Flat Is Right
I went to see Rascal Flatts at Riverbend last night. Overall, not a bad experience. They put on a very good live show, with an emphasis on the show part - lots of stage props, lighting, etc. Musically, it wasn’t bad - despite the horrible acoustics of Riverbend. I also thought the soundman could’ve cranked up the mains a bit more - it just seemed quiet to me.
Vocally, it was a different story. Gary - the lead singer - was flat a LOT. Really flat. He also avoided singing the high parts in a lot of songs - choosing instead to hold out his mic toward the crowd and let them sing (a fairly standard “rockstar” move). I’m sure there’s a couple of possible factors for this: 1.) they’re on tour - I know this is hard on a person’s voice, or, 2.) he may not’ve been able to hear himself well in his in-ear monitors. I did notice him fooling with his left ear monitor bud a lot over the course of the evening. The other guys in the group (who mainly sing backup, but also sang a couple of solos each) sounded really good. I just don’t know the reason behind Gary putting the FLAT in Rascal Flatts.
There were a few songs I would’ve liked to hear that didn’t get played, but I tried not to have any expectations. I didn’t listen to them at all this week, prior to the concert. If you’re a fan of the music, and like to see a good show, I’d recommend seeing them. Just know that you might sing the songs a little better than they will!