MARCH/APRIL/MAY 2005 VOL. 23 NO. 1 George Strait Team Roping Classic Announces Pre-Registration Days and Times George Strait Team Roping Classic to Take Place on March 11th and 12th at the San Antonio Rose Palace in TX Pre-registration for teams wishing to com- Friday from 9AM – 5PM CT. Event-goers provided by Cavender Chevrolet of Boerne, pete in the 23rd Annual George Strait Team are strongly urged to order their tickets Texas and two Strait X-treme 3-horse slant Roping Classic on March 11 and 12, will early as both days of the roping usually sell trailers by Bruton, huge cash purses, take place on Monday, Feb. 28 and out. The single day tickets are non-refund- Twister saddles and Gist buckles. Tuesday, March 1, from 5PM- 10PM CT. able and may not be exchanged for another In addition to these great prizes, the Teams may register by calling 210-698- day. GSTRC is proud to welcome back H.E.B. 9251. The cost per team is $600. Entry fees Hosted by Country Superstar and avid Food Stores and their "Red Wrapped must be paid, in cash only, by 9:45AM on team roper, George Strait, the GSTRC is Challenge" – a thrilling $15,000 per round Friday, March 11 at the San Antonio Rose among the largest and most prestigious progressive contest that takes place during Palace located at 25665 Boerne Stage Road open ropings in the circuit and annually the finals. Ropers win the challenge if they in San Antonio, TX. Each contestant may plays host to the most accomplished names have the best time of the round on one of compete on a maximum of three teams. in the sport. Past money winners of "The the steers with red wrapping around their All horses must be stalled in San Antonio Strait" include, among others, Jake Barnes, horns. Up to $60,000 could be available if Rose Palace stalls. No portable stalls will Steve Northcutt, Allen Bach, Matt Tyler, there are no winners in the first two rounds. be allowed. PRCA dress codes will be in Tyler Magnus, Turtle Powell, Kirt Jones Sponsors for the 2005 George Strait Team effect. and the team of Rich Skelton and Speed Roping Classic are: Cavender Chevrolet, Tickets for the GSTRC Saturday, March Williams who broke the GSTRC record Bruton Trailers, HEB Food Stores, Bill 12 finals are already sold-out but some with a lightning fast round of 3.69 last year. Miller Bar-B-Q, Tractor Supply Company, Friday, March 11 tickets are still available At the George Strait Team Roping Classic, Brake check, McCormick’s Foods and for only $16 including shipping and han- the opening day’s fastest 50 teams on two Spices, Gist Buckles, Wrangler, Georgia- dling. They can be purchased online at head are invited to return the next morning Pacific’s Brawny Towels, Justin Boots, www.gstrc.com, or charge-by-phone by for the three-header non-progressive finals. Cactus Ropes, Resistol Hats, Classic Ropes calling #210-698-0791 - Monday through Prizes include two Chevy Silverado Trucks and Southwest Texas ACA. n For Strait Fans, Arena's Just A Big Ol' Honky-Tonk By Keith Herrell teenage daughter asks me for advice. guitars no longer cry" bemoans the demise Post staff reporter - Cincinnati Post With his 22-year career, Strait has plenty of traditional country music. There was You can have those guys who rise up of songs to draw from. In fact, only 10 of some irony there, as semi-renegade Bentley from underneath the stage on a hydraulic the songs he sang Saturday night came had earlier whipped the crowd into a frenzy lift, enshrouded in fog. Give me the singer from his "50 Number Ones" album. A with "What Was I Thinkin'?" and its sear- who takes the aw-shucks approach, George Strait show without "Write This ing guitar solos that would be right at home ambling into view wearing a cowboy hat Down," or "All My Ex's Live In Texas"? It in a '70s rock show. and an enormous grin. happened, and no one seemed to mind. Traditionalism ruled the night, though, with That's how it was with George Strait Unlike Strait, I have no particular affec- Strait giving nods to Bob Wills ("Take Me Saturday at U.S. Bank Arena, where about tion for Texas -- my answer to the musical Back to Tulsa" and "Milk Cow Blues") and 12,000 country music fans showed up on a question "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Merle Haggard ("My Life's Been Grand" -- frigid night to see the Texas traditionalist Mind?" would have to be, "Not if I can not the Haggard song I would have picked, headline a show that alsoincluded Amber help it" -- but the crowd loved the Texas- but Strait didn't consult me). Dotson and Dierks Bentley. flavored songs. "Amarillo Bound," with its The four-song encore brought one more Strait came onstage to the strains of mournful fiddle solo by band member Gene nod to a legend, Johnny Cash's "Folsom "Deep In the Heart of Texas'' from his Ace Elders, was the fifth song on Strait's list and Prison Blues," and then Strait ended with In the Hole Band and proceeded to turn the the first to get singalong treatment. "The Cowboy Rides Away." vast arena into a Texas roadhouse, starting By straying off the beaten path, Strait was Just consider that ride temporary. "See with "The Fireman." In an hour and 40 able to mix in songs like "Murder On you on the next trip," Strait said as he left minutes, he sang 28 songs and kept the Music Row," which with lines like "steel the stage. n crowd cheering and singing along. Strait, 52, seemed downright happy to be in Cincinnati -- or at least inside. "Nice and warm in here," he deadpanned early on before advising his fans to "relax, have a good time and leave the driving to us." Strait Delivers What The driving was highly efficient, with scarcely a moment's pause. Thirty minutes into the show, Strait had already treated the He Promises crowd to 10 songs. His formula mixed clas- By Mary Colurso song, Strait just stood on the stage and sics of his own, like "Check Yes Or No" News staff writer - The Birmingham News nailed it. and "I Can Still Make Cheyenne," with Check yes or no: Are you a George Strait He was a workmanlike superstar, per- nods to country legends such as Webb fan? forming in the round with understated Pierce ("There Stands the Glass.") If so, you were probably among an audi- excellence and leading his 11-member Ace The arena was set up for an in-the-round ence of 18,000 people standing, dancing in the Hole touring band. show, with a microphone stand on each of and cheering Friday night at the BJCC This year, by the way, the band includes the stage's four sides. The nine-piece Ace Arena. female backup singer Marty Slayton, a In the Hole Band was loosely arranged in a Strait hails from Texas but he rules in finalist on the 2004 edition of the TV series circle, with two backup singers (seen, but Alabama, as far as country-music lovers "Nashville Star." She's a talented vocalist seldom heard in the muddy acoustics) in here are concerned. (as well as eye candy for the cowboys in the center. There's a good reason for that: Strait, 52, the crowd) and a welcome addition. Strait strolled from microphone to micro- delivers. Strait's vocals were as crisp as his butter- phone, taking care to give each side of the His 9:15 p.m. concert might not have been cup-yellow shirt as he eased through hit stage equal time. He wore jeans, boots, a the most energetic show ever to hit after hit, including "Run," "Amarillo By checked button-down shirt and a guitar, Birmingham, but it definitely was one of Morning," "Honk If You Honky Tonk," which he strummed about as often as my the most consistent. Note to note, song to "Check Yes or No," "Does Fort Worth Ever ~ Concert Wire Review ~ By Tim Netherland get used to his name and his songs. stage, situated smack in the middle of the Richmond Times-Dispatch Still, bets are that few among the sold-out floor. No matter where fans sat, they were On a cold and snowy evening, Richmond crowd paid $60 to see Bentley and Dotson, afforded close views of Strait as he sang took its country straight last night courtesy fine singers though they are. Folks came to songs from all four sides of the stage. Nice of the veteran hitmaker. He filled the see, hear, and get as much of George Strait touch. Coliseum from floor to ceiling with coun- as they could. Better still, Strait surprised with several try fans out for a night of the real McCoy. Strait didn't disappoint. Long about 9 covers, including a dead-on dandy of Webb A bah and a humbug, too, to those who say o'clock the lights dimmed and the crowd Pierce's "There Stands the Glass." Much real country doesn't sell. Throw in amply rustled into a roar. Down an aisle came later he again looked into country's past for talented show openers Amber Dotson and Strait. Dressed smartly in a black hat, blue a frisky take on Johnny Cash's unforget- Dierks Bentley, and Richmonders had Wranglers, and a pressed Western shirt, table "Folsom Prison Blues." OK, Strait's cause for celebration.