Rascal Flatts convince another country music skeptic

Amy Reitnouer / Reviewer

If you had told me six months ago that I would be attending a country concert, I probably would have laughed in your face.  And if you told me that I would enjoy it, I probably would have told you to shut up.

But last Friday night, at the Greensboro Coliseum, that is exactly what happened.

On Feb. 24, four of my closest friends and I attended the Rascal Flatts concert in Greensboro.  I was familiar with the band's music, but had no idea what to expect of their show. With no empty seat in the house, I could tell we were in the heartland of country music when cowboys in their rugged hats and boots strolled by our row, with their cowgirls on their arm.

Around 8 p.m., the lights dimmed and the opening act, Jason Aldean, strutted onto the stage. He performed about four songs, including his recent Top 10 hit "Hicktown."  Aldean is a talented singer and guitar player, but lacked the magnetic presence that most great performers bring to the stage.

The next act was Blake Shelton, a much more established artist in the country music world. Shelton performed six or seven numbers, many of which the audience knew. Shelton's driving energy and crooning country voice made his performance much more compelling than his predecessor. At one point, Shelton broke into the Van Morrison classic "Brown-Eyed Girl," and the entire audience joined in.  This song provided a smooth and creative segue into his hit "Playboys of the Southwestern World" (a song that musically draws from "Brown-Eyed Girl".) Finally, it was time for the main group to take the stage.  Rascal Flatts entered the arena in a cloud of lights, graphics and pyrotechnics.  This was technically beyond anything I had expected to see at a country concert, seeming reminiscent of 'NSync and Britney Spears shows in their heyday. But as the band began to play, I recognized more and more songs and found myself singing along at the top of my lungs.

The three-member group had that special magnetism many of today's artists lack. They knew how to work the crowd, chatting and being personable with the audience while maintaining the distance that seems to separate us mere humans from celebrities (their chattiness with the audience did get a little annoying, when the lead singer refused to drop a running gag about the release date of their new album).

At one point, the band even flew over the audience, landing on a platform covering the soundboard in the middle of the crowd, where they performed a few songs.

The concert did seem to lag at certain moments, particularly when band members were singled out to show off their many musical talents (this included a excessively long drum solo, and a song so laden with guitar riffs, I'm not even sure what the lyrics were about).

Overall, with their impressive, powerful performances of such hits as "I Melt," "Bless the Broken Road" and "These Days," Rascal Flatts gave an amazingly entertaining concert.

And so, from one who typically would have never admitted to loving country, I'll confess I am now a convert.  It is not often you see a performer or band who sounds better than their recordings, but that is what all three artists managed to do.

The energy, talent and fun of the Rascal Flatts concert has officially made me a country girl. Just don't expect to see me wearing cowboy boots anytime soon.

Contact Amy Reitnouer at pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.

Sara Portoghese / Photographer

The band flew over the audience using a movable stage at one point during the concert.