When Garth Brooks fans near Boise, Idaho learned about his 2019 gig at Albertsons Stadium, at least two firsts were guaranteed. It'd be the 57-year-old country legend's first show in Boise in 27 years and the first major concert held on Boise State University's blue football field.
After Brooks and Blake Shelton teased their first duet "Dive Bar" in June, the Gem State learned of yet another first. The July 19 show would kick off a two-night stand for Brooks with the first and only planned live performance of "Dive Bar" featuring both Oklahoma-born stars.
Brooks' audience came ready, willing and able to sing along with the summer anthem about a weekend visit to the neighborhood watering hole. He brought his usual stage presence, which is to say that he couldn't stand still as he screamed audience participation suggestions. An already energetic performance got turned up to 11 when Shelton turned the corner and added his own undeniable stage presence and Oklahoma twang to the hottest party on campus.
Thankfully, the duo teamed up again to perform the song on the 2019 CMA Awards, where Brooks was named Entertainer of the Year.
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Despite working together some on the 11th season of The Voice in 2016, Brooks and Shelton had never collaborated on a song.
The Amazon Prime exclusive team-up will also appear on Brooks' upcoming album Fun. It inspired his seven date, seven city Dive Bar Tour, which began July 15 in Chicago.
For Shelton, the duet arrived at a time when he wasn't hurting for a hit. His moody single "God's Country" remains a commercial and critical success.
"Trust me, it's very sweet of this guy to even think about releasing a song with whomever when his own single is doing so well," Brooks said during an episode of his weekly Inside Studio G web series. "But that's the kind of guy this guy is. He's real sweet and just wants to have fun and play music."
This article was originally published in July of 2019.
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