Country music fans across the nation rejoice at the news that Garth Brooks — who’s sold more records than any other solo artist — is coming out of retirement. Sort of. If you want to see him, you’ll have to go to Las Vegas.
Brooks announced that he’ll do a series of one-man shows at Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore theater. The acoustic sets in the 1,400-seat theater will be a big departure for Vegas, where the star attractions usually involve elaborate costumes and pyrotechnics. The AP has a nice article about the Brooks shows and how they came about; click here.
Brooks retired in 2000, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. Financial terms of the deal with Wynn weren’t announced, but part of the package is a private jet that will fly Brooks back and forth between Vegas and his home in Oklahoma.
- Headline of the Day: Speaking of music, today’s local newspaper has a great headline on a story about next week’s Grand Night For Singing! performances: “Songs of Music.” That’s the way I like my songs. With music in them. So much more melodious than Songs of Noise or Songs of Gravel.
- Ahhh-tumn: The storms have blown away and sunshine is back in Northern California. The weekend forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a chance of rain, highs in the 70s. Perfect weather for a drive in the country to check out the turning leaves.
- Mark Your Calendar for Oct. 27, when Mercy Medical Center in Redding will host a free lecture on a less-invasive way to do hip replacement surgery. Dr. William Heyerman will give the 6:30 p.m talk. For more info, click here.
- DVD I Watched on the Dreadmill: “Catch a Fire,” a drama set in South Africa during apartheid. Derek Luke plays a family man who becomes radicalized after he’s tortured and his family is mistreated by police. Tim Robbins is excellent as the white cop determined to bring the “terrorists” to justice.
Tips appreciated: Send news tidbits to steveb.anewscafe@gmail.com.
