Concert review: Rascal Flatts brings rollicking nostalgia trip to Oklahoma City Arena
Rascal Flatts reached the final destination of a rollicking nostalgia trip Saturday night at Oklahoma City Arena.
The country band's successful "Nothing Like This" tour officially crossed the finish line in Oklahoma City, rolling in for a home state show for guitarist Joe Don Rooney, who grew up in Picher.
The concert also marked the final stop for the multi-platinum group's 10th anniversary celebration, and the superstar trio revved up the eager crowd with a high-octane performance, a souped-up stage production and a decade-spanning hit parade.
"I don't look a day over 'Fast Cars and Freedom,'" bassist Jay DeMarcus quipped, referencing the band's nostalgic chart-topper. "But we're gonna take you on a 10-year journey of Rascal Flatts."
The "Rascal Flatts road trip," as lead singer Gary LeVox called it, literally started with a bang, with a burst of fireworks serving as the starting gun. The award-winning band blasted out of the gate with the raucous "Bob That Head" and kept the pedal down for more than 90 minutes.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
The estimated 12,500 fans were thrilled to go along for the ride when the trio started flashing back, revisiting early hits like "Prayin' for Daylight," "This Everyday Love," "I'm Movin' On," "These Days," "Mayberry" and "Feels Like Today." They took a detour with their uplifting new single "I Won't Let Go" and then resumed backtracking with the fan tribute "Here's to You."
"Thank you all so much for letting us do what we've been doing for the past 10 years. I know we've got 10 more years left. How 'bout you?" LeVox said.
He and his bandmates proved that their consummate showmanship, musical prowess and especially their signature harmonies have only gotten stronger and better with age. Unfortunately, they had opportunities to show their professionalism in the face of technical glitches: LeVox kept on singing as his microphone fuzzed out during "I Won't Let Go," launching his voice into the rafters when a roadie handed him a replacement. And neither the band nor the fans let a persistent and annoying echo deter them from rocking through the show.
The Flatts were as energetic as ever, dashing across the massive stage to jam together, clasping hands and snapping photos with the crowd and giving stand-up comedy a spin. Their dynamic showmanship kept them from being overshadowed by the tricked-out stage design, which incorporated vast moving video screens, laser lights, flashing strobes and, in keeping with the blast-to-the-past theme, old photos and video clips of the band.
DeMarcus and his keyboard took center stage for the show's highlight, which integrated humor, the band's history and one of the group's top hits: Rascal Flatts mashed up the old hymn "Oh, the Blood of Jesus," the Journey classic "Open Arms" and their own smash "Bless the Broken Road," along with a generous measure of cheeky stand-up, in a medley that got the crowd alternately laughing uproariously and singing along reverently.
"We can't go back to church anymore because Joe Don thought it would be a good idea if he showed his a - - in a video," DeMarcus quipped, referring to the racy video to "I Melt."
"This little thing caused all that trouble," Rooney joked, shaking his booty to the crowd's delight.
"It's all fun and games until somebody gets excommunicated," DeMarcus answered.
The band opened up the throttle for boisterous favorites "Backwards," "Me and My Gang" and new No. 1 "Why Wait" and shifted into power ballad gear for "Take Me There" and "Unstoppable." Rooney supercharged his solo on the heartbreaker "What Hurts the Most."
"Good to be home," he said after rocking the appreciative audience. "Thanks for the gift you have given us."
The pride of Picher then channeled Jimi Hendrix with a smoking guitar rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" that got the entire crowd on its feet in respect. The fans stayed on their feet when the barreled into the road anthem "Life Is a Highway."
For an encore, the contemporary country hitmakers paid tribute to their classic rock roots with a raucous medley of Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time," Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride" and Kansas' "Carry on Wayward Son" that merged easily into the Flatts' fist-pumping dance number "Summer Nights." The crowd screamed its approval when opening acts Luke Bryan and Chris Young joined the headliners in zooming around the stage and belting out the breezy party song, a lively finale that sent the fans out into the chilly spring night with wide smiles and thoughts of summer fun to come.
Both special guests ably warmed up the audience for the headliners. Swiveling his black ball cap backward, Bryan encouraged the crowd to "get a little frisky with me" on "Rain Is a Good Thing," proudly declared himself a "Country Man" and worked Metallica's "Enter Sandman" into his rowdy "All My Friends Say." He righted his cap and let his warm drawl soften for the heartwrenching hits "Do I" and "Someone Else Calling You Baby." While his latest single "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)" got the fans obligingly swiveling their hips — and the ladies squealing when Bryan did likewise — the new ballad "Drunk on You" fell flat thanks to some painfully goofy lyrics.
Young, who appeared without his trademark black cowboy hat, also mingled new songs from his upcoming album "Neon" with his chart-toppers "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" and "Voices." Before he could sing his smash "The Man I Want to Be," a roadie took the stage bearing a silver-wrapped package, a gift from Rascal Flatts to mark Young's last night touring with them.
With obvious apprehension, the singer tore off the wrapping, opened the box and found inside a sparkly black dress. The crowd roared with laughter as a photo of Young wearing a short silver gown appeared on the giant video screens under the heading "The Man I Want to Be Tour."
"Man, I look skinny as hell," Young joked good-naturedly. "Well, I knew it was coming. It's the last night of the tour, and I love those guys ... even though they did this to me."