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HOT DISH: Garth Brooks Still Electrifying Audiences
By: Hazel Smith, CMT.com

Reports from Garth Brooks' latest marathon -- five concerts in three days in Los Angeles -- ran from unbelievable to incredible.

I've been to L.A. a few times and never expected to read about pickup trucks and tailgating in the parking lot of the Staples Center. It's a parking lot where shiny limos are usually transporting women wearing $100,000 designer gowns draped with diamonds and jewels worth millions. Arriving at award shows, they walk the red carpet on the arm of their usually bored tuxedo-wearing escort. But it took one good-hearted hillbilly boy from Oklahoma to perform from his heart to generate $3.8 million benefiting FIRE (Fire Intervention Relief Effort) for those who lost all they had in the big fires in California. And the pickups came and fans tailgated with country music blaring to prove there are plenty of country music fans in Los Angeles. Praise the Lord for that.

In the media, reporters wrote, "He never let up," calling Garth "iron man" and "master performer." Recalling the Garth of yesteryear, they noted that while he no longer climbs ladders, swings above the crowd on an invisible rope, busts guitars or does acrobatics, they added, "But he creates the same enthusiasm."

Like he'd won the lottery, a fan with five ticket stubs waved them proudly over his head, laughing and smiling all the way out the door. He knew he was a winner. He'd seen five shows in two days, the likes he'd never seen before and doubtfully will ever see again. His kids and grandkids, no doubt, will hear the story over and over as long as he lives --five shows, all sellouts.

Through the years, stories surfaced of fans in Ireland who hero-worshipped Garth and would not cease the applause at his concerts. When he'd finally depart the building, fans would actually follow the buses they were traveling in. I ran into Mark Greenwood, Garth's bass player, this past week at the recording studio he manages on Music Row. Mark pointed out that Garth received the same sort of enthusiastic welcome and endless applause during his recent nine-night marathon in Kansas City and the five shows in Los Angeles.