George Strait’s Final Concert Shatters Attendance Record
Photo: George Strait/MCA Nashville
King George Strait played what is expected to be his final show as a big ticket touring musician to a packed audience at Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, TX on Saturday night, and the event that saw people travel from all over the world to witness, and drew some of country music’s biggest names in support, shattered previous attendance records for an indoor concert. A head count of 104, 793 attendees was taken, roughly 5,000 over the stadium’s listed capacity of 100,000, and breaking the previous record for an indoor concert of 87,500 held by a Rolling Stones show at the Superdome in New Orleans in 1981—the same year Strait released his first hit “Unwound”.
The George Strait concert was the final show in his 60-date farewell “Cowboy Rides Away” tour that embarked on the road January 13th, 2013 for a show in Lubbock, TX. Showing up to support George was an impressive list of performers, especially since the date competed with the big night of Nashville’s CMA Fest at LP Field. The show included Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, Sheryl Crow, and Asleep At The Wheel. Alan Jackson and George Strait reprized their CMA Award-winning duet “Murder On Music Row” from 2000 on the custom-built stage that sat in the center of the field. “It’s still appropriate,” the duo said about the protest song.
Other performances included George Strait and Vince Gill covering George Jones’ song “Love Bug” as well as “Does Ft. Worth Ever Cross Your Mind”, Martina McBride and George sang duets on “Golden Ring” and “Jackson”, Miranda Lambert joined in for “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls”, and Alan Jackson also sang “Amarillo By Morning” with night’s man of honor. At the end of the concert, everyone took the stage, including Ray Benson from Asleep At The Wheel to sing “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” and finish up with “The Cowboy Rides Away”.
George Strait performed 584 shows since 1990 that grossed more than $405 million, had 44 Number One hits on Billboard’s country chart, and sold nearly 70 million records. But as Strait promised when first announcing the tour, this doesn’t mean he will stop recording or playing shows upon occasion. It will just be the end of the long haul stadium/arena tours. “Like Arnold Schwarzenegger says, I’ll be back,” Strait said before the final song. There was also a film crew shooting the whole event that saw tickets spike to an average of $688 in the secondary market.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be here tonight,” said Strait from the stage. “It’s just been on my mind since we started this tour two years ago, and finally it’s here tonight. We broke a record for the most people, ever. Really? Why wouldn’t we, huh?”
June 8, 2014 @ 2:10 am
Awesome career George!
Lets see where all these current trash artist are in 33yrs.
June 8, 2014 @ 3:12 am
And people say no one wants to listen to traditional country any more. Hats off to you George.
June 8, 2014 @ 4:11 am
Well now then there,
Since the “music industry” tells us that they are just getting behind what’s popular, howcum is it that they don’t see Ol’ George Strait as the next big thang??
All those “bro-country” bozos who put down the traditional sound just don’t know. They are “more to be pitied than censured”‘ I’d pity the fools if they weren’t such arrogant twits as a rule.
Over one tenth of a million people paying lots of dough to hear the good stuff live. Great way to start the day, Trigger. Lead on….
Ben
June 8, 2014 @ 6:37 am
After attending around 40 Strait concerts, I am truly heartbroken that the one I saw in March was my last. What will we do without George?
Keep CMA Fest, this was where country music was this weekend.
June 8, 2014 @ 6:55 am
I’m with ya, bamstrait. I saw George 16 times from 1996 till last year (and he never once failed to bring his A-game), so I wasn’t exactly deprived of the gentleman live, but I hate to think this is really the last go-round. There won’t ever be another like him.
June 8, 2014 @ 7:28 am
My cousin and I drove down from Atlantic Canada to see him last weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Mass. Great show and great seats for sure, there will never be another like him, that’s for sure. The trip cost about one thousand, well worth it.
I still remember people after Strait’s recent entertainer of the year win saying things like “He needs to hang it up”. Goes to show you how much they really know about the music business. I would not at all be surprised if George Strait is named entertainer of the year again this fall at the CMA’s, you just can’t ignore a 104,793 attendance record, especially when it has been achieved by a traditional country singer with four decades under his hat.
June 8, 2014 @ 9:10 am
Yep, there were members of Luke Bryan’s camp after his ACM win for “Entertainer of the Year” has he “wasn’t an entertainer.” Let’s see Luke Bryan pack that many people into one building with tickets going for nearly $700 second hand.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/members-of-luke-bryan-camp-mad-over-george-strait-acm-win
June 8, 2014 @ 7:30 am
“Alan Jackson and George Strait reprized their CMA Award-winning duet ‘Murder On Music Row’ from 2000 on the custom-built stage that sat in the center of the field. ‘It”™s still appropriate,’ the duo said about the protest song.”
Oh man, I would love to have been there just for that (plus the duets with Martina and Vince)… 😀 Thanks for the write-up and the clip, Trig!
June 8, 2014 @ 7:38 am
If you’re interested, Gena, there’s actually an official live recording of both George and Alan singing MOMR live. It makes an appearance on the Live At Texas Stadium album, recorded on Memorial Day weekend back in 2004. That album also features the guys singing together on “Designated Drinker,” which to my knowledge is the only time George & Alan have ever actually sung that song live together. Good stuff.
(It also has George singing “Milk Cow Blues.” When I found out that was going to be on there I wanted to do cartwheels in my living room I was so ecstatic.)
June 8, 2014 @ 11:29 am
Yup, I have that! 🙂
June 8, 2014 @ 4:58 pm
All righty then. Carry on. 😀
June 19, 2014 @ 7:27 pm
The 3 best duets of the unbelievable evening were :
King George w Martina singing Golden Ring – Incredible harmony !
King George w Alan singing Murder On Music Row ! I’ll never forget it !
King George w Kenny singing The Fireman ! They had the place rockin !
I know that I am fortunate to have been able to be there !
We were also able to see him in Chicago w Vince and Des Moines w Ronnie Dunn !
June 8, 2014 @ 8:42 am
I guess I can start laughing now because you would think that a final concert from George Strait would at least have Garth Brooks involved but apparently not the case at all.
June 8, 2014 @ 9:40 am
A big thanks for the video link Trigger.
Now if I can stop the tears long enough ….
I thought it was wonderful to see all of the big names up on stage with George . I’m certain in my heart that no matter which ‘branch of the company’ each of those artists happens to work in these days ,all of them would acknowledge an indebtedness to George for the inspiration , the standards, the professionalism and the class he’s brought to Country music over the years . This is music you can’t NOT be touched by if you have a pulse . There’s no escaping that fact . It’s in the ether….just waiting for the next spirit to channel it and dedicate themselves to it as their calling . God bless them .
June 8, 2014 @ 9:55 am
Now THAT is what you call a legend. Here’s to you, George!
June 8, 2014 @ 10:47 am
Incredible! That man deserves it. One of the last few big name artists that can put on one of the greatest shows you’ll ever see without any fireworks, background dancers, floating harnesses, hip thrusts and the like. I’m honored to have had the chance to catch him earlier this year on the tour in Philly. Thank you, George.
June 8, 2014 @ 11:18 am
I’m sad to say I only got to see Strait live one time, but it was easily the best concert I’ve ever been to.
Since the whole event was recorded, any knowledge if there’s plans to release a CD and/or DVD of the show?
June 8, 2014 @ 11:33 am
Haven’t seen any official news on this, but it was George Strait’s camp that said there was a camera crew there, so I can’t imagine this won’t be turned into a DVD or a TV special. Sometimes these things take time though. There was a camera crew at the George Jones memorial show in Nashville a few months back as well, but no word of when that footage might be released.
June 8, 2014 @ 2:13 pm
There was a camera crew at Gillette Stadium last weekend as well.
June 8, 2014 @ 11:20 am
I would love to have seen that show!!! George is a class act! I have never had the chance to see him. Thank you for all the wonderful music you have given us all these years, George!
June 8, 2014 @ 8:08 pm
Being s George Strait fan, I’d been annoyed with all the duets on the night. If I shelled out that kind of money to see his “last concert”, I’d want to hear Strait sing his catalog by himself and not hear Eric Church help sing “Easy Come, Easy Go” and “Cowboys Like Us” or Jason Aldean help out with “Nobody in His Right Mind” and “Fool Hearted Memory.” Sheryl Crow, Bubba, Vince Gill, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill all also came out on stage and sang 2 each of Strait’s catalog?
The flow of the concert had to feel choppy and all the over the top the admiration from each artists time on the stage had to be exhausting.
June 8, 2014 @ 9:43 pm
Yeah Hoptowntiger, being such a big fan and all, it’s probably better you missed the record-smashing, single greatest event in Country Music history last night. You’d have just hated it…keep repeating that to yourself 10 times each day and maybe you’ll actually believe it 🙂
Just joshin’ ya! I do understand your sentiment tho, I initially kinda thought the same thing you mentioned about seeing just him and his guitar singing his long list of classics, especially since I had never seen George live before last night. You know what though? I can listen to those songs all I want on any multitude of digital media. I’ll never be able to witness first-hand what I did last night. The show flowed very well and was seamless the way they did it. Usually George started singing the song by himself, then the guest star emerged from the background and joined in to help finish the song. Only after that song was over, George would introduce the guest and they’d sing another song or two together but in most cases the guests deferred to George to bring the song on home. It was just such an AMAZING show and a landmark event I’ll always remember. As far as all the over the top a$$-kissing goes that you mentioned was going on? (I must have missed that despite not ever leaving my seat or taking my eyes off the stage, but if you say so lol) it was just the right amount of admiration and respect being shown to such a legend in the industry. It was great to see how even the young up and comers recognized and appreciated what a REAL Cowboy and country music legend has accomplished and I guarantee you each and every one of today’s young artists are in total awe of last night’s history making event and can only dream of someday reaching that pinnacle.
The one moment alone that was worth the price of admission and hassle with parking etc, was when JUST George and his guitar sang and played This is Where the Cowboy Rides Away. What a special memory that will always be.
Btw, other articles/reviews made it seem that the other artists participated…not true. They were on the stage, but at the very back watching (some tearfully along with over 100,000 fans) a legend all by himself front and center stage.
June 9, 2014 @ 7:43 am
For all of those who want it, here is pretty good video/audio quality of all the songs from the show.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEnRn7wbxlfliciSTpWSLvVz4mcihgWRv
June 9, 2014 @ 8:02 am
Watching the Chemistry with Alan Jackson and how good they sound singing together it would be awesome if they would get together for a full album.
June 9, 2014 @ 9:23 pm
This would be very good indeed. Very good.
February 15, 2015 @ 2:03 pm
It is all good if George sings it or does it, fan for life, end of the best music there will ever be, pure class……
June 10, 2022 @ 7:22 am
Garth Brooks had almost 1 million people attend a concert Wich blows any of George strait’s out the water