Randy Travis brings the More Life Tour to Topeka on Saturday, one night before it ends

The country great appears with his original band and vocalist James Dupré at TPAC on Nov. 7, with The Voice winner Jake Hoot opening.

There won't be many more chances to be in the room for this. On Saturday, Nov. 7, the More Life Tour pulls into the Topeka Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m., and the next night in Branson, Mo., is its final stop. Topeka gets the second-to-last show of a run built around one of country music's most beloved voices, and around the fact that he is still here to stand in front of it.

The bill is Randy Travis with Jake Hoot opening. Tickets run $59.50 to $185.70 through Ticketmaster, with details on TPAC's event page.

It's worth knowing what kind of night this is before you go. Travis suffered a stroke in 2013 that largely took away his ability to speak or sing, and TPAC has been clear that while he will appear, he will not be singing. The songs are carried by the original Randy Travis Band and guest vocalist James Dupré, as WIBW reported when the date was announced in May. The point of the evening is the music played by the people who first played it with him, and the man himself on stage to hear it.

The point of the evening is the music played by the people who first played it with him, and the man himself on stage to hear it.

That framing is what made the More Life Tour more than a tribute act on the road. The final dates were announced on May 26, with Topeka slotted between Oklahoma City on Nov. 6 and the Branson finale on Nov. 8, according to the tour announcement. KSNT had the Topeka stop on its radar from the start, and tickets went on sale at the end of May. Anyone still on the fence has had five months of notice; this week is the last of it.

Jake Hoot, the opener, won NBC's *The Voice* and has been building a country career since. He's a good fit for a crowd that came for traditional country singing done straight.

TPAC is the right size for it. The hall at 214 SE 8th Ave. seats a little over 2,400, big enough to feel like an event downtown and small enough that a fiddle and steel guitar don't get lost in the rafters. It's the kind of room where a quieter, more personal show like this one can land.

A few things to know. The show starts at 7 p.m., so plan for downtown parking and give yourself time; a Saturday crowd for a farewell run tends to arrive early. Check TPAC's page for current seating before buying, and buy through the venue's own link rather than a resale site. And come knowing what you'll see: not a comeback, but a thank-you, offered in both directions.

By Sunday night the tour will be over. Saturday in Topeka is one of the last places to say you were there.

Sources: Topeka Performing Arts Center: Randy Travis – More Life Tour (topekaperformingarts.org); WIBW: Country legend Randy Travis coming to Topeka in November (wibw.com); KSNT: Country star Randy Travis to stop by Topeka for More Life Tour (ksnt.com); antiMusic: Randy Travis announces the final dates of the More Life Tour (musicpressbox.antimusic.com); Ticketmaster: Randy Travis More Life Tour – Topeka (ticketmaster.com)