Why Tim McGraw struggled to follow the Chicks in Minneapolis

Tim McGraw and the Chicks drew a huge Target Field crowd Sunday, but the headliner struggled to follow his openers. After the Chicks' high-energy set, McGraw began with quiet acoustic ballads instead of a bang, a mismatch for a stadium that had waited hours. Reviewers say the Chicks stole the show. The Pawn Shop Guitar Tour stop in Minneapolis was one of just three stadium dates on the summer itinerary, after Hersheypark Stadium and Fenway Park.

Key Takeaways

• Sunday's five-act Target Field bill packed more than 37,000 fans; Star Tribune critic Jon Bream put the crowd near 40,000.
• McGraw opened with a low-key stretch, including the ballad "Forget About Us," after the Chicks' white-hot set.
• The Chicks played 15 songs as openers, and reviewers said the crowd did not want them to leave.
• Lady A, 49 Winchester, and McGraw's nephew Timothy Wayne also performed on the marathon country bill.

Why did Tim McGraw have trouble following the Chicks?

Bream wrote that McGraw opened with the low-key ballad "Forget About Us," calling it underwhelming, and suggested the 59-year-old maybe figured he could not follow "the white-hot Chicks." The Pioneer Press review said McGraw, known for high-energy shows, started with a six-song set of acoustic ballads and mid-tempo numbers.

That approach may have made more sense at smaller arenas and amphitheaters. Target Field was different: doors opened at 3 p.m., with high-profile openers the Chicks and Lady A — two bands that changed their names after George Floyd — plus 49 Winchester and Timothy Wayne. The crowd had spent hours waiting for the main attraction to arrive with a bang, not a whisper.

It was not a set of obscurities. "Just to See You Smile" was country music's biggest hit in 1998, "Where the Green Grass Grows" went double platinum, and "Don't Take the Girl" was McGraw's first chart-topper. About 35 minutes of relative quiet still was a tough rally for casual stadium fans. Bream noted that, other than three new songs, McGraw's set list Sunday did not include any tunes post-2013.

Did the Chicks actually steal the Target Field show?

Yes, according to both local reviews. Bream wrote that the Chicks have not had a country radio hit for nearly 25 years, yet they were "fresh, refreshing and as exciting as any group in country music." He said the crowd did not want them to leave. The Pioneer Press said they were not the main attraction, though plenty of people were there for the Chicks with McGraw as a bonus.

The trio played 15 songs with almost none of the fancy production of a headlining show, and pacing felt off at times. They still ripped through "Sin Wagon," "White Trash Wedding," and set-ending "Goodbye Earl," with lush harmonies on "Wide Open Spaces," "Not Ready to Make Nice," and Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." They also covered Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild."

What else stood out once McGraw plugged in?

The band finally turned it up with "Real Good Man," "Indian Outlaw," and "Something Like That." For "Pawn Shop Guitar," McGraw told a story about pawning his high school class ring to buy a used guitar, then gave an autographed guitar to a young girl from the crowd. He said if he is still alive in 20 years, he expects a complimentary ticket to see her perform.

Before "Song for America," he told the crowd Minnesota had been "steady and strong." The Pioneer Press said he did not name names but appeared to be speaking about the murder of George Floyd and later ICE-related deaths, then added that this is still "the greatest country in the world" and "we'll work them out." He has undergone four back surgeries and a double knee transplant; reviewers said he still looked energetic, though his voice sounded strained at times.

Lady A took the stage just after 6 p.m. for an hourlong set of hits including "Need You Now." For more odd-but-true headlines, browse Bizarre News & Florida Man.