Garth Brooks Returns to Seattle with Blame It All on My Roots Tour

Garth Brooks returned to Seattle proper for the first time in nearly three decades, launching a four-night run at Climate Pledge Arena on the “Blame It All on My Roots Tour.”

Seattle Refined reported that pre-show house lights revealed a sea of smiling faces beneath cowboy hats. Brooks previously played the Tacoma Dome in 2017 for his “Comeback Tour,” while a planned stadium show at Lumen Field in 2021 was postponed and never rescheduled.

When the lights went down, Brooks dramatically appeared on stage, rising from the center of a white grand piano to sing “The Old Stuff” from his 1995 album, Fresh Horses. He then transitioned to his acoustic guitar as the band kicked into “Rodeo,” the opening track from the same album.

Those songs set the tone for an evening focused on the past while anchored in the present. Brooks sang, “Well, it was one big party, but the business called it payin’ our dues. Back when the old stuff was new.”

Garth Brooks Returns to Seattle with Blame It All on My Roots Tour

Throughout the night, Brooks introduced band members in coordination with songs highlighting them. A standout introduction was reserved for longtime background singer Robert Bailey, who is credited as a member of the band Otis Day and the Knights in the 1978 comedy film National Lampoon’s Animal House.

That introduction segued directly into the song “Shout!” A visibly amused Brooks watched stageside as Bailey delivered an amped-up performance, joining in for the final verse.

When Brooks performed “Two Piña Coladas,” a Jimmy Buffett-esque, major-key ode to the mood-lifting qualities of the drink, audience participation spiked as fans lifted pints of beer in celebration. The calypso-style song created an atmosphere where the audience sang every word back to the stage.

The setlist balanced hard-rocking anthems with slower balladry. “The Thunder Rolls,” off the album No Fences, began with mellow acoustic finger-picking accompanied by Steve McClure’s lonely slide lap steel before building into a heavy, dramatic crowd-pleaser.

McClure, who has performed with Brooks since the 1990s, also provided tasteful lap steel on a countrified version of Billy Joel’s “Shameless.” Brooks later covered Joel’s “Piano Man,” reflecting an enduring musical and theatrical influence.

Reviewing the performance, Seattle Refined said that Brooks shares the stage charisma and direct audience connection of iconic performers like Billy Joel, Freddy Mercury, and Elton John. Fans lingered long after the house lights came back on, reluctant to leave the arena.

Audiences have two final opportunities to catch Garth Brooks in Seattle on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 for a Sunday matinee, with more information available via Seattle Refined.