Garth Brooks uniquely returned to his roots on Thursday, Sept. 3, throwing a nod to Yukon, Oklahoma, the town where he was raised, by using the alias Yukon Jack to treat an at-capacity crowd to a secret show at The Grizzly Rose in Denver, Colorado.
Lucky fans who were able to attend the surprise show took to social media, sharing some of Brooks’ set list, with one video showing him busting out a rowdy cover of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1987 hit, “Fishin’ in the Dark.”
RELATED: 1994 No. 1 Country Classic, Written by Alan Jackson, Is Still a Powerful Generational Hit 32 Years Later
In the TikTok clip, Brooks can be seen sporting a casual look of jeans and a green hoodie while singing the lyrics of the feel-good song. Holding his guitar in hand, he sees a fan offer a bucket with a cold one inside. Surprising fans even more, Brooks trades his acoustic guitar for the bucket and pops open the refreshing beverage as fans scream and sing along to the beloved country classic that continues to resonate with listeners nearly four decades after its release.
@wendykwagener #garthbrooks #grizz #grizzlyrose #denver #yukonjack LUCKY SOB!!!
♬ original sound – wendykwagener –
Written by Wendy Waldman and Jim Photoglo and released on June 7, 1987, “Fishin’ in the Dark” appears as the second single from the band’s album, Hold On. The track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and also topped the RPM country chart in Canada. Additionally, the song has been ranked at No. 56 on Billboard’s 2025 list of “100 Best Country Songs of All Time.”
This marks the second time Brooks used Yukon Jack as an alias. In 1993, the “Shameless” singer, 64, used the pseudonym ahead of his national anthem performance for Super Bowl XXVII, delivering a surprise concert billed under Yukon Jack at Clovis City Limits in Clovis, New Mexico.
RELATED: ‘Queen of Country Pop’ Turns 61
Along with his cover of “Fishin’ in the Dark,” this time around, Brooks played some of his biggest hits like “Rodeo,” “The Dance,” “The Thunder Rolls,” “Friends in Low Places,” and more.
Brooks is on the road for his Blame It All on My Roots tour. The surprise pop-up concert took place ahead of his four sold-out shows at the Ball Arena in Denver, which run from Sept. 4-6.
Related: 1999 No. 1 Hit, Recorded by Tim McGraw, Ranked Among ‘Greatest Country Songs of All Time’