Tim McGraw at Sprint: Totally Dude

A Southern man, his big black hat and his tattooed guns: Tim McGraw gives a big crowd at Sprint Center a reason to feel country on a Tuesday night. Photo by Allison Long/The Star

I don't remember the song, but I remember what flashed on the two-story video screens that flanked the stage: a shot of Tim McGraw's blue-jeaned crotch. And it elicited lots of hoots and squeals, like: "This is why we're here."

On country music's male-stud Richter Scale, McGraw, 41, may be in danger of succumbing to younger talent, but he hasn't relinquished a watt of his star power, even when he shows up without his wife, the equally photogenic Faith Hill. He is still King Dude in CMT kingdom.

Tuesday night, a crowd of about 14,000 filled nearly all of the available seats at Sprint Center (those in the upper levels at each end of the arena were not for sale). Many of the fans were ladies, young and older, and several times some of them acted like they were at a club on Chippendale's night. Must have been Mac's orange-as-Tang, sleeveless T-shirt, which glorified his buffed biceps, and his jeans, which were nearly Dwight Yoakam tight.

His fans showed up in force and they showed up early, too, early enough to hear Jason Aldean storm through an impressive set of country-rock tunes, including a fiery cover of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down." He followed that with his own signature song, "Hicktown," which rocks and burns like Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road." Other songs on his setlist: "No," "Amarillo Sky," "Relentless" and "I Break Everything I Touch."

McGraw hit the stage nearly 30 minutes after Aldean was done. He would  play about 20 songs during a workman-like show that lasted about 100 minutes and was low on frills or small talk. Even the stage setting was pretty spartan. Mostly,  McGraw and his 10-man band, the Dancehall Doctors (including Darran Smith, a Lawrence native) just hammered out the songs.

The setlist included a couple songs that will be on McGraw's new record (like "You Had to Be There"), a cover of Eddie Rabbit's "Suspicious" and several of McGraw's hits and best-known songs, like "Where the Green Grass Grows," When the Stars Go Blue," "I Like It, I Love It," "Live Like You Were Dying" and "Real Good Man."

During "The Cowboy in Me," he strapped on an electric guitar and strummed it half-heartedly; other than that he pretty much just walked the stage from one side to the other, singing his songs and stirring up whoops, cheers and applause, especially when the video cams zeroed in on certain parts. This may be McGraw's male-bonding/boys-club tour, but he knows he'd be less than half the star he is without lots of ladies in the room.

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Setlist: Still; Unbroken; Back When; Last Dollar (Fly Away); Where the Green Grass Grows; Kristofferson; When the Stars Go Blue; Southern Boys; Suspicious; The Cowboy In Me; You Had to Be There; Indian Outlaw; Between the River and Me; I Like It I Love It; Live Like You Were Dying; If You're Reading This; How Bad Do You Want It?; Something Like That; Real Good Man.

Comments

[Scorp]

you forgot to mention all of us good looking men that were with the beautiful Kansas City women.
The crowd last night was about as good as it gets. LOUD and proud.
I learned two lifelong lessons last night, show up on time, and take the extra camera batteries.
I was still on the way to my seat while Laughed Until We Cried played and it's a new fav of mine. Then during Tim's second song my camera shuts down.
I really like the two songs from his upcoming cd, Souther Voice (rocks) and You Had To Be There.
I made youtubes of Wont Back Down, Hicktown, Still and part of Unbroken.
www.youtube.com/EStTramp
I'm a complete novice so please keep that in mind.

Finally our downtown area is really something to be proud of now. Sprint Center and all of the Power & Light District.

[Susie]

You didn't mention the opening opening act, Halfway to Hazard. They rocked the house too!! I love Tim....I love that he doesn't need a big "show" to hide behind. I do prefer my men to wear sleeves - I don't like seeing armpits. I couldn't see the video screen very well because we were to the side of the stage. GREAT SHOW!

[Steve]

So he could not go next door to KCLive stage after the show with that shirt?

[Not likin' Tim]

Tim McGraw is a fake Cowboy in the same tradition as that closet-case Kenny Chesney and that starf*cker Keith Urban. I just think that if you call yourself a Country Music fan, you would surely be able to see right through these ersatz wannabees. Guess not.........

[Big D]

The show was good but the Sprint Cener really sucks. Who said this was a great venue for a concert? Half the seats have such poor visability, you can't see the stage or the screens behind it this time.

[Momof5]

When are people building large venues for concerts and such going to learn to put more women's bathrooms in????

[Troy]

I agree with Steve! Country music is not true any more. None of these artists could even hope to come close to the greatness that was Johnny Cash!

[Gard Brooke]

Why do all the country singers HAVE to wear a cowboy hat?? Idiotic! Mcgraw is not that talented, and his wife is a b__ch.

[ARLENE]

I thought the concert was fantastic-it seems it did not last very long (seems like it didn't last very long like Keith Urban) Seems like he had played an hour and went out for an encore--(I didn't feel like I got my moneys worth) Halfway to Hazard and Jason Aldean were both excellent groups, but when Tim McGraw came out the crowd went wild and you could tell who everyone came to see.

I love the new Sprint Center (the last show we saw at Kemper was George Strait and the Sprint Center out surpasses it--alot) I think it is so cool!!!

I do not understand why they keep building new arenas and still do not put enough Women's restrooms in them.

[Curtis Anderson]

That show rocked, and I didn't know a single song. I'm going country!!!!!!!!!!!!1