Garth Brooks Opens Blame It All on My Roots Tour in Indianapolis With an Emotional, High-Energy Performance
Garth Brooks has played for crowds far larger than the one waiting for him at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but the reaction he received in Indianapolis left the country superstar visibly overwhelmed.
During “The River,” his 1992 Billboard Hot Country Songs chart-topper, more than 17,000 fans sang along so loudly that Brooks struggled to contain his emotions. He laughed, teared up, stared across the arena in disbelief and eventually threw his head back and let out a deep, full-throated scream.
Then, during “The Dance,” the proper set closer, he delivered the verdict he had been waiting to give.
“PICKING INDIANAPOLIS FOR THE OPENING CITY OF THIS TOUR,” he shouted as his band built behind him, “I WAS RIGHT.”
He was.
Indianapolis gets the first night
Brooks launched his Blame it All on My Roots Tour at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Aug. 20, 2026, beginning a four-show run in Indianapolis. The opening night marked his return to arena touring after a decade and delivered the kind of performance that has made him one of country music’s defining live entertainers.
The level of interest had been clear well before showtime. Nearly 400,000 people queued for tickets during the July 17 general sale. Demand was so intense that what was initially planned as a two-night Indianapolis engagement expanded to three shows and then four.
For a time, Indianapolis was the only city announced for the tour. Brooks has since added performances in Denver, Washington, D.C., and Rosemont, Illinois.
By opening night, the anticipation inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse was unmistakable. Even footage from the pre-show documentary “Garth Brooks: The Road I’m On” was enough to keep the crowd buzzing.
Once Brooks appeared, the energy only intensified.
Brooks still performs like he has something to prove
At 64, Brooks may be a little older than when many fans first saw him, but his approach to the stage remains remarkably physical.
His performance style has always been difficult to categorize, combining the fervor of a preacher with the theatrical intensity of a professional wrestler. On this night, he raced from one side of the stage to the other, drenched himself and the floor seats with water and sweat, and pushed through a 17-song main set with barely any sign of slowing down.
The emotional moments were just as powerful.
Brooks visibly broke down when Indianapolis fans sang back every word of songs such as “Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old).” An impromptu performance of “We Bury the Hatchet” brought another wave of emotion.
The audience seemed to feed his energy, and Brooks responded by giving even more of himself.
That exchange reached its peak during “Friends in Low Places.” The final chorus was so loud it seemed capable of carrying far beyond the walls of the arena and into downtown Indianapolis.
The spectacle takes a back seat to the band
The Blame it All on My Roots Tour promised some of the familiar elements associated with Brooks’ legendary live shows, including the return of the ’90s drum pod and an in-the-round stage designed to make every seat feel like the best one in the building.
Those features ultimately mattered less than the performers themselves.
Aside from a brief moment when the musicians’ platforms rose, the plexiglass pod containing drummers Mike Palmer and Milton Sledge stayed in place. The idea that every seat offered an identical view also proved unrealistic. Brooks remained on the main stage at the back of the arena, leaving the closest floor seats with an obvious advantage over the nosebleeds.
None of that stopped Brooks and his band from owning the night.
During the second half of the two-hour concert, Brooks introduced his musicians in small groups, giving them opportunities to step into the spotlight and perform songs that showed off their individual strengths.
Fiddler Jimmy Mattingly was particularly impressive during a thunderous “Callin’ Baton Rouge.” Backup singer Robert Bailey took the lead on a raucous version of The Isley Brothers’ “Shout.”
The musicians gave Brooks plenty to work with, and he made sure they received their share of the attention.
An imperfect performance that still delivered
The concert was not flawless.
Brooks, now 64, acknowledged that he is “a little older than the last time we saw each other,” and there were moments when his voice did not quite hit every note. His familiar, unmistakable twang, however, remains intact.
What mattered more was the force behind the performance.
Brooks remains an artist who seems incapable of holding back. His enthusiasm spills into every movement, shout and interaction with the crowd. Whatever small imperfections surfaced during the night were overwhelmed by the sheer commitment he brought to the stage.
That was especially evident during the biggest songs, when the audience became an active part of the performance.
Why Indianapolis?
There was one question that lingered throughout the night: Why Indianapolis?
For a performer of Brooks’ stature, the obvious choices for an arena-tour launch might have included New York, Los Angeles, his native Oklahoma or Nashville, the center of the country music industry.
Instead, he chose Indianapolis.
Brooks did not offer much explanation during the show, but the timing made the decision particularly meaningful.
Indiana had endured a difficult week, with thousands of Hoosiers still dealing with the effects of historic flooding. Against that backdrop, the opening night became more than the start of a major tour. It provided a welcome moment of relief and celebration.
Before the dramatic introduction to “The Thunder Rolls,” Brooks encouraged the audience to “pick each other up.”
He also acknowledged just how quickly the evening seemed to pass. After two hours onstage, he told the crowd the concert “felt like 15 seconds.”
The feeling appeared to be mutual.
The Church of Garth returns
Trisha Yearwood, Brooks’ wife and fellow country singer, famously referred to his concerts as the “Church of Garth” in the 2019 documentary “Road I’m On.”
On this particular night, the description seemed especially fitting.
Indianapolis had a difficult week behind it, and Brooks gave the city an evening built around music, collective energy and shared emotion. Fans screamed every word back at him while he sweated, shouted, laughed and cried his way through the show.
By the time he reached “The Dance,” Brooks appeared genuinely stunned by what he had experienced.
He may have nothing left to prove after decades as one of the most successful performers in music, with more than 200 million albums sold during and after his hugely influential 1990s run.
Still, in Indianapolis, he proved it again.
And with three more shows remaining in the city, he had the chance to do it three more times.
Garth Brooks Blame it All on My Roots Tour opening-night setlist
Main set
- “The Old Stuff”
- “Rodeo”
- “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House”
- “The Beaches of Cheyenne”
- “Two Pina Coladas”
- “Papa Loved Mama”
- “The River”
- “The Thunder Rolls”
- “We Bury the Hatchet” (acoustic)
- “Much Too Young (to Feel This Damned Old)”
- “Unanswered Prayers”
- “That Summer”
- “Callin’ Baton Rouge”
- “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’til the Sun Comes Up)”
- “Shameless”
- “Shout” (Isley Brothers cover)
- “Friends in Low Places”
- “The Dance”
Encore
- “Ten Feet Away” (Keith Whitley cover)
- “The Red Strokes”
- “She’s Every Woman”
- “Belleau Wood”
- “Standing Outside the Fire”
