Garth Brooks lays claim to having been a part of nearly every presidential inauguration
for over four decades, although he skipped out on the inaugurations of Ronald Reagan
and Donald Trump, due to a scheduling conflict with a concert.
The country music superstar says there's a reason he makes himself available when asked.
He said in a press conference prior to the inauguration,
"I've played for every president there is, since Carter, with the exception of Reagan.
So I've got to sit and have an audience with these people, including President Trump as
well.
This is an honor for me to get to serve."
It's no surprise that Garth Brooks' presence was for the Inauguration of Joe Biden -- it's
not his first rodeo.
But some were still taken aback to see the country music star showing up to the event
wearing a black shirt and coat along with a pair of jeans.
The look was more jarring because he sported a more casual ensemble amid a sea of more
formal suits and coats.
People around the country sounded off on social media to tell the musician how they really
felt about his look.
As one Twitter user put it,
"If Garth Brooks can wear jeans to the inauguration I can wear leggings to work after covid"
Comedian Maz Jobrani also chimed in, tweeting,
"If I wore jeans to the Inauguration, my immigrant mother would smack me upside the head!"
Another fan evoked the lyrics from Brooks' song "Friends in Low Places," making it clear
that if anyone expected him to show up in high fashion, then they just haven't been
paying attention.
That user wrote,
"Blame it all on his roots he showed up in boots and ruined their black tie affair"
That wasn't the only Twitter user who put the singer's more casual look down to his
Oklahoma roots.
As one of several users to point out the down-home style choice put it,
"garth brooks wearing jeans at the inauguration is one of the most Oklahoman things I've ever
seen"
Another poster found no shortage of inspiration in the look, writing to their followers,
"garth brooks wearing jeans to the presidential inauguration is big boss energy and that's
how I'm rolling in 2021"
In a weird way, there were also those who thought that the 59th inauguration, Brooks'
blue jeans choice included, helped to capture the quirky essence and diversity of the nation
as a whole.
One Twitter user wrote,
"I love that [Sotomayor] swore in Harris.
I love that Garth Brooks wore jeans.
I love that a baby started [squealing] as Biden was sworn in.
I love that Doug Emhoff spent the entire time BEAMING.
I love Amanda Gorman.
I love that the entire inauguration truly represented America."
Of course, Brooks also had to weather his share of critical comments for his choice
to not dress up more formally for the occasion.
He probably didn't need all the grief he took for his country western interpretation of
daytime formal attire, especially since he had already triggered a wave of unhappy talk
among some of his more conservative fans by attending the Biden Inauguration in the first
place.
That angle of criticism probably wasn't helped by the fact that he had also skipped the Trump
Inaugural party four years before.
But he continued to stress to reporters that his presence wasn't a political statement,
no matter who's inauguration he's performing at.
As he put it in a press conference, quote, "This is kind of how I get to serve this country."
And serve the country he did, with a rousing rendition of "Amazing Grace."
He even tried to get the folks watching along from home into the patriotic mood, by inviting
them to sing along with him.
"I'm gonna ask you to sing this last verse with me.
Not just the people here, but the people at home, at work, as one, united."
And as Country Music Television reports, many people actually present at the inauguration
did, including Lady Gaga -- whose own rendition of the national anthem not only turned heads,
it roused spirits too.
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