Garth Brooks' Casual Inauguration Outfit Is Causing A Stir
He lays claim to having been a part of nearly every presidential inauguration for over four decades, although he skipped out on Ronald Reagan's and Donald Trump's Inaugurations (he tells Entertainment Tonight that he had a prior commitment in Cincinnati, Ohio when Trump asked). Country music star Garth Brooks says there's a reason he makes himself available when asked: "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" (via People).
He adds: "I got to serve the Clinton Administration with the Concert of the Century, the Bush Administration with Points of Light ... it's one of the things that, if my family is around, no matter who the president-elect is, it's an honor to be asked," Brooks says during a Zoom call with reporters.
So while his presence was requested by First Lady Jill Biden for the Inauguration, because the singer and the Bidens have been friends for decades, and because this isn't Brooks' first Inaugural rodeo, many of us could be forgiven for being 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 his more casual look amid a sea of more formal suits and coats.
Some fans felt the jeans were a bit too casual
Trust social media to come forward to tell Garth Brooks how they really felt about his look — which they did. "If Garth Brooks can wear jeans to the inauguration I can wear leggings to work after COVID," one social media user said. Comedian Maz Jobrani chimed in, tweeting, "If I wore jeans to the Inauguration, my immigrant mother would smack me upside the head!"
Another fan co-signed on his Oklahoman roots for styling. "Garth Brooks really showed up in jeans to the inauguration. Blame it all on his roots he showed up in boots and ruined their black tie affair," she said. She wasn't the only Twitter user who put the singer's more casual look down to his roots. "Garth brooks wearing jeans at the inauguration is one of the most Oklahoman things I've ever seen," another user tweeted. In the state's defense, another native chimed in with "From all the weddings I've worked in Oklahoma, CAN CONFIRM."
Others called Brooks' jeans a display of 'big boss energy'
Not everyone was up in arms over Brooks' more casual look. One fan even turned it into an occasion to raise a few laughs, saying, "Garth Brooks woke up this morning and decided on jeans for the inauguration." And just as there were critiques, there was also an equal amount of praise. Some Brooks fans are calling the "Friends In Low Places" singer's attire "boss moves." One woman tweeted her approval, saying, "[G]arth brooks wearing jeans to the presidential inauguration is big boss energy and that's how I'm rolling in 2021."
There were also those who thought that the 59th inauguration, including Brooks' jeans, captured the essence and diversity of the nation, as another person said: "I love that Sotamayor [sic] swore in Harris," she wrote. "I love that Garth Brooks wore jeans. I love that a baby started squalling 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."
Some fans were unhappy that Brooks was at the Biden Inauguration
Brooks probably didn't need all the grief he took onboard for his take on daytime formal attire, especially since he had already triggered a wave of unhappy talk among his conservative fans when he revealed he would be at the Biden Inauguration, and especially since he had skipped the Trump Inaugural party four years before. "This is not a political statement, this is statement of unity. This is kind of how I get to serve this country," he stressed (via Entertainment Tonight).
And serve the country he did, with a rousing rendition of "Amazing Grace" with some help from the U.S. Marine Band. He even tried to get the folks watching from home into the mood, by inviting them to sing along with him. And as Country Music Television reports, everyone did, including Lady Gaga whose own rendition of the national anthem not only turned heads, it roused spirits too.