for his encore, covering James Taylor and Billy Joel. Garth singing "Your Song" and "Cowboy Bill." And Garth making half of the Wells Fargo Center tear-up as he sang to a mom holding her 4-year-old daughter.

The show was the best concert I have ever been to.

I would go as far as to say that all of the up-and-comers in country music should be required to watch a Garth Brooks concert in person. No one connects to a crowd like Garth does. No one has a catalog of mega-hits that Garth does -- and he doesn't take that for granted. Lots of big-name country stars can work a crowd or get a crowd excited, but Garth does it differently.

From everything that I read online, all four of the Garth Brooks shows in Philly were extraordinary.

If you were at one of those shows, you will likely always refer back to the Garth Brooks concert in Philly. That is your new benchmark to which you will compare all other concerts.

It was the best concert I have ever attended.