Monday, May 12, 2003 | 8:19 a.m.
Twice fans rose to their feet at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday expecting Tim McGraw to appear, but he didn't. Finally the house music faded, whistles and applause got louder as a dark figure emerged from the shadows -- the microphone guy running out to place the stand.
McGraw himself took the stage soon after, 22 minutes late but no doubt forgiven. He began with a patriotic tune, "Comfort Me," as a billowing American flag flickered on the big screen.
Although the show as a whole was very strong, the beginning set was McGraw's weakest effort. The "I love America," kitsch seemed a little too predictable and, by now, overdone.
Still, the show quickly gained momentum as McGraw delivered what the audience came to see -- feel-good tunes and sexy ballads.
Strutting onstage wearing a black hat, tight jeans and a printed shirt that looked part Aztec, part snakeskin, McGraw pulled fans into the show during singable hits like "Something Like That," and "Where the Green Grass Grows."
He was short on commentary, saying, "If you've been to our shows before (applause), you know we don't like to B.S. a lot. We just want to play." And for a little more than two hours, that's what he did. Seamlessly, McGraw and his band, The Dancehall Doctors, went from loud and raucous to gently acoustic and back throughout the night.
But no Tim McGraw concert would be complete without a clear audience favorite, the controversial song, "Indian Outlaw." The tongue-in-cheek story about a half-Cherokee, half-Choctaw Indian named Bear Claw was banned in Oklahoma and Minnesota for portraying stereotypical images of American Indians. Las Vegas fans could not have cared less about all that, though, cheering him on and singing in unison.
Other songs that got a lot of audience response were, "Don't Take the Girl" and "Red Rag Top," both songs that tell a story. McGraw had a rare comment on "Red Rag Top" -- a song about teens who get pregnant after a steamy night in a car, have an abortion and lose touch -- touting its artistic value despite the uncomfortable subject.
"Some people had problems with this song; it touched some people," McGraw said. "I think it's a beautiful song and that's why we included it on the record."
McGraw sang that song, and most others, at the end of a jutting stage which cut into the audience like a runway. He often knelt to shake hands and sign posters while singing, fostering the intimate Tim-to-fan relationship he's become known for.
What helps, though, is McGraw's great sense of what audiences want to hear, honed by 15 years of live performances. His soulful piano-accompanied versions of Dr. Hook's "Sharing the Night Together," and Lionel Ritchie's "Easy Like Sunday Morning," took him out of the cookie-cutter cowboy mold and proved his prowess as an entertainer.
Helping steal the attention from the music, however, was McGraw's overt sex appeal -- evident from his halfway unbuttoned shirt and dangling cuffs to his occasional hip thrusts.
McGraw took such romantically themed tunes as, "That's Why God Made Mexico," around the arena, singing and pointing to pockets of the audience, mostly giddy women, tucked away behind the stage.
But in the end, Mr. Faith Hill leaves no confusion about where his heart lives. Returning to the stage for an encore, McGraw sang a great rendition of Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," slapping his "Faith" tattoo over his arm with the lyrics: "She married a music man." (Sorry, ladies).
And if that weren't enough, McGraw also sings an ode to his three daughters called, "She Knows Her Daddy Sings." He's offstage while the big screens show adorable home videos and still pictures of the couple's little girls playing, sleeping and smiling (awwwh). Like the old saying with a twist, Tim McGraw was much better late than never.
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