The Cowboy Rides Away Tour
| United States tour by George Strait | |
 George Strait at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA, March 1, 2014 | |
| Location | United States |
|---|---|
| Associated album | Love Is Everything |
| Start date | January 18, 2013 |
| End date | June 7, 2014 |
| Legs | 2 |
| No. of shows | 47 |
The Cowboy Rides Away Tour is the final concert tour by American country music artist George Strait. The tour started on January 18, 2013 in Lubbock, Texas and is divided into two legs: 21 concerts in 2013 and 26 concerts in 2014, for a total of 47 concerts. The tour is scheduled to end in Dallas, Texas on June 7, 2014. Strait is supported on the tour by his longtime eleven-member touring group, the Ace in the Hole Band.
Background
George Strait has been performing live shows and concerts with the Ace in the Hole Band since October 1975. On September 26, 2012, Strait announced that he was retiring from touring, and that his upcoming tour, titled The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, would be his last.[1][2][3]
Description
The concerts are set mainly in arenas with a few stadium dates and typically consist of a one-hour opening act—Martina McBride for most of the 2013 concerts—followed by a half hour intermission. Strait then performs a two-hour set of about 33 songs representing all phases of his music career. Wearing his usual black Resistol cowboy hat, pressed Wrangler jeans, a button-down Western shirt, large silver belt buckle, and low heel cowboy boots,[4] Strait performs in the round with the eleven-member Ace in the Hole Band distributed centrally on the stage with Strait singing from each corner of the square stage in two-song segments.[5] Strait's setlist typically includes a mix of his most popular recordings and performance songs. His performances are delivered "with no flash or hurry".[5] Strait includes in his sets a few cover songs, mostly Johnny Cash tunes, including "Folsom Prison Blues".[5] His set is briefly interrupted by a ten-minute presentation given by Retired General Leroy Sisco of the Military Warriors Support Foundation to honor a Purple Heart recipient.[4] Strait closes each show with one of his earliest hit songs, "The Cowboy Rides Away".[4]
At the final concert scheduled for June 7, 2014 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas Texas, Martina McBride will join an all-star bill that will include Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, and Asleep at the Wheel.[6]
Critical response
In his review for the Austin Chronicle, Doug Freeman praised the artist's performance for the first concert of the 2014 leg of the tour, and his selection of songs that "only skim the depth of his catalog".[5] Freeman noted that despite the changes that have taken place in popular country music, Strait has "remained the genre's compass".[5] Freeman concluded:
Perhaps most remarkable was the vibrancy of Strait's voice throughout the epic set. Though each song was delivered with a consistency that matched their familiar studio versions, his vocals remained equally sharp and subtle, whether diving low and textured on "Drinkin' Man" or smoothly drawled on "I Can Still Make Cheyenne".[5]
In his review for AZCentral, Jason P. Woodbury praised Strait's February 7, 2014 concert at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, calling his performance "an embarrassment of riches".[4] Woodbury observed:
The crowd, the absolute loudest crowd I've ever heard, couldn't have asked for more. Strait is a rare kind of superstar, one whose command over the crowd isn't rooted in bombastic theatrics or flashy pyrotechnics. No, Strait's presentation is understated, classy, and sly, and his songs ... match Strait's steady charisma.[4]
Woodbury concluded, "He's a subtle performer, and the classic sense of regret and longing he brings to songs like 'You Look So Good in Love', 'Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Here', and 'A Fire I Can't Put Out' is tempered by soft humor and wit."[4]
In his review for Billboard magazine, Thom Duffy praised Strait's March 1, 2014 performance at the Prudential Center in Newark, noting his ability to "turn musical moods at ease, as if guiding a favorite horse on a tricky trail".[6] Duffy concluded:
Strait's ability to move his audiences remains undeniable, even on this final tour. No doubt, his talent lies first in an unerring skill at picking remarkable songs from among the finest writers in Nashville and beyond. But beyond his song choices and his amazing band, Strait on Saturday showed compelling stage presence and vocal power. ... There are few other great American vocalists in any genre—the late Frank Sinatra comes to mind—who can convey intense emotion with such effortlessness and understatement as George Strait.[6]
For the week of February 7, 2014, the Cowboy Rides Away Tour was the top-grossing tour in the United States, earning $6.4 million in four sold out arena concerts.[7]
Tour dates
| Date | City | State | Venue | Setlist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | ||||
| January 18, 2013 | Lubbock | Texas | United Spirit Arena | 1 |
| January 19, 2013 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | Chesapeake Energy Arena | 1 |
| January 25, 2013 | Salt Lake City | Utah | Energy Solutions Arena | |
| January 26, 2013 | Nampa | Idaho | Idaho Center | |
| January 31, 2013 | Sacramento | California | Power Balance Pavilion | |
| February 1, 2013 | Fresno | California | Save Mart Center | |
| February 2, 2013 | Las Vegas | Nevada | MGM Grand Garden Arena | |
| February 15, 2013 | St. Paul | Minnesota | Xcel Energy Center | 2 |
| February 16, 2013 | Grand Forks | North Dakota | The Alerus Center | 3 |
| February 22, 2013 | Buffalo | New York | First Niagara Center | |
| February 23, 2013 | Hartford | Connecticut | XL Center | |
| March 1, 2013 | Knoxville | Tennessee | Thompson-Boling Arena | |
| March 2, 2013 | Lexington | Kentucky | Rupp Arena | |
| March 17, 2013 | Houston | Texas | Houston Livestock Show And Rodeo | |
| March 22, 2013 | Greenville | South Carolina | Bi-Lo Center | |
| March 23, 2013 | Greensboro | North Carolina | Greensboro Coliseum Complex | |
| April 5, 2013 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | The Pit | |
| April 6, 2013 | Las Cruces | New Mexico | Pan American Center | |
| April 12, 2013 | N. Little Rock | Arkansas | Verizon Arena | |
| April 13, 2013 | New Orleans | Louisiana | New Orleans Arena | |
| June 1, 2013 | San Antonio | Texas | Alamodome | |
| 2014 | ||||
| January 9, 2014 | Bossier City | Louisiana | CenturyLink | |
| January 10, 2014 | Austin | Texas | Frank Erwin Center | |
| January 17, 2014 | Omaha | Nebraska | CenturyLink Center | |
| Januay 18, 2014 | Kansas City | Missouri | Sprint Center | |
| January 30, 2014 | San Jose | California | SAP Center | |
| January 31, 2014 | San Diego | California | Valley View Casino Center | |
| February 1, 2014 | Las Vegas | Nevada | MGM Grand Arena | |
| February 7, 2014 | Phoenix | Arizona | US Airways Center | |
| February 8, 2014 | Los Angeles | California | Staples Center | |
| February 14, 2014 | Auburn Hills | Michigan | The Palace of Auburn Hills | |
| February 15, 2014 | Columbus | Ohio | Nationwide Arena | |
| February 28, 2014 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | Wells Fargo Arena | |
| March 1, 2014 | Newark | New Jersey | Prudential Center | |
| March 7, 2014 | Louisville | Kentucky | KFC Yum! Arena | |
| March 8, 2014 | Chicago | Illinois | Allstate Arena | |
| March 21, 2014 | Nashville | Tennessee | Bridgestone Arena | |
| March 22, 2014 | Atlanta | Georgia | Philips Arena | |
| April 4, 2014 | Wichita | Kansas | lntrust Bank Arena | |
| April 5, 2014 | Denver | Colorado | Pepsi Center | |
| April 11, 2014 | Portland | Oregon | The Moda Center | |
| April 12, 2014 | Tacoma | Washington | Tacoma Dome | |
| April 18, 2014 | Des Moines | Iowa | Wells Fargo Arena | |
| April 19, 2014 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | BOK Arena | |
| May 23, 2014 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | LSU Tiger Stadium | |
| May 31, 2014 | Foxborough | Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium | |
| June 7, 2014 | Dallas | Texas | AT&T Stadium | |
Setlists
- Setlist 1 – "Here for a Good Time", "Ocean Front Property", "Check Yes or No", "I Saw God Today", "Drinkin' Man", "A Showman's Life", "Love's Gonna Make It Alright", "Arkansas Dave", "Blame It On Mexico", "Her Goodbye Hit Me in the Heart", "80 Proof Bottle of Tear Stopper", "Honky Tonk Crazy", "Marina Del Rey", "A Fire I Can't Put Out", "The King of Broken Hearts", "Where the Sidewalk Ends", "The Chair", "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls", "Stars on the Water", "Give It Away", "Living for the Night", "Amarillo by Morning", "Give It All We Got Tonight", "I'll Always Remember You", "Troubadour", "Unwound", Encores: "Same Kind of Crazy", "All My Ex's Live in Texas", "Folsom Prison Blues", "The Cowboy Rides Away"[8]
- Setlist 2 – "Here for a Good Time", "Ocean Front Property", "Check Yes or No", "I Saw God Today", "Drinkin' Man", "A Showman's Life", "Love's Gonna Make It Alright", "Arkansas Dave", "Jackson", "Golden Ring", "Blame It On Mexico", "Her Goodbye Hit Me in the Heart", "80 Proof Bottle of Tear Stopper", "Honky Tonk Crazy", "Marina Del Rey", "A Fire I Can't Put Out", "The Chair", "River of Love", "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls", "Stars on the Water", "Give It Away", "Living for the Night", "Amarillo by Morning", "Give It All We Got Tonight", "I'll Always Remember You", "Troubadour", Encores: "All My Ex's Live in Texas", "Folsom Prison Blues", "The Cowboy Rides Away"[8]
- Setlist 3 – "Here for a Good Time", "Ocean Front Property", "Check Yes or No", "I Saw God Today", "Drinkin' Man", "Love's Gonna Make It Alright", "Arkansas Dave", "Jackson", "Golden Ring", "Blame It On Mexico", "Her Goodbye Hit Me in the Heart", "80 Proof Bottle of Tear Stopper", "Honky Tonk Crazy", "Marina Del Rey", "A Fire I Can't Put Out", "The Chair", "River of Love", "How 'Bout Them Cowgirls", "Stars on the Water", "Give It Away", "Amarillo by Morning", "Give It All We Got Tonight", "I'll Always Remember You", "Troubadour", Encores: "Same Kind of Crazy", "All My Ex's Live in Texas", "Folsom Prison Blues", "The Cowboy Rides Away"[8]
References
- ^ "The Cowboy Rides Away Tour which is said to have Martina McBride open for 20 shows". Retrieved September 9, 2012.
- ^ Skates, Sarah (September 26, 2012). "George Strait Announces Final Tour". MusicRow. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
- ^ "George Strait Tour - 2013 and 2014 George Strait Concert Tour Dates". Georgestraittourdates.com. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f Woodbury, Jason P. (February 10, 2014). "George Strait goes out on top with Cowboy Rides Away tour". AZCentral. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Freeman, Doug (January 11, 2014). "George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved March 4, 2014, 2014.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ a b c Duffy, Thom (March 3, 2014). "George Strait, Martina McBride Turn New Jersey Into Cowboy Country". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ^ Allen, Bob (February 20, 2014). "George Strait and the Band Perry Top Hot Tours with $6.4 Million". Billboard. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
- ^ a b c "The Cowboy Rides Away". Setlist.fm. Retrieved March 4, 2014.