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REBOOT

Brooks & Dunn make stop at Great Southern Bank Arena

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Brooks & Dunn’s return to the road life kicked off in Evansville, Ind. earlier this month. The string of shows, dubbed the Reboot Tour is slotted to stop in a slew of cities, most recently in Springfield, Mo.

The Great Southern Bank Arena, formerly known as JQH Arena, underwent a reboot of its own in April when the bank received naming rights to the esteemed venue. The change has only occurred in the naming of the facility, as the security, traffic flow, ushers and concessions were above satisfactory, per usual. Every seat at the establishment offers a great view and overall experience with the capacity for stage and lighting design and effects.

When these tickets originally went on sale, my dad secured 4-5 row seats for our family and the anticipation was on. Growing up, so to speak, on the original red dirt country stars prepared me for every song that could be played.

The band was preceded by Jordan Davis, who had the packed crowd singing along to hits “Buy Dirt,” “Almost Maybes,” “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot,” and more. When the main performers took the stage, the lights blasted on with the opening lyrics of “Brand New Man.”

The duo shared spouts of narrative with the crowd, exerting most energy in their 23-song total setlist. Kix Brooks addressed the increased raspiness of his partner, Ronnie Dunn’s voice for the evening, stating, “Ronnie Dunn with a cold is still better than most good singers.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Dunn stunned the crowd with fan-favorites “Put a Girl In It,” “Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You,” “That Ain’t No Way To Go,” “Play Something Country,” “Cowgirls Don’t Cry,” “Neon Moon,” “My Maria,” and more. Brooks also showcased his voice,” taking the spotlight for “Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up For Nothing,” “Lost and Found,” “Rock My World (Little County Girl)” and sharing stories with the audience.

“We did the video [to with our dear friend Dale Earnhardt Sr. [It was] a lot of fun… it’s hard to play it without thinking about him,” Brooks told us just after concluding “Honkey Tonk Stomp.” He then immediately delivered a quivering rendition of “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.”

Arguably, the best part of seeing live music is the ability to witness history and hear firsthand stories that may go undiscovered otherwise. Seeing two men, who founded Brooks & Dunn in 1990 after brief solo careers in the 1980s, reunite for a celebration of over 20 years together. 

Generations of fans soaked in every second, making themselves heard during the clearcut favorite of the evening, “Red Dirt Road.” Fans were offered a vast selection of merchandise, where I picked up a Reboot Tour tee and a Red Dirt Road tee featuring a longhorn, in true B&D fashion, on the front. To view a few photos and video clips of the show, visit @newsbyshelby on Instagram or @newsbyshelbyLCR on Twitter.

The County Music Hall of Famers are 8 shows into the 47-show tour and will be joined throughout the rest of the stops by a rotating act of artists including Jon Pardi, Morgan Wade, Walker Hayes, Gabby Barrett, Riley Green, Tenille Townes and more. For information on the rest of the Reboot Tour, visit Brooks-Dunn.com.