Pop Music Review : Strait Makes Good on His Promise

Why has George Strait remained at the top of country music for more than a dozen years, when so many others have come and gone?

In his 90-minute show at the Pond in Anaheim on Sunday, Strait answered that question with his good, solid country music, astute song selection and, more than anything else, by the fact that he was there at all.

The date was a makeup of Strait’s April 29 concert at the Pond, which he canceled after nine songs because a bad cold was affecting his voice. How many performers would have croaked out a few more songs, grabbed the money and run?

Strait, however, was determined to give his fans their money’s worth. Backed by his excellent eight-piece Ace in the Hole Band, Strait delivered on his promise with a 24-song set that combined his hits with the Western swing music that is the foundation of his traditional style.

*

Strait played many of his biggest hits, including “The Chair,” “Ocean Front Property” and “Amarillo by Morning,” but he kept the set from being too predictable by also including several of the non-hits from his two latest albums, “Pure Country” and “Easy Come, Easy Go.”

Strait and his band kicked into high gear with tributes to his biggest influences--Merle Haggard and Bob Wills. Strait dug out a great obscure Haggard ballad, 1974’s “(Seahorses of) Old Mexico,” and let his musicians show their chops on three of Wills’ Western-swing classics--”Milk Cow Blues,” “Big Ball’s in Cowtown” and “That’s What I Like About the South.”

Working on a stage in the center of the arena, Strait changed mikes so that he faced a different part of the crowd on each song. The fact that his back was turned to the audience half the time drained the set of some of its momentum.