I was one of about 19,000 fans at a sold-out Garth Brooks concert about 16 years ago. I was sitting high up in the stands and don’t remember much about the night, except how it felt to be there. It was electrifying.
At one point, Brooks looked over to the side and the entire section erupted into applause. Then he looked down at the stage. He slowly turned his head to the other side — same thing. He put his head back down, smiling. Then he raised it to the center. A roar.
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” he said with a chuckle, looking at his boots. “You mean all I have to do is look?” Deafening applause.
I was entranced. I wanted to know what magic Brooks possessed to be able to command an entire arena of fans with just a single nod of his black cowboy hat.
And I wanted it.
Fast forward a few years, and I was auditioning for Fox’s “American Idol.” After making the Top 10, I knew I would be going on tour and performing all over the country. So who did I watch for a master class of onstage performing? Well, two people: Shania Twain and Brooks.
Brooks’ “Garth Live from Central Park” performance in particular became a model of what I wanted to do while I performed — not only to have the audience eating out of the palm of my hand, or to have endless energy to bound up and down the stage for hours on end, but also to actually sing live and sound good doing it all.
I will never forget the moment I heard my name echoed around the Delta Center arena in 2003 and the sound of screaming fans piercing through my inner ears. My performance wasn’t quite as Twain- or Brooks-esque as I had imagined, even while singing Twain’s “Up!” I tromped around the stage in my bubble-gum-pink, high-heeled sneaker shoes and shakily hit the high notes (which thankfully couldn’t be heard as well over the noise of the crowd). It wasn’t on the same level as my idols — not even close — but it was good enough for the “American Idol” crowd.
Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe the feeling I had on the stage that night. Just realizing that I had set foot in the very place Brooks had just a few years prior was honestly, as cheesy as it sounds, a dream come true for me.
And then this week happened.
My husband told me he got us tickets to see Brooks perform at Vivint Arena (formerly known as the Delta Center and EnergySolutions Arena) on Oct. 29. I was ecstatic but also nervous. The logistics of leaving my four little boys, one of whom is still very reliant on me physically for food, were overwhelming. I waffled back and forth all day until hours before, when I finally decided I’d go and prayed my baby would stay asleep until I got home.
And I was glad I went.
Sitting in the audience and watching someone whose career and songs have played such a huge role in my life was so nostalgic. It was overwhelming. I listened to him sing “The River” and thought of songwriter Victoria Shaw and how she was the first person I wrote with in Nashville, Tennessee. She, along with Jason Deere, helped me pen my first single, “Nothin’ Like the Summer,” in 2006.
Dancing along to “Ain’t Goin’ Down ’Till the Sun Comes Up” brought me back to sitting on my parents’ bed and watching Brooks perform live in the Big Apple, trying to mimic his facial expressions and banter, wondering if I’d ever get the opportunity to sing to as large of a crowd someday.
“I’ve Got Friends in Low Places” transported me back to 2005, riding around with my husband in his little green Mazda Millennia, listening to him do a mean impression of Brooks’ low notes.
And, just like he did 16 years ago, Brooks had that entire arena at his fingertips. He did the same thing he did back then and “controlled” the fans’ applause with just his finger. Wherever he’d point, the crowd would go wild. Despite getting older and coming out of retirement, Brooks owned that stage. To me, he is the epitome of an entertainer. No one touches the same level as Brooks performing live. He is just so good at inviting everyone to have an amazing time yet acting totally natural and laid-back while doing it. Being comfortable onstage is an art, and Brooks’ show is a masterpiece.
And just to add a little icing on the cake, I made a small appearance on the Jumbotron with my husband during the kiss cam portion. All that worrying and wrestling kids to bed was worth it.
Carmen Rasmusen Herbert is a former "American Idol" contestant who writes about entertainment and family for the Deseret News.