Friday night at Amalie was date night on steroids, as the most dynamic duo in country music, hell maybe all of music, showed off what two decades of marriage should look like.
Eleven years ago, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill graced the then St. Pete Times Forum with the second run of their Soul 2 Soul World Tour, which also happened to be the highest grossing country tour of all time. In the time since, the McGraw-Hill marriage has been one of the few love stories we could rely on (R.I.P. Brangelina.)
While tabloids have regularly reported over the last decade on a potential split between the two, they showed everyone at Amalie Friday night that not much of their lust and attraction has been lost in 21 years of marriage. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. and an opening set from LOCASH, the two appeared through openings in the stage to the music of “It’s Your Love,” one of the many eclectic duets the duo would sing on the night.
Whereas the previous tour stage was situated in the middle of the arena, 2017’s Soul 2 Soul tour went for a more traditional approach, with the typical endstage setup. The stage and production, backed by a jumbo-sized video screen, were themed with entangled triangles, symbolizing the unity of one of the few feel-good marriages left among Hollywood alum today.
On paper the two are one of the most successful couples around, with a combined eight Grammys and over 80 million records sold (that’s not yet including their upcoming duets album due November 17.) While the all that success looks great on paper, the McGraw-Hills are even more tantalizing in person.
Six months into a world tour that saw both turn 50 years old, the pair looked radiant on Friday night. In his seemingly patented slacks, boots and gleaming black cowboy hat, McGraw appears to have kept up with the fitness regime that helped revitalize his looks and career in the mid-2000s, with veins popping from his arms and neck effortlessly as he performed. This was only to be upstaged of course by Hill, who came out in a clinging red dress adorned with her long blonde hair, which bounced in the air as she gleefully pranced around the stage, often with a guitar in hand.
For her part, Hill commanded the stage whenever she got the chance. Early on in the opening duet, her soaring vocals were enough to shun McGraw and leaving him watching in awe of his partner with the rest of Amalie. As she playfully chided him post-song for “giving up,” he provided an anecdote for the married men in the crowd.
“I didn’t give up, I’ve just been married 21 years,” slyly adding, “She’s the boss.”
Shortly after this and an opening stretch that found the two bouncing back and forth between their respective hits, McGraw dipped backstage and gave way for a solo Hill stretch that lasted six songs. Here she dusted off former no.1 hits “Breathe” and “This Kiss” for the 13,500 in attendance, even joining them in the crowd while singing “Piece of My Heart.”
As she returned to the stage, security had to quickly dash back into the crowd as McGraw stormed from backstage in to the stands, running up the stairs of one of the far sections.
The more tour-seasoned McGraw reenergized the crowd with his hit-filled catalog, launching into tunes like “Real Good Man” and even an acapella version of “Where The Green Grass Grows.” After playing his more recent hits “Shotgun Rider” and “Humble and Kind,” he unified the crowd for the always tear-inducing “Live Like You Were Dying,” a tune penned by McGraw himself after his dad’s passing in 2004.
If there was one knock on the night, it was the brevity of the show. Whereas the last Soul 2 Soul stop featured a 40-plus song setlist, Friday night’s show was a quick two-hour, 26-song performance, leaving a number of the couple’s hits on the table.
Few would complain, however, as McGraw and Hill packed the night with a number of memorable moments that left the crowd feeling fuzzy and reaching for their date next to them. The most endearing of these came at the night’s closing.
After McGraw’s own solo set, Hill rejoined him on stage for a collaborative closing set that began with both capping their solo material with respective hits “Something Like That” and “Mississippi Girl.” The two later joined each other mid-stage and sat atop closely situated chairs, which then elevated in midair. Sitting face to face, they reminded Amalie why they still sell out around the world.
With hands all of each other, the two capped the night with one of their most popular duets in “I Need You.” The thousands looking on with envy and in awe were seemingly forgotten by the couple on stage, who remained locked on to one another during the song and as they took in the standing ovation after.
Wish we could all live that fairytale.
