After twenty years, Garth Brooks is making his way back to West Texas on tour with Trisha Yearwood at the United Supermarkets Arena.
“It took a long time,” USA Associate Director Cindy Harper said. “When we opened in ’99 we knew that this was an ultimate goal of ours or one of our biggest goals to be able to someday host Garth Brooks in concert.”
Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday morning and sold out within the hour.
“They were carefully watching to see who was preregistering through the AXS page,” Harper said. “Also the traffic that they were seeing, the demand that was cueing up through the online system, and where they were able to make that call for the second show, third show, and then the fourth.”
Now Garth Brooks will be performing four shows that weekend: Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m., Saturday April 1 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday April 2 at 3 p.m.
“Four within an hour is unprecedented for us,” Harper said.
Last time the country music artist was in this area he sold about 22,000 tickets. Friday he doubled that and sold 50,000 tickets through the USA.
Local officials said they are not only excited to see his show but optimistic for what it will bring to the Lubbock economy.
“You just have a lot going on and it’s just good for everybody,” Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Diannah Tatum said. “When things are slow in one industry, it effects every industry.”
Hotels near the USA told KLBK and EverythingLubbock.com that they started receiving reservations for this time when the tour dates were announced. Now some are even completely booked for the weekend.
“When things are good it’s good for everybody so this is just good for all the businesses in Lubbock which is what we want,” Tatum said.
