GARTH BROOKS TAKES OVER SXSW, DROPS NEW SINGLE, AND MORE

Garth Brooks took over South by Southwest this weekend. Although he was originally scheduled to give just one talk, he actually did that, performed two concerts, and debuted his brand new single. 

• First, Garth sat down Friday for a discussion with Amazon Music Vice President Steve Boom on his decision to allow his music to stream on Amazon’s new service and hinted at what tunes may wind up on the service, noting, “New, old, everything becomes possible with these guys.”
• On the same day Garth stopped by a local radio station to perform an acoustic version of his new single “Ask Me How I Know” and announced he’d be putting on a free show Saturday at Lady Bird Lake, but it turns out, that wasn’t his only show of the weekend. 
• Late Friday night, Garth took the stage Austin’s Broken Spoke dance hall, wowing the crowd with a 45-minute solo acoustic show between sets by the house band. Garth played a 16-song set filled hits like “Friends in Low Places,” “The Thunder Rolls,” “Rodeo,” “The River,” The Dance,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and more.
• Then on Saturday, Garth headlined South By Southwest Outdoor Stage on Ladybird Lake, where 16,000 fans were treated to a 90-minute concert that was heavy on the hits, including some of the same tunes as Friday night, as well as “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” “Poppa Loved Mama,” and covers of Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” and GeorgeStrait’s “Amarillo By Morning,.”

And in even more Garth news…

• Garth confirmed that he’s signed on to perform at the 2018 edition of RodeoHouston. Garth will open and close the festival, with shows set for February 27th and March 18th at Houston’s NRG Park. 
• Garth also commented on President Donald Trump’s proposed budget that will cut funding form the National Endowment of the Arts. “It’s worth fighting for,” Brooks told Billboard. “You can’t let those arts go. You just can’t. It’s what defines our generation. It’s what defines your country.”

Source: USA Today