A punk girl's view of a country show-
I'm not generally a country music fan, and it's not that the music isn't good, it's just not really my style.
This is probably because my mom forced me to listen to Country 92.5 FM up until middle school every time I was in the car with her. Nonetheless, when my parents couldn't attend a Rascal Flatts concert last minute, I grabbed my concert bud Lupe and of course, a cowboy hat, and headed to Foxwoods.
When Rascal Flatts hit the stage, the entire theatre seemed to come alive. It was definitely an older crowd, yet they proved to know all the words to each song of their set. Lead vocalist Gary LeVox stopped singing throughout a few songs to let the crowd chime in, saying to his band mates, "Don't you love it when they sing it drunk?"
Throughout the night, they played popular hits "Life Is a Highway," "Me and My Gang" and "Summer Nights" along with some slower tunes including "What Hurts the Most" and "Bless the Broken Road." He also introduced a newer song, "Yours if You Want It." In the middle of "Bless the Broken Road," LeVox looked in the front row and saw a man propose to his girlfriend. He started laughing out of joy and told security to "get them on stage." Then, he continued to sing the song in front of the couple as they kissed and danced to the music. It was truly a special moment for the entire crowd as everyone thought, "Goals, man."
LeVox, sporting a casual t-shirt and jeans outfit, explained that the band had been touring for 17 years and thanked Connecticut for being one of the states to help them gain so much popularity over the years. He definitely has a charming and charismatic personality that kept the crowd engaged throughout over the course of the night. In between songs, he told a few anecdotes and joked around with the audience. When he saw a woman drinking in the pit with a sign that said it was her birthday, he said, "She must be 21 'cause she's drinking!"
Rascal Flatts ended the show with "My Wish," one of their most well-known songs off of their 2006 record Me and My Gang. During this final tune, the audience belted out the lyrics together and LeVox looked humbled on stage to hear everyone singing. I noticed that the country music community is very welcoming and the concert had an extremely laid-back and chill vibe. I can't deny that Rascal Flatts are great performers, and LeVox has an undeniably heart-warming voice.
So, I encourage music lovers out there to give other genres a chance every once in a while. You won't regret it.