Country music fans in Denver have a mystery on their hands, and all roads seem to lead toward Garth Brooks.
A performer billed as Yukon Jack is scheduled to take the stage at the Grizzly Rose on Thursday, Sept. 3, just one night before Brooks begins a major run of concerts at Ball Arena. While the name might not immediately ring a bell for most fans, longtime Brooks followers have a pretty good reason to pay attention.
Brooks has used the Yukon Jack name before.
The country superstar performed under the alias decades ago, giving the mysterious Denver booking an unmistakable connection to his past. Add in the fact that Brooks is already in town for a packed weekend of arena shows, and what might otherwise look like an obscure club booking suddenly becomes much more interesting.
The venue itself provides another clue.
The Grizzly Rose was part of Brooks’ early career before he became one of country music’s biggest stars. His connection to the club eventually made its way into his music when the Denver venue was referenced in his 1995 song “The Old Stuff.”
Now the possibility of Brooks returning to the room has country fans playing detective.
The timing could hardly be better. Brooks is scheduled to perform at Ball Arena on Friday and Saturday before playing twice on Sunday. A Thursday appearance at the Grizzly Rose would effectively turn his Denver visit into five performances in four days.
There is one major catch: nobody has officially said Yukon Jack is Garth Brooks.
The clues are certainly enough to generate excitement, but until Brooks, his representatives or the venue confirms his involvement, the identity of Thursday night’s performer remains a mystery.
For fans willing to take the gamble, however, the possibility of seeing an arena-filling country legend return to one of the smaller clubs connected to his early days may be difficult to resist.
Sometimes country music’s most interesting shows are the ones that aren’t advertised with a superstar’s name on the marquee.
