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The reign shows no signs of weakening. George Strait's concert Saturday night at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre was yet another reminder of why fans and broadcasters frequently call him 'the king of country music.'
Strait's 100-minute set surveyed his entire career, from his first hit, 1981's 'Unwound,' to cuts from his most recent album, 'Troubadour.' No act in the genre has been as musically consistent -- or as commercially successful -- as Strait, who has topped the country singles charts a staggering 57 times.
Backed by his 11-piece Ace in the Hole Band, Strait delivered the smooth blend of honky-tonk and western swing that has elevated him to royalty status.
While most of his contemporaries have been shuttled off to the oldies circuit, Strait, 57, continues to be a hitmaker. In Tinley Park, his muscular rendition of the 2009 hit 'River of Love' was just as compelling as his potent reading of 1983's rodeo-themed ballad 'Amarillo By Morning,' which featured an entrancing fiddle solo by Gene Elders.
Strait's show was the culmination of an action-packed 24 hours for some local fans. Adventurous,
punctual fans who caught Strait's two opening acts -- Julianne Hough and Blake Shelton -- as well as the triple-header at Joe's Bar on Friday night -- with the Carter Twins, Joey & Rory and the Eli Young Band -- were rewarded with a total of 89 songs. That's a lot of twang.
Hough, who rose to fame as a professional dancer on 'Dancing with the Stars,' gracefully strode the suburban concert stage in high heels, but her belting vocal style tended to favor volume over nuance.
Shelton, however, excelled on uptempo material like 'Green' and on tender ballads, such as 'Home,' and his stage patter reflected the wicked sense of humor that has made his online skits and videos so popular.
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