He's a Texan; she's an Oklahoman.
He's as shy and consistent as Joe Mauer; she's as outgoing and multimedia as Oprah.
He's so traditional that he sings about skipping out of a business trip to show up at his son's baseball game. She's so modern that she sings about Twitter and texting.
Even though they have been dubbed the king and queen of country music for three decades of consistent hitmaking, George Strait and Reba McEntire made for a less-than-regal combination in concert Thursday at Target Center. He ruled. And she went through the motions, seemingly slicker than an Oklahoma oil baron.
To be fair, it was Strait's stage -- a square-in-the-round setup, with his great Ace in the Hole Band stationed in the middle. The singer merely moved to a microphone in each corner of the stage after every two songs. All the 13,000 fans needed were those great country songs rendered by that forceful, mellifluous baritone, buoyed by the best touring backup band in country music and big-screen video closeups of the singer in the black cowboy hat.
Strait, 58, has done this bit before in the Twin Cities, but it was better this time because of hi-def screens (for the first time) and because the singer, who is usually as stiff as his over-starched, button-down shirt, seemed looser, more talkative and more animated. (It is a little odd to spend two hours looking up at giant screens while the guy appearing on them is three-stories below performing live.)
During his 30-song set, Strait touched all the right bases musically and emotionally. He offered a variety of Texas dance-hall music (highlights: the foot-stomping "Unwound," "Heartland," the encores "High Tone Woman" and "All My Exes Live in Texas"), a batch of emotional ballads (highlights: "Where Have I Been All My Life," "Just Give It Away"), covers of Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash (a rollicking, unforgettable "Folsom Prison Blues" with smokin' solos by several Aces in the Hole), and even a taste of island-flavored pop ("River of Love"). He sang about courting, loving long-term, screwing up in love and apologizing, loving your kids, God and life as a troubadour and, of course, loving all things Texas.
McEntire's story songs may have featured more complicated twists and turns but putting her in a square-in-the-round stage without any props is like putting Lady Gaga in jeans and a T-shirt, sitting at a piano. Dressed down in black tank top, jeans and over-the-knee boots that looked as if they might have come from the costume closet at the musical "Rock of Ages" at the nearby Orpheum Theatre, the 55-year-old sashayed around the stage, trying to find her comfort zone for 85 minutes. She finally did find it, on a fiery duet with opening act Lee Ann Womack on the classic country cat fight, "Does He Love You," the kind of moment that polished Reba's crown.
For a set list, go to www.startribune.com/artcetera. Jon Bream • 612-673-1719
