Columnist Spencer Patterson: McGraw hasn’t taken Strait path to stardom

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Feb. 4, 2005 | 8:41 a.m.

Spencer Patterson covers music for the Sun. His music notes column appears Fridays. Reach him at spencer@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-2309.

According to the All Music Guide, country star George Strait sparked "a wave of neo-traditionalist singers from Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam to Clint Black, Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson."

Not mentioned, but also surely included in the group influenced by Strait, is Tim McGraw, one of the most popular performers on the country scene today.

Much as Strait and McGraw might be linked musically, however, the two men could hardly approach their superstar status more differently.

Country fans can judge for themselves this weekend, with both in town for separate concerts.

McGraw plays the Mandalay Bay Events Center at 8 tonight. Strait performs at the MGM Grand Garden Arena at 8 p.m. Saturday.

McGraw's show is sold out. Strait's will likely be at capacity, or near it, by Saturday.

But while the 52-year-old Strait might be able to match the 37-year-old McGraw when it comes to ticket sales, he does most everything else a lot differently.

Just take a look at the two officially sanctioned press photos provided by the two artists on this page.

In one corner is McGraw, cast as the hunky heartthrob, shirt halfway open. In the other is Strait, a normal-looking dude in a plain cowboy hat.

McGraw's life is the stuff of tabloids, from his marriage to country star Faith Hill to his relationship with his father, former major league pitcher Tug McGraw (who passed away last year).

For Strait, it's all about the music. Declining our interview request, his publicist called him "pretty press shy," and instead sent us his latest release.

The two-CD set, which houses all 50 of Strait's No. 1 hits, is aptly titled "50 Number Ones." Among its tracks: "The Chair," "Write This Down" and "All My Ex's Live in Texas."

It's hard to imagine Strait achieving the 50 No. 1 milestone -- unprecedented for any artist in any genre -- if he had to begin his career in today's image-oriented country music world.

From Shania Twain to Hill to Kenny Chesney to Keith Urban, the top country stars are as much about poster-selling power as singing ability.

It works for McGraw. But it's a safe bet George would rather play it Strait. And that he wouldn't be caught dead with two buttons on his shirt open, to say nothing of four.

No-kill zone

Despite publicized reports that they would perform at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival for the second straight year, Las Vegas' the Killers were not among 84 acts in the lineup unveiled this week.

According to Killers manager Braden Merrick, the local quartet will be in the midst of a North American tour when Coachella hits the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, Calif., on April 30 and May 1, and were forced to pass on this year's event.

"It was taken out of context," Merrick said, referring to a report on British music Web site www.nme.com, which had "confirmed" the Killers' involvement in the event.

Killers vocalist Brandon Flowers was quoted as saying, "I'm looking forward to redeeming our Coachella experience this year," by www.nme.com, which reported that Flowers had a "terrible experience" in the 2004 festival's extreme heat.

Merrick said Flowers meant that he was looking forward to the band's 2005 tour schedule, and that the Killers were never close to booking Coachella this year.

Tickets for this year's Coachella festival go on sale at noon Saturday at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com. Prices are $80 per day or $150 for a two-day pass.

Coldplay headlines Saturday's lineup. Also scheduled for Day One: Bauhaus, Weezer, Cocteau Twins, the Chemical Brothers, Wilco, Keane, Snow Patrol, Rilo Kiley, Cafe Tacuba, Doves, Sage Francis, Armin Van Buuren, the Raveonettes, Bloc Party, Mercury Rev, Fantomas, Hernan Cattaneo, Spoon, Zap Mama, DJ Peretz, Jamie Cullum, M83, Ambulance LTD, Four Tet, MF Doom, Josh Wink, Amp Fiddler, Tiga, the Kills, Donavon Frankenreiter, the Secret Machines, Boom Bip, Swayzak, DJ Marky, Immortal Technique, Jean Grae, Razorlight, Katie Melua, Radio 4, Buck 65, Eisley, the Sexy Machines and k-os.

The reunited Nine Inch Nails headlines on Sunday. Also slated for Day Two: New Order, Bright Eyes, Gang of Four, Prodigy, Black Star, the Faint, Roni Size, the Arcade Fire, Roots Manuva, DJ Krush, Thrice, Junkie XL, M.I.A., British Sea Power, the Dresden Dolls, Miss Kittin, the Fiery Furnaces, Aesop Rock, the Perceptionists, Jem, Autolux, Sixtoo, Tegan and Sara, Stereophonics, the Bravery, Matthew Dear, Diplo, Subtle, Beans, Shout Out Louds, the Futureheads, Sloan, Kasabian, the Blood Brothers, Matmos, Wolf Eyes, Gram Rabbit, Smokestacks and Zion I.

On sale

Bob Dylan plays the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts March 19. Tickets are $55 to $125 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Aladdin box office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 474-4000 and at www.ticketmaster.com.

Alicia Keys lands at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on March 12, with opening act John Legend. Tickets are $63 to $128 and go on sale at noon Saturday at the Hard Rock box office and through Ticketmaster.

The annual "City of Lights Jazz & R&B Festival" will be held at Hills Park in Summerlin April 22-23. The performers: Lakeside, SOS Band, Dazz Band and Con-Funk-Shun (April 22) and George Duke, Kim Waters, Down to the Bone, Mindi Abair, Paul Taylor and Paul Jackson Jr. (April 23).

Tickets are $60 and $97.50 per day or $90 and $125 for two-day passes, and will be available beginning Saturday at Mr. Bill's tobacco stores and at the UNLV Performing Arts Center. They can also be purchased by calling (800) 969-8342.

For more information, call 228-3780.

Joe Cocker performs at the Orleans Arena on March 19. Tickets are $37 to $90 and are on sale now at Coast casinos, at the Boulevard, Galleria, Sunset and Meadows malls, by phone at 284-7777 and at www.orleansarena.com.

Big Head Todd stops by the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on March 15. Tickets are $20 to $30 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the House of Blues box office and through Ticketmaster.

The Wreckers and Gavin DeGraw team for a March 11 House of Blues show. Tickets are $25 and $30 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 11 through the House of Blues box office and Ticketmaster.

Joe Rogan performs at the House of Blues on March 25. Tickets are $20 to $32 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 11 through the House of Blues box office and Ticketmaster.

New Found Glory plays the House of Blues on May 8 with opening acts Reggie and the Full Effect and Eisley. Tickets are $15.50 and are on sale now through the Hard Rock box office and Ticketmaster.

Tickets are also on sale now for three other recent additions to the House of Blues concert calendar: Dead Kennedys with Last Rites on Feb. 25 ($17); the Dave Matthews Cover Band on March 3 ($12.50) and Reverend Horton Heat with Supersuckers and Trainwreck on March 17 ($15 to $20).

Two scheduled House of Blues events have been canceled: tonight's A Flock of Seagulls show and Chingy's Feb. 20 bill with DJ Quik. Refunds for both are available at points of purchase.