Yes, the weather was cold and raining. Yes, the traffic and parking were horrendous. There were a million excuses not to go. However, the fact remained, George Strait was coming home to christen the new SBC Center and attendance was mandatory. So, like cattle heading for the warmth of a friendly barn, we turned our faces to the wind and followed the crowd. What a crowd it was. Opening night for the new arena was sold-out at over 18,000 fans. The sea of Stetsons and Wranglers was overwhelming.

This was Strait's final night of a 21-city arena tour that began in September marked his return to smaller venues after several years of playing stadiums. The stage was positioned in the middle of the floor so fans could get a closer look at the shy cowboy from Poteet. Notoriously quiet, Strait rarely gives interviews, choosing to let his music do the talking. It's a strange case in the music business, but it works well for George and chances are good he'll never change.

Critics often attack the good guys and Strait is not immune from the blows. They claim that he stands in one place, rarely strums his guitar, doesn't talk to the crowd and rarely breaks a sweat during his textbook 90 minute show. It's hard to argue with them, since everything they say is true. The only problem is, someone forgot to tell his fans. For whatever reason, they flock to his concerts by the thousands and are extremely loyal. Each year he works less, yet sells more albums. This goes against every formula in the history of the music business.

Saturday nights' concert was typical by all standards, even a bit below in the eyes of some. Reviews posted on Strait's website mentioned him performing over 24 songs each night. In San Antonio he only sang twenty, actually only nineteen considering "Unwound" was an instrumental while he walked around the stage shaking hands with his fans. His encore consisted of "Folsom Prison Blues" and his customary "Cowboy Rides Away," before launching his hat into the crowd to signal that George has left the building.

As a fan of his since the Gruene Hall days, I've followed Strait's career since he signed with MCA Records in 1981. His first hit single, "Unwound," is still my favorite song. He and the multi-talented Ace in the Hole band played every dancehall and honky-tonk in south Texas for many years before heading to Nashville. Once they arrived in Music City, the powers that be sent them back home to Texas with the following tips: your sound is too "country" and lose the hat. We all know what George did with that advice.

Former Texas nightclub owner Erv Woolsey landed a job with MCA Records in 1980 and by 1981, he signed Strait to a record deal. His belief in George's talent paid off when he left MCA and started managing the career of his new star. At first, he had Strait on every promotional campaign you could imagine, but things changed when George's teenage daughter was killed in a car accident. He and wife Norma chose to grieve privately. Strait started refusing interviews and TV appearances. Remarkably, the less fans knew about him, the more popular he got. He has continued this policy ever since.

This brings us back to the SBC Center concert. It is often hard for members of the press to review an album or concert without any input from the artist. Every year, for the past decade, I have written a review about his latest album. Each time one is released, I request a brief phone interview. Like clockwork, they are always denied. The response is always the same, "Sorry, George speaks to no one." This attitude forces music columnist like myself to use info supplied by Strait's publicity machine.

So with that in mind, those that attended the final show of this tour got a great show. The Ace in the Hole band are second to none when it comes to providing the backbone to the trademark Strait sound. Dressed in a starched white shirt, Wranglers and black Stetson, George strode onstage with the relaxed pace of a rancher walking a fence line. He kicked the night off with a catchy version of the Rodney Crowell classic, "Stars on the Water" followed by his rodeo hit, "I Can Still Make Cheyenne." There were four microphones positioned on each side of the square stage which allows Strait to sing two songs at each side.

As he walked casually around the arena, the hits kept coming, one after another. Fans applauded the new songs, "Life's Been Grand" and "Run," as well as the older ones like "The Chair" and "Amarillo By Morning." Strait has an incredible voice, one that seems to get better with age. There were press reports earlier this year that he was recording a live album for a holiday season release. Wouldn't it be a cool idea to take the band back to Gruene Hall on a Saturday night, capture the magic of yesterday. Something tells me they would play all night, just like they did in the old days.