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Garth Brooks Returns to Stage With Solo Performances
Brooks Agrees to Five-Year Deal With Wynn Las Vegas
By Sherri Middleton
Garth Brooks will come out of retirement with a solo music show beginning December 11 at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas.
Brooks and Steve Wynn, chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts, made the announcement last month in the auditorium where Brooks will perform.
“Steve Wynn has done what I thought was impossible. He has given me a chance to sing again for the people, while at the same time never missing a day with my children,” Brooks said during the live-feed of the press conference. Brooks adds that when he and Wynn discussed the possibility of some limited engagement shows, Brooks told Wynn “You can’t afford me.” Brooks laughed as he recalled the conversation. “I was wrong.”
In addition to agreeing to almost all of Brook’s requests for a flexible schedule, Wynn bought Brooks a private plane to make sure the singer could easily fly from his home in Oklahoma to Las Vegas and back so Brooks could spend time with his daughters.
“I am naturally nervous, but it feels good to be out from under the low ceiling of ‘retirement’ I put myself on.”
Wynn said he was thrilled to be the man who brought Brooks back to the stage. He recalled the first time he saw Brooks perform for his friends: “Everything about Garth’s performances – his artistry, the range of his voice and connection with his audience – is something that I haven’t seen since the Rat pack. In show business, for a single performer to lift an entire audience emotionally to the point where they pray it doesn’t end, is an extraordinary and unique thing that only a few gifted people can do. But that is what I experienced when I saw Garth on stage, alone with his guitar, doing a history of his personal journey in music. I watched a man create instant love in real time, right before my eyes. Now we have the privilege at Wynn and Encore in Las Vegas to share this extraordinary, intimate experience with everyone.”
Brooks said he and Wynn were having dinner and he asked Wynn if he might see the Encore Theater. The musician came back at a later date with is guitar and sat on the stage alone in order to hear how the venue sounded. He played for a while and then asked Wynn if he could come back again for a private performance. He asked Wynn to invite a few of his friends, but he didn’t want anyone to know he (Brooks) was the performer.
Wynn said Bette Midler was sitting beside him when Brooks showed up on stage with his guitar and started to play. “She started screaming. You got Garth Brooks.”
Brooks has only played a few shows since retiring in 2001. After his private performance for Wynn’s friends at Encore, Wynn broached the subject of Brooks performing an extended engagement.
“He said it was something he thought people should hear,” Brooks said. “That was sweet. I told him he couldn’t afford me.” He then added, “I was wrong.”
Brooks explained that the reason for his retirement was because he made a promise to spend time with his daughters who are now aged 13, 15 and 17. “I am there for them. I drive them to school every morning. I go to their softball games; all of their events and activities.” Brooks’ retirement was supposed to last until the last child graduated high school.
“I am a fortunate guy that has got to live his life playing music for people, and the people have always taken care of me,” he said. “In 2001, I announced my retirement to go home and raise our kids in Oklahoma. When Steve Wynn approached me about playing, he did something different than anybody else had. He didn’t throw money at me.”
Instead, Brooks said, Wynn understood the desire to be with his family and wife Trisha Yearwood.
“Every argument you ever had of why you didn’t do this, he had an answer for,” Brooks said. The purchase of a private plane was one of Wynn’s answers about the logistics of being in Oklahoma at 6 p.m. with his daughters and performing at 8 p.m. in Vegas. With a time change and private jet, Brooks could easily board his own plane; fly to Las Vegas; and return home to spend the night in Oklahoma with his family.
Brooks will be performing one show on Fridays, two on Saturday and one on Sunday. The five-year deal calls for Brooks to perform only during specific weeks each year to be announced on a quarterly basis. Tickets are all priced at $125 for the first five weekends. The dates are Dec. 11-13, Jan. 1-3, and Jan. 22-24 and Feb. 12-14 and Feb. 26-28.
Brooks and Wynn said they didn’t initially agree on ticket prices. Brooks said he always wanted to have a single ticket price for everyone at his show whether they were in the ‘nose-bleed’ section or front row. He wanted to make his shows affordable to all. Wynn said the reverse logic could be used: Why should someone sitting in the rafters pay as much as a person who had a front row seat? Both men shrugged, chuckled and then met in the middle with a base ticket price of $125 plus tax and carrying costs. Wynn added that Encore Theater is designed to provide close viewing of the performer on stage. The balcony and first level of the auditorium are the same distance to the stage.
Each show is expected to run 90 minutes and will sometimes include a guest performer.
“It’s a one-man show, so there’s going to be a lot of disappointment after that first weekend,” Brooks said. “Coming out and just playing – me and a guitar – takes me back to the first days I got to play. I was lucky enough to do a placed called Wild Willie’s Saloon in Stillwater, OK, before I moved to Nashville and started touring. That’s what this is going to be for me. It’s a chance to slowly get back into it and see what people like, what they don’t like. It’s going to be very intimate.”
Brooks says he’s also looking forward to performing at Encore.
“I’m always in buildings that are built for sports,” he said. “I love sports, and I feel lucky to have arenas and stadiums, but I’ve never played in a place built for sound like this. When I hear myself, I go, ‘Who the hell is that? It’s a beautiful hall.”
USE PHOTO OF WYNN PROPERTY HERE
(BOX THIS INFORMATION WITH THE ARTICLE)
Tickets are $125 plus a $5 service charge and a $13 tax to equal a total of $143.
Confirmed Concert Dates:
December 11, 12, 13
January 1, 2, 3 and 22, 23, 24
February 12, 13, 14 and 26, 27, 28
Concert times:
Friday 8 p.m.
Saturday 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
Sunday 8 p.m.
Tickets may be booked by calling 702.770.7469 or online at wynnlasvegas.com/boxoffice. Tickets are not available for purchase in-person at the Wynn Las Vegas box office on October 24. For more information, please visit wynnlasvegas.com and/or garthbrooks.com.
(DO THIS IN ITALICS IN MAYBE A 12 POINT SOMEWHERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE. I WANT THE PICTURES TO BE DOMINANT WITH THE ARTICLE.)
Specific procedures have been put in place in an effort to ensure that the tickets for concerts are accessible to fans at face value and through authorized sales channels exclusively.
Ticketing Rules and Regulations:
* Limit 6 concert tickets per order or per person or per credit card. Persons who exceed the ticket limit may have any or all of their orders and tickets cancelled without notice by Wynn Las Vegas, LLC at its discretion. This includes orders associated with the same name, e-mail address, billing address, credit card number or other information. No exceptions.
* Tickets will be available for pick-up at Will Call at Wynn Las Vegas after 12 p.m. PT on the day of the concert upon presentation of valid photo I.D., confirmation number and actual credit card used for payment. Under no circumstance will tickets be distributed in advance.
* Ticket holders must enter the Encore Theater with their entire party. Wynn reserves the right to request valid I.D. of the ticket holder prior to entry into the Encore Theater at show time. The person who purchased the ticket(s) must be a member of the party entering the theater.
* All ticket sales are final and are non-refundable and non-transferable.
* Tickets must be picked up no later than one-hour prior to show time or will be subject to cancellation with no refund.
* To guarantee your seat location, please arrive to be seated no later than 15 minutes prior to concert start time on ticket. Arrivals after this time will be seated at management’s discretion.
* The age limit for concerts is five years or older; anyone under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.
* Concert dates, times and prices are subject to change without notice. Wynn Resorts LLC will not be held legally responsible for any consequential or incidental damages relating to show cancellation or change including transportation and hotel. Customers accept all customary risks associated with live entertainment.
* Cellular phones, cameras, flash photography and audio/video recording devices are not permitted inside the theater.
About Garth Brooks
Certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as the #1 selling solo artist in U.S. history, Garth Brooks has sold in excess of 128 million albums. He is the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million mark. His most recent release, The Ultimate Hits, has been certified five times platinum. Garth became the first artist to put out a simultaneous edition of his latest collection for a charitable cause.
November 6, 2007 saw the launch of the pink edition of The Ultimate Hits available only at the Susan G. Komen Web site. His body of work--including the groundbreaking No Fences, Ropin’ The Wind, The Hits, and Double Live--propelled country music as a genre to the front pages of newspapers worldwide and the covers of magazines, to the point where Forbes declared on its cover, “Country Conquers Rock,” and featured Garth in a major music piece. According to RIAA, Garth is the top-selling solo artist of the 20th century.
The key to his record-setting success lies within the personality and talent of Garth Brooks. It has been said that through the 1990s, Garth’s only real competition was himself. He brought daring individualism and a love of music to the table. His wide range encompasses a variety of styles, which include working class blues, honky tonk, bluegrass and arena rock. His easy-going, approachable charisma was matched only by his fearless willingness to take chances and step outside the lines. He has had an unprecedented run so far, and opened the doors for many more country artists to follow.
Garth has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist, including, two Grammys, 17 American Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, five World Music Awards, 12 People’s Choice Awards and 36 Billboard Music Awards. He was named Artist of the ‘90s at the 1997 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, received the Artist Achievement Award at the 1997 Billboard Music Awards and was named Artist of the Decade at the American Music Awards in 2000 and the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1999.
In the midst of one of the most successful careers in music history, Garth retired in 2001, delivered his last record for Capitol Records and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his children.
While in retirement, when called upon by events greater than his own self-interest, he returned to the stage. The latest of these was when the President himself requested that Garth headline President Obama's Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. He performed as Barack and Michelle Obama, their girls, Joe and Jill Biden and a crowd of over 300,000 lined the mall from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the Washington Monument. It was a moment in history when all did the "wave" to Garth's performance of "Shout," while the President sang along. Once again, Garth was called upon by the NBC network to perform for President Obama’s very first late night TV appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
When the Governor of California asked for Garth's help, he responded by performing five concerts in two days, where proceeds from 83,000 tickets sold were donated to efforts to prevent fire catastrophes. Portions of the live concerts were shown as a TV special titled, "Garth Brooks: Live in L.A,” where viewers donated to the organization Fire Intervention Relief Effort (FIRE).
About Wynn Resorts
Wynn Las Vegas, a luxury hotel and destination casino resort located on the Las Vegas Strip features 2,716 luxurious guest rooms and suites, an approximately 111,000 square foot casino, 22 food and beverage outlets, an on-site 18-hole golf course, approximately 223,000 square feet of meeting space, an on-site Ferrari and Maserati dealership, and approximately 74,000 square feet of retail space.
Encore, the new signature resort in the Wynn collection, opened December 22, 2008. Encore is located immediately adjacent to Wynn Las Vegas and features 2,034 suites, approximately 72,000 square foot casino, 12 food and beverage outlets, a night club, a spa and salon, approximately 60,000 square feet of meeting space and approximately 27,000 square feet of upscale retail outlets.
Wynn Macau is a destination casino resort in the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and currently features 600 deluxe hotel rooms and suites, approximately 205,000 square foot casino, casual and fine dining in five restaurants, approximately 46,000 square feet of retail space, a health club, pool and spa, along with lounges and meeting facilities. |
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