Rascal Flatts made their headliner debut Aug. 23 at Boardwalk Hall and the concert lived up to all the hype. The trio of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney backed by a smokin’ supporting band, are really a rock and roll band with country accents. When you hear them harmonize, their musical roots are closer to the Eagles than Alabama.
In the cavernous Boardwalk Hall, the sound tends to float into the rafters. Opening act Jason Aldean’s lyrics were nearly impossible to understand in the back of the house.
However, Rascal Flatts literally bridges the gap between the Boardwalk Hall stage and the center of the audience. They have a bridge that descends from the rafters, allowing them to walk to a platform that rises from the middle of their elaborate set. This gave the entire audience the opportunity to see and hear the great music, and feel the charisma that the threesome generate whether they are just joking around or at the apex of their three-part harmonies.
The show opened with a couple of road songs, “Me And My Gang” and “Fast Cars And Freedom.” After “Take Me There,” Jay DeMarcus, the resident cut-up took the lead for a little James Brown, “I Feel Good.”
The trio walked the bridge to present some of their favorite songs that aren’t big hits, an acoustic trio of “Please Release Me,” “To Make Her Love Me” and “Yes, I Do.”