'Hootenanny' rocks Silverdome

Over the years, trends in popular music have come and gone, but country music has maintained popularity despite the ever-changing musical landscape. Anyone who doubts the music's incredible staying power would have been turned into a full-fledged believer Saturday evening when the George Strait Country Music Festival came to the Pontiac Silverdome.

The show's four headliners, Faith Hill, John Michael Montgomery, Tim McGraw and George Strait, proved that not only is country a very diverse form of music, but that it is still a growing musical genre.

In the parking lot before the show, there was a massive traveling side show simply called Straitland.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. George Strait brought down-home country to the Pontiac Silverdome this past Saturday.

In this bastion of American country culture one could meet Jimmy Bedford, Jack Daniel's master distiller, get free samples of GPC cigarettes and Skoal chewing tobacco, look at the new line of Chevy Trucks, line dance, and even sing all-country karaoke. Filling this massive area was a literal sea of cowboy hats, tight jeans and large belt buckles.

The first featured performer was Faith Hill who was probably the least country of all the acts. Most of her songs had more of an adult contemporary feel with only the steel guitar bringing them back across the boundaries. As she sang, she moved about the stage in a seductive manner, proving that pregnant women can be still be incredibly sexy.

She performed all of her hits as well as her new single, "This Kiss," which had a rather psychedelic feel. Two of her best numbers were actually re-worked interpretations of Leo Sayers' "When I Need You" and Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." After a set that lasted nearly an hour, she left the stage to the howls of a crowd that was slowly starting to filter in from outside.

Heartthrob John Michael Montgomery appeared next. He came on stage playing the upbeat "Be My Baby Tonight." After a few songs he slowed the pace of the show down playing mellow hits "I Swear," "I Can Love You Like That" and "Angel in My Eyes."

What seems to hurt Montgomery's live show is not his music as much as the fact that so many of his biggest hits have been slow songs. Too many of these plodding singles definitely hurt the singer's overall performance.

But toward the end of the show he rebounded back from the part of a quiet balladeer and became a rocker again. After an intense "Cowboy love," he changed the pace of the show with the line dancing anthem "Sold!" But it was not until after he got the Silverdome worked up in a hootenanny-style frenzy that he changed paces again with the honkey tonk "Sweet Home Alabama." During this tune he dazzled the crowd with a final electrifying guitar solo.

REVIEW
	Country Music Festival April 18, 1998 Silverdome

Next up was Tim McGraw, who was recently named Country Music Television's male artist of the year for 1997.

McGraw's stage setup featured a two-story drum riser with a large sprawling stairway, looking more like something out of a Bon Jovi concert than out of Nashville.

He blasted on stage with a rousing rendition of "Indian Outlaw." As he played the tune it became clear why he is one of Country's hottest artist's. His combination of a little bit of rock 'n' roll and a little bit of country unfurled in his dazzling on-stage persona.

Throughout his show, McGraw combined his older material with songs from his current album "Everywhere." In addition to the title track, he played "One of These Days" and "Hard on the Ticker."

Another thing that stood out during his show was the lead guitar player in his band whose rifs seemed to carry McGraw into an new level musically. After a near flawless set he returned for an encore and sang the intro to "Its Your Love," the hit duet with his wife and fellow performer Faith Hill. It was no surprise that she joined him on stage for this number, which was both corny and also mesmerizing.

After Hill left the stage, he closed the set with "I Want Some More of It." He then left with the howling crowd screaming the song's chorus, "I like it, I love it, I want some more of it."

After three amazing performances, George Strait, country music's reigning king, came on stage. His style of music was much more traditional compared to the other performers on the bill.

Complete with twangy guitars and dueling fiddles, he seemed to belt out hit after hit with the entire crowd signing along to songs about love, love lost, rodeos and even a "Song About the Heartland." What was equally amazing about his show was his the widespread appeal of his songs, from the traditional blue grass number "Mama Tried" to his newest hit "Check Yes or No." It seemed like the man could do no wrong.

After a two-hour set, Strait left the stage, thus ending the Detroit stop of one of the most hyped mega tours of the summer.

The show was a success because it combined more established artists such as Strait and Montgomery with relative newcomers Hill and McGraw who are just starting to reap the benefits of commercial success. With the death of Lollapalooza, this could very well be one of the nation's premiere touring package.

04-20-98