Country music superstar Garth Brooks fought to make sure real fans packed the Delta Center for his “Blame It All on My Roots” tour, his first of four performances there.

When he took to the stage on Thursday night, he got his appreciation for those fans out first thing:

“People, we know what you went through. We know this is a group that battled the bots all damn day long,” Brooks said. “It’s opening night. So I say, since you guys have worked the hardest, let’s make this the best run of the night.”

And Utah fans showed up to do exactly that.

Word for word, beat for beat, the audience met Brooks at every turn. Which was easy, given the 360-degree stage that allowed fans from all corners of the arena to feel like they got a glimpse of Brooks’ attention. Simply put: There was no bad seat in the house.

It’s not often that a musician is as visually awestruck by the crowd they are performing to as Brooks was in Salt Lake City. The Utah crowd earned hat tip after hat tip from the country star. He was amazed when fans knew what song he was about to play from one simple strum of a chord.

Everywhere you looked, there was a reverent fan: An older gentleman who sat in the front row of a lower bowl section the entire show and sang his heart out, knees bopping and finger wagging. Two ladies all the way in the upper bowl, the only people in their section, swayed and sang along like they were on the floor. Even a baby, clad in neon yellow protective headphones on the floor, watched wide-eyed as Brooks waved.

Brooks, in turn, showed up for his fans, too. His crisp, earnest rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love” was haunting. It was a clear example of what his lack of in-ear monitors does. It allows him to be one with the crowd and echo their energy back.

Songs that got a bit more rowdy, like “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” showcased this energy exchange too. The crowd ate up the banging banjo, addictive accordion and ferocious fiddle.

Then there was the out-of-this-world performance of “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til the Sun Comes Up)” — literally — the stage transformed into something stellar with lifted platforms for both keyboardists and drummers, hoisting them into the air for all to see. One platform even looked like a spaceship.

The show was a trip down memory lane — an ode to Brooks’ music and his legacy, displayed not only by the fans, but by the musical talent on stage. Many of the musicians have been with Brooks for decades.

Brooks closed his show by thanking the Delta Center for “fighting like hell” to make sure he and his fans had a good time.

“People, sometimes a traveler can tell you stuff you don’t know, living in your own city,” Brooks said. “I don’t know if you know it, but take it from me, take it from all of us: Something magic is happening in this city. Every time we play here, it’s the best freaking night you can honestly imagine.”

Brooks has spent nearly four decades in the music industry. Thursday night proved he still has it — that timelessness and ability to connect through music, no matter how long ago it was released.

Utah fans already knew that, though.