One of the most successful and resilient stars of country music, George Strait will come to Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 15 for what he his billing as the start of the end of his road career. The Texas-reared Nashville star – who holds a staggering record for having at least one top 10 country hit per year for 30 strait, er, straight years – held a press conference today at the Country Music Hall of Fame to announce his plans for a two-year trek dubbed The Cowboy Rides Away Tour.
"This is going to be a very special, emotional tour for me," said Strait, who turned 60 in May. "Everywhere we're going holds fond memories and I'm looking forward to paying my respects."
Tickets to the St. Paul date go on sale Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. for $71.50 and $91.50 through Ticketmaster. Martina McBride will be the opening act on the tour. The Twin Cities date is only the eighth stop on the itinerary, which continues Feb. 16 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. Whether or not Strait will pull a Cher and come around four more times on the tour remains to be seen, but don't bet on it. His last local gig was in 2010 at Target Center. He also played Xcel Center in 2006.
