Never mind that many of the songs dated from 20 or more years ago, Thursday's sold-out show (the first of an 11-show run in Chicago and the kickoff of Brooks' recently announced world tour) proved this Oklahoma boy's music still resonates-and that he still has a lot more to say.

The 24-song concert ran more than two hours and included songs from throughout Brooks' career, from his first single "Much Too Young to Feel This Damn Old" all the way up to the bright and peppy "People Loving People." The latter is a brand-new release that already had fans singing along with the catchy chorus, even though the song had literally debuted on country radio just two days earlier.

After a brief set by Karyn Rochelle, a backup singer in Brooks' band who's also a successful songwriter (Kellie Pickler's "Red High Heels," among others), Brooks chose to introduce his new show in a nontraditional manner. On a cube-shaped video screen that hung above the drummer's neon-draped, orb-shaped cage (the visual centerpiece of the stage), Garth's trademark 'g' logo transformed into a glaring red skull. Amidst a barrage of industrial noise, we then heard menacing,Terminator-like messages demanding "do not think" because the "machines are in control." This odd but intriguing intro did turn out to have a purpose, leading into one of Brooks' new songs, "Man Against Machine."

Next, Brooks abruptly left the machines behind for more familiar territory, in this case his 1991 hit "Rodeo," followed by "Papa Loved Mama," "Beaches of Cheyenne" and "The River."

The show felt like a celebration, a grand reunion between old friends - Brooks, his band (many of whom have been with him for over two decades) and thousands of his fans, who at certain points screamed so loud that it left ears ringing.

Brooks fed off that energy. "You came back! You came back!" he shouted, his voice adding to the roar. He paced the stage, grinning as he stared into the crowd, shaking his head in disbelief at the experience, his face dripping with sweat. It was a happy, glorious moment, one that his fans had long hoped would take place (Brooks had 'retired' in 2001 to spend time with his family). And it was clear Brooks missed this experience, too. "Finally there is nothing between you and us," Brooks said.