It’s 7:58 p.m., the lights go down in The Dome at America’s Center in a record breaking, over 75,000 concert-goers on March 9, my first Garth Brooks concert. Garth Brooks rises to the stage. I’m sitting up in the nosebleeds, section 429. It is my first time visiting the Dome and it still has the Rams colors painted on the walls.

The 7 p.m. start time was pushed back to 8 p.m. because of the traffic getting down to The Dome. Brooks begins the show with two of his new songs, “The Road I’m On” and easily transitions into, “All Day Long” with the audience roaring with excitement.

I knew after that song, it was going to be a amazing concert. Sure enough, the next song he performed was country music’s favorite party song, “Two Piña Coladas”. By that song, the whole audience was singing along.

Brooks performed some hits like, “Rodeo” and “The River”. But something happened during “The River”, the whole audience lit up the place with their phones. More than 75,000 people lit up The Dome with cell phone flashlights.

Earlier that day, Brooks’ wife and country star, Trisha Yearwood, were supposed to have a tailgate party but it was cancelled due to inclement weather. But during the concert, he surprised the crowd with Yearwood to come out and sing two of her songs, “Walkaway Joe” and her famous song, “She’s In Love With The Boy.”

Throughout the concert, I was having a blast, especially during my personal favorite, “Friends In Low Places.” But I wasn’t the only Liberty student that went to the concert, junior Nathan Rhodes thought the concert was entertaining.

“He played songs I’ve never heard,” Rhodes said. “He was thrilling and energetic.”

Liberty’s Herff Jones yearbook representative, Dan Mueller, was also at the concert.

“Too many people,” Mueller said. “The line to get in the building wrapped around for several blocks.”

During the encore, Brooks does what he calls “house cleaning” which means he reads fan signs. One of the signs was a woman in cancer remission for 10 years. Brooks sent some positive vibes towards her and the whole crowd gave her a round of applause.

Later on in the encore, one sign read “Stronger Than Me” which Brooks said before performing the song, he hasn’t performed the song since the CMA awards back in November.

After a two hour show, everyone parted ways with memories that St. Louis will never forget.

“This might be the best reviewed or the best concert we’ve ever done,” Brooks said in a Facebook live stream on March 11. “It’s just the beginning.”