George Strait rolls out old hits, new classics

By BILL CRAIG
Richmond Times-Dispatch special correspondent
Published: February 29, 2008

If you’re looking to settle the debate about who is the most commercially successful country artist of the past couple of decades, the George Strait publicity machine can crank out a mile or so of statistics in support of its man.

The 55-year old Texan boasts 62 million records sold, 32 platinum albums, 70 Country Music Association award nominations and more than 50 No. 1 radio singles.

Not to mention that after releasing “50 Number Ones” in 2004, Strait had enough radio favorites left to knock out “22 More Hits” last year.

Along with warm-up acts Little Big Town and Sarah Johns, the Strait entourage rolled into town last night for a Richmond Coliseum show. In front of an almost-capacity Coliseum crowd, Strait shared a fraction of his mostly mellow, middle-of-the-road radio staples and a small sample of some new music.

In what felt like an awkward opening, the arena lights were brought down and Strait’s supporting cast of 11 musicians and vocalists took the stage several minutes before the main attraction strolled in from the side, decked out in the country business-casual attire of blue plaid shirt, blue jeans and, of course, a black cowboy hat.

And the hit parade was on.

Working on a square, undecorated stage in the middle of the Coliseum floor, “King George” moved among all four corners in delivering singalong ditties like “Ocean Front Property,“ “Write This Down” and “Check Yes or No,“ to the less giddy “I Hate Everything.“

Displaying the unflappable coolness of someone who has mastered the art of the three-minute country song , Strait generally limited last night’s song topics to small-town romance (“Fireman,“ “Run” and “The Chair”), cowboys and cowgirls (“Cowboys Like Us” and “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls”) and “Texas,“ his tribute to his home state, thrown in the mix.

As much as the Strait nation enjoyed singing along to all those hits, the highlight of the set list may have been Strait’s newest single, “I Saw God Today.“

And perhaps most impressive was that just four weeks after having laryngitis, Strait managed to overcome the cavelike acoustics of the Coliseum.

Nashville newbie Johns opened the show with a spirited 25-minute sample of songs from her debut album, “Big Love in a Small Town.“

It’s a shame it wasn’t longer.

If last night’s wardrobe choice is typical, Johns runs the risk of landing on somebody’s Worst Dressed list. But she also should land on everyone’s Best New Country Talent list.

Johns’ originals, like her he-done-me-wrong anthem, “The One in the Middle,“ the true story of her Christ of Church baptism, “Muddy Water,“ the ultra-lovely “Baby My Heart” and the big-hook humor of “He Hates Me,“ are cool evidence that there still are signs of intelligent life on country radio.

No one should have been surprised when the two guys and two gals of Little Big Town covered Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way” at the tail end of their 45-minute set. Much of the harmony-heavy pop/rock that the well-groomed quartet knocked out sounded as if it were written with a Fleetwood Mac album playing in the background.

While the group is running in the country-music circles these days, there were only traces of twang in tunes such as “Bring It on Home,“ “Good as Gone” and “Boondocks.“