Garth Brooks Delivers Emotional 'All American Kid' Performance at ACM Awards
DALLAS (RADIO.COM) -- Garth Brooks, in case you've been wondering, is still Garth Brooks. Meaning, the guy can still throw down a show-stopping performance, command an arena stage no matter how many millions of people are watching in person and on TV, and pull at heartstrings with words and music built out of real, honest human emotion.
For his performance tonight at the 50th ACM Awards, Brooks chose "All-American Kid," a new song written by Craig Campbell that appears on Brooks' 2014 album Man Against Machine.
It's a touching song that Brooks handled masterfully, keeping things low key but making sure the words—about a high school football hero who joins the military and then pays the ultimate price—cut right to the core.
The performance was given added poignancy, though, when it was introduced by Taya Kyle, the widow of the late Chris Kyle of American Sniper fame.
Adding drama to the performance, as Brooks was singing, a number of military members filed in through the audience, their faces stoic, as fireworks blasted off on the video screens and a section of the audience flipped cards to show a big, brilliant American flag.
Whether or not all all those elements were necessary—and whatever your opinion on the film American Sniper—Brooks' performance tonight was solid and left listeners raw.
Brooks, to his credit, also not only gave a shout out to "all the men and women around the world protecting our freedom," but dedicated the Milestone Award he took home tonight to his home state of Oklahoma, which is currently remembering the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.