Minnesota Braces For Garth Brooks Fever
Read More: Garth Brooks Interview
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With his signature black hat and his sentimental lyrics, Garth Brooks is bringing country back to an audience that loves him.
Sandy Jung doesn't have concert tickets yet, but she's got some fancy cowgirl boots and a western belt with bling from Minneapolis' Schatzlein Saddle Shop on Lake Street.
"I think the fact that he's coming back and it's like a renewing of his kind of old style and bringing it back into current is really fun," Jung said.
Joan West of Schatzlein Saddle Shop says they've been selling country western gear for 107 years, and in the last week there have been plenty of sales to people headed to Garth's concerts.
"Most of the people that I've been helping are the baby boomers," West said. "So they remember going to Garth back in the 90s. So when they heard he was coming back to town, man they bought up all the tickets."
And then they bought belts with big buckles and boots with a lot of flair.
Kenny Jay, program director at BUZ'N @ 102.9, explains the enduring appeal of country music and Garth.
"The upper Midwest is very, very big on country music. It's down home, it speaks to everybody that's in the car, you know, old, young," Jay said. "He's got a new album coming out on Tuesday, so you'll see all the press around that as well. So it's a big machine, you know, that has a lot of focus on Minneapolis over the next couple of weeks."
Willow Hoaglund came from Arizona to see Garth at the Target Center.
"I really didn't expect to see the country love as much as we do, so it's kind of fun," Hoaglund said.
Garth is doing two shows each on Friday and Saturday nights: One starts at 6:30 p.m., and the second at 10:30 p.m.
More than 200,000 tickets have been sold for those eleven shows that run through next Saturday.
Tickets are still available, and BUZ'N @ 102.9 is giving its listeners a chance to win tickets each day as well.
