Rascal Flatts Reliant Stadium March 10, 2011
"We've been together for 10 years, but I don't look a day over 'Fast Cars and Freedom,'" giggled bassist/pianist Jay Demarcus of Rascal Flatts last night at the Rodeo. The band, consisting of DeMarcus, singer Gary LeVox, and guitarist Joe Don Rooney, was at the Rodeo for the sixth time.
While they may have maintained their youthful appearance since that 2005 single, the group seems to have lost a bit of its stamina. We remember seeing Rascal Flatts at the Rodeo for the first time back in 2005 as seniors in high school and as unconvinced as we were back then, we still dug it.
Throughout the years, though, it seems that LeVox may have misplaced some of his LeVocal power. He both looked and sounded tired only four songs into the set; but damn, was he sparkling. The excessive glitter made him look like a round, country disco ball.
The group brought out a much younger crowd; they have an "uncommon" youth demographic for country music. As the juvies screamed, Flatts opened with "Bob That Head" from their 2007 release Still Feels Good, followed by "Prayin For Daylight" and "Every Day Love" from their 2000 self-titled debut. LeVox seemed bored and almost mumbled through the verses of "Prayin For Daylight."
They pitched their new single, "I Won't Let Go," which was piano-heavy and helped showcase LeVox's voice. After the song was over, we heard the introduction to one of our old favorites, "Mayberry" and got a little excited because we're a sucker for Andy Griffith and banjos in the same song. If LeVox hadn't changed the melody up so much, we might have even joined in.
We forgave him by the end of the song, however, when we got to hear a banjo solo.
After they played "Fast Cars and Freedom" the band took a quick break while Demarcus took center stage and delivered a respectable comedy set. He talked about the band's days of singing at their local church and their subsequent excommunication after Rooney showed his "ass"- yes, they dropped a curse word on their young, impressionable fans - in a video.
