The Morning After

Last night, Brooks & Dunn made the 17th stop on the T-shirt. The Last Rodeo Tour passed through Las Cruces and played to a sold out house.

With plenty of hits from which to choose, Kix and Ronnie sang nothing but smash after career-retrospective smash, and seemed to have satisfied everyones most-favorite favorites. Obviously, they couldn't sing every song they've ever recorded, or we would still be in the Pan Am this morning; although at one point, Kix had threatened to sing all night. After all, they were only going home for a few days until the next show on Thursday night in Wichita.

Upstart Tyler Dickerson opened the show with a short set for those who had found had found their seats early. He's an energetic kid and just a doll to talk to. Tyler was nice enough to call The Country Station last Friday. Hearing a sampling of his music is just enough to whet one's appetite for the future. And young ladies, if you thought Tyler was hot, you should see him with the hat!

The curtains dropped for Jason Aldean right on time. The Last Rodeo Tour team runs a very tight show. Thunderous applause welcomed the man who rides around on a "Big Green Tractor." Jason played for about an hour and ran through most of his catalogue of hits. At times, it was hard to tell which song was the crowd's favorite. Let's just say that Jason's visit to Las Cruces was long overdue, and he will be welcomed back anytime he wants to come by.

The men of the hour were met with welcome anticipation. Just putting their name and faces on a video screen beforehand beget screams that could be heard in Mesilla. When Brooks & Dunn walked on stage, the southwest corner of the Pan American center looked like a paparazzi line. Save for a handful of references to Las Cruces, and one point of storytime in the middle, Kix and Ronnie kept it about the music. As mentioned in the song, "The Last Rodeo," give 'em what they came for. Music. Hits. And the unmistakable Ronnie Dunn sound. After all, that's the best part of live shows, when the singer sounds like he (or she) does on the record. There is no hiding that signature voice. Highlights of the show included the military marching out during "Only in America," Reba's face on the video screens during "Cowgirls Don't Cry," and Ronnie Dunn's tattoo story.

At one point in the show, Kix asked how many folks had been at their last Las Cruces show in 1994. He was met with a warm response, which is great to hear how their popularity in town has lasted over the years. But it is also indicative of how many new fans they have gained over the years; and how many young fans were in the audience. Some so young, that they didn't seem as familiar with the catalogue hits as they did the more recent music. Nonetheless, whether it's your 50th show or your first show, The Last Rodeo Tour is a great chance to say you saw the legendary artistry that is Brooks & Dunn.

By all accounts, from screams to items disappearing at the merch stand, there were no unhappy customers on a Sunday night at the Pan Am. But if you had to pick out just one minor disappointment, tell everyone that you were so busy paying attention to where Kix was aiming his T-shirt launcher that you didn't notice that Las Cruces wasn't listed among all the tour cities mentioned on the video screens playing behind the stage. But we're on the T-shirt, so that counts. Ride safely into the sunset, Slim and Howdy.