Tim McGraw draws country music fans to Pittsburgh for 'Standing Room Only' tour

Pittsburgh’s country music fans were out in full force Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena — all for 56-year-old singer Tim McGraw’s “Standing Room Only” tour.

Sporting a V-neck maroon T-shirt and skinny jeans, McGraw entered from under the stage following a sequence of silhouettes that were projected on the large screen, much to the audience’s anticipation.

The country singer opened with his bold hit “Truck Yeah,” which transitioned into “Southern Voice” and “All I Want Is a Life,” which had a retro, red vibe.

During the second tune, McGraw played guitar, and a bright, colorful mountain scene with a truck, flowers and trees was projected on the backdrop.

McGraw then performed a cover of Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer,” which featured theater imagery with a chandelier in the background. The rendition included heavy drums, guitar and bass, and it had country undertones.

After the song, he paused to introduce himself.

“How you doing? My name’s Tim,” he said — in a Southern accent, of course.

McGraw explained that he usually doesn’t talk much during his concerts. He promised the audience that the more they drank, the better his music would sound, which earned some laughs from the crowd.

Arguably one of the best Tim McGraw songs was performed next: “Just to See You Smile.” He went around and reached down to the fans standing in the front row to touch their hands during this one.

Tim McGraw sings his hit “Just To See You Smile” here at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/tbBRRtXK2U

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) April 28, 2024

He then played “Over and Over,” which had a farmhouse in the background, and “Shotgun Rider,” which had a cityscape with fast-paced traffic in the background.

One of McGraw’s brand-new tunes, “One Bad Habit,” was next up. It’s from his EP titled “Poet’s Resumé,” which was released last November. The crowd cheered for this one, as it played images of him and his wife, Faith Hill, performing together and just being generally cute together.

He played “Watch the Wind Blow By,” and the slow groove had a few couples in the crowd dancing together or putting their arms around each other.

The audience got excited for “Something Like That,” and there was an artsy background with pastel paint splotches and a watercolor scene for “Where the Green Grass Grows.”

McGraw played the title song from his album next, “Standing Room Only,” which had a blue and galaxy-themed background. He said he was going to “get a little pretty” during that one.

The audience was back on its feet for “Red Ragtop.”

“What the hell’s going on?” McGraw asked after the number. “If this was California, these lights would be really beautiful.”

“Highway Don’t Care” was definitely a fan favorite of the night, as it’s a collaboration with superstar Taylor Swift and singer Keith Urban. The tune had the music video projected in the background, which is very black and white, and the background also depicted cracked glass.

People sang along to Swift’s lyrics in the duet, and there was a sick guitar solo as well.

“Give it up for Miss Swift,” McGraw said at the end to loud cheers.

Perhaps one of the most energetic numbers of the night was “I Like It, I Love It” — as people were literally screaming. The upbeat number had county fair imagery with fireworks, and the crowd was on its feet dancing.

McGraw closed out his main set with “Felt Good on My Lips” and “Real Good Man.”

Both Abby Anderson and Carly Pearce opened for McGraw, offering an energetic beginning to the concert.

For his encore, McGraw sang three very emotional tunes: “The Cowboy in Me,” “Humble and Kind” and “Live Like You Were Dying.”

Phone lights were turned on, and the audience swayed to “Humble and Kind.”

“Thank you so much for that song,” McGraw said after that tune.

The final number had McGraw’s fans singing along, and he ended the concert with a curtsy.