George Strait is returning to Texas for one show only, and it's set to maybe the biggest of his entire career. The icon will play at Texas A&M's Kyle Field for the first time.
According to San Antonio Express-News, Strait is on a trajectory to smash his all-time attendance record. That record was 104,793, which Strait set at his Cowboy Rides Away finale show in 2014. By comparison, Kyle Field holds seats for 102,733 people. But, the stadium is adding addition floor seating as well as seats in suits.
All this means is Strait is posed for a record-breaking weekend. Leave it to Strait to sell out an entire football stadium. Tickets are already going for a small fortune. Louis Messina, promoter and founder of Messina Touring Group, said it will be a first for the stadium as well.
He said, "George has always said he has the best fans, and there's nothing like a Texas crowd. We knew the show at Kyle Field would be exciting as it's the first-ever one of its size to be held in the stadium, but even I didn't expect we'd sell over 100,000 tickets in just a few days."
He continued, "He'll play to more people in one night than we did at AT&T in 2014! It's a testament to George's reputation as an entertainer and performer that here we are, still setting records and personal bests years later."
George Strait Talks Career
In an interview with Cowboys and Indians, Strait reflected on his long career. He said that his career started as country was leaving a crossover era with pop.
He said, "When I got signed in 1981, country music was coming out of a crossover craze. Crossing over, for those that might not know, means having a country record that is also getting played on the pop stations. There was even a TV show called Pop! Goes the Country. The songs obviously got heard by more people and sold more records, so record labels loved it and pushed it. It started to change around 1981 though, and I was lucky enough to get signed during that time. Pendulum thing... Timing is everything. I've always loved western movies. The Outlaw Josey Wales is one of my all-time favorites. The Western way of life is a good one and I think people just want to experience that in some way. Movies may be the only way some people get to do that."
As far as his songs go, Strait says he always looks at the melody.
He said, "I've always said I'm a melody guy. A great melody can sell a song the best. A great lyric with a lousy melody maybe not so much, but a great lyric along with a great melody is obviously what you're looking to create. That's why I've had such a great relationship with Dean Dillon. I think he's the best melody guy in the business. His lyrics are great as well, so there you go. There is no specific message or mood that I'll be shooting for. I just want to put together a bunch of good songs that stand out individually."
