Brooks and Dunn's Last Rodeo Makes a Stop in Tacoma

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn came together in 1991 and their debut album, Brand New Man, was certified platinum six times over. The album produced four number one singles including the title track and Boot Scootin' Boogie, which is credited with helping to kick-start the line-dancing craze that swept through country bars throughout the United States. They are the biggest selling duo in country music, and Steve Huey from All Music Guide declares that, except for Simon & Garfunkel, no other duo in any genre has sold more albums.

After twenty years together, Brooks and Dunn have decided to go their separate ways and their farewell tour, Last Rodeo, made a recent stop in Tacoma, Washington. The Tacoma Dome was far from sold out - the entire 200 level was behind curtains - but the fans who were there made the bands feel welcome.

The show started with 16-year old Tyler Dickerson. Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Tyler started performing as a young child. In 2005 he won both Florida Male Vocalist and Male Entertainer of the Year for his age group and has been a regular performer at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville. After entering a talent search contest associated with John Rich of Big & Rich, Dickerson was signed to a recording contract with Lyric Street Records. His first release, Tell Your Sister I'm Single debuted at #51 on the Billboard Hot Country Song chart in March of 2010. His four-song set was powerful and his stage presence was quite remarkable for someone so young.

Next up was Jason Aldean. His three albums on indie label Broken Bow Records have spawned ten top-selling singles including number one hits Why, She's Country, Big Green Tractor and The Truth. His first and third albums have been certified platinum.

Jason began honing his performing skills at the age of 14 when he went on stage at the VFW hall in his hometown of Macon, Georgia. At 15 he became of a member of the house band at Macon club, Nashville South. After graduating from high school, he and his band hit the road and played college towns in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.

At the age of 21, Jason moved to Nashville, but the road to his current success was not paved with gold. He was quickly signed to a recording contract only to be dropped. He was also dropped from a second label and subsequent showcases failed to garner him much attention, though he did get his first manager. It was then that Aldean gave himself six months to get a contract or return home to Georgia. Five weeks later he was signed to Broken Bow.

Before Jason even hit the Tacoma stage, the crowd was on its feet. They knew his songs and happily sang along. The singer/guitarist worked the stage, leaving no one feeling left out, as he made his way through his already impressive list of greatest hits. He even signed autographs for lucky first row fans.

The song that elicited one of the biggest reactions was Johnny Cash, written by John Rich and originally recorded by Tracy Byrd. It failed to chart for him, but Aldean's version peaked at #6. Another crowd-pleaser was Hicktown, Jason's first top 10 hit. He was on stage for an hour of non-stop energy, finishing up the set with a kickin' version of Kid Rock's Cowboy.

There was a slight decrease in the liveliness when the headliners took the stage. At first, the top-selling duo seemed to be phoning in the performance, and one of the back-up singers was off-key. But several songs into the set, everything changed. Kix settled in for a couple acoustic songs and then was joined by Ronnie. The duo reminisced and challenged each other to remember some of their older, lesser-known songs, but none was lost on the audience.

The band was backed by various video montages, some of which included 20+ year old pictures of Kix and Ronnie. The stage also featured more than one version of the Brooks and Dunn steer head emblem; one was even bedazzled like a disco ball and was lowered for the song, Neon Moon.

The Last Rodeo lasted about two hours for the Tacoma fans. It was a fun show filled with a lot of nostalgia, but the boys proved why they've sold so many records over the years. After August, the world may not have Brooks and Dunn any more, but we'll always have their music.