(Your Name)
Prof. Horn
MUS 100
18 February 2013
Concert Paper 1 These days musicians all feel the need to be performers, complete with pyrotechnic displays, on stage gimmicks, props, and special accoutrements necessary for a live performance, however there are some who still hold to the old staples, of just the instruments, the stage, every day clothes, and a smile; of those performers, even fewer are referred to on a first name basis that is recognized cross genre, and one of those musicians is George. George Strait has been a part of the country music scene since he released his first single in 1981, and his first debut at the rodeo occurred in 1983 when he filled in last minute for Eddie Rabbit; since that date, he has performed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo ever since. On March 3, 2002 George “closed the Show with the last Rodeo concert in Reliant Astrodome, with a record attendance of 68,266 in the Astrodome, a record that will never be broken” (Georgestrait.com, 2013). It was just George, the Ace in the Hole Band, the instruments, cowboy boots, cowboy hats, wrangler jeans, and smiles. Midway through the performance, former President George Bush interrupted the performance to provide George with an award from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and the concert paused briefly as he reminisced about the first time that he set foot on Houston’s rodeo stage. The concert started with an instrumental version of “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” Including the instrumental, sixteen songs were played. They were, in order: “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” “Write This Down,” “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” “Heartland,” “Love Without End, Amen,” “Check Yes or No,” The Fireman,” “Run,” “Murder on Music Row,” “The Chair,” “She’ll Leave You With a Smile,” “Amarillo by Morning,” “Living and Living Well,” “Take Me Back to Tulsa,” “Blue Clear Sky,” and “The Cowboy Rides Away.”
“Deep in the Heart of Texas” was the only instrumental piece played; all other songs had vocals. Of those with vocals, “Take Me Back to Tulsa” and “Deep in the Heart of Texas” were both written in the 1940s. The only song from the 2000s that was performed was “She’ll Leave You With a Smile” which was released in 2002; all other songs were from the 1990s. It is not unusual to see a concert in which the music played throughout the duration changes between different meters, however, that was not the case in this concert; all songs, including the western swing song “Take Me Back to Tulsa” are in 4/4 time. It can go without saying that George Strait was lead vocals for the concert, however, it should be mentioned that he played his accoustic guitar as well. Accompanying him was the Ace in the Hole Band, comprised of Mike Daily on pedal steel guitar, Terry Hale on bass, Gene Elders on the fiddle, Benny McArthur on electric guitar, fiddle, and backup vocals, Rick McRae on lead guitar and fiddle, Ronnie Huckaby on keyboards, Mike Kennedy on drums, John Michael Whitby on keyboard and guitar, Joe Manuel on acoustic guitar, with Thom Flora and Marty Slayton as background vocals (Straitfever, 2012). Rhythm was provided by the bass, steel guitar, and drums, with the melodies being carried by fiddle, guitar and keyboard, and the harmonies being comprised of the singers, guitars, and fiddles. Some songs were played in major keys, while others were in minor. It may have been due to the fact that this was the last concert ever held at the Astrodome, or it may have been due to the fact that not only was it George, but he was getting recognized for lifetime achievement, or even that the concert broke records, but whatever the reason, the concert was incredible. George Strait has never been big on concerts where the performer cannot be seen due to the stage show, he has always preferred that it just be him and the music and a smile, and he even said as much when he did the movie Pure Country in the mid-1990s, and he made sure that the show was about the music. The crowd was electric, the screams and cheers of the crowd could literally be heard for miles around, and the performance was without flaw. The music was heartfelt, and whenever he smiled, you could hear it in the song. When George plays in concert, he never disappoints, and this was no exception. There was a charge in the air, and a feel in the crowd like this was where you were meant to be. The music itself carried me away, and I was not the only one it affected in this manner. A person had but to look left or right and they could see each and every person, from the very old, to the little kid all singing along, and many of those who were singing were dancing where they stood; very few people remained sitting, or if they sat, sat for long at all. I count myself lucky to be able to say that I was one of the 68,266 there in the Astrodome that day.

Works Cited
Georgestrait.com. "George Strait." George Strait. George Strait, 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
Straitfever. "AceInTheHoleBand." AceInTheHoleBand. Homestead.com, 17 Sept. 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.