Sheryl Crow Rocks

The breakout star of last night’s Rascal Flatts show at Burgettstown turns out to be someone who’s already had, in her own words, “a long career.” While the Flatts put on their usual slickly produced modern country / aw shucks revival spectacle, it was Ms. Crow’s opening hour-long set which made the price of admission seem cheap. By the time she came onstage, the sun’s last glow had all but dropped from the sky, and the massive crowd was in place, tailgating having wrapped up early due to the drizzle. If Crow thought “this is a perfect opportunity to blow the lid off this joint,” she was right. And she did.

It is no secret that Sheryl Crow has given up the pretense of being anything other than a country singer in recent years. Perhaps this is because country music has expanded to include her kind of sound in its ever-widening definition of the genre. Listening to her deliver classics from deep in her catalogue last night made The Inky Jukebox hear them in a new light, where they sounded fresh and relevant — the sing of a good song if ever there was one. In particular was an exquisite version of “Redemption Day,” which likely only those as old as Crow in the audience will recall from her early work, but which was recorded by Johnny Cash late in his life and only recently released. His vocal made an appearance for a verse, and it didn’t seem at all forced or sentimental. It was during this song that Crow also demonstrated one of what would be many subtle examples of her experience and professionalism as a performer, when she gentled the song down to whisper-level, the crowd completely rapt, before ramping it up with emotion once again.

It was this display of utter confidence as an entertainer that impressed and surprised The Inky Jukebox the most. Crow treads the stage with aplomb, and lets her astounding range and vocal acuity free to improvise the way good singers know they can, the band completely behind her. She plays a mean guitar, but a meaner harmonica. Oh Lordy, can she wield that thing like a blues master — at one point breaking “Best of Times" down into one long rollicking harmonica-driven train ride hurtling the song and the crowd down tracks to who knows where; no-one cared; it was great.

Crow appeared to really be having fun up there, and the crowd was on its feet dancing and applauding loudly after each song. She looked in fine form physically and stylistically too; many a younger female singer could take a page from her book. When she re-appeared later on to perform two songs with Rascal Flatts, she added a bit of much-needed sexy spark to what always feels a bit over-rehearsed when it comes to their “ad-lib” sections.

If you have the chance to go see her, do. She’s better in person that on record, which is saying something.

Rascal Flatts (A Little Too Fabulous!)

Come hither. Moody. Smoldering. Cock your pinkie. Forget the camera’s there. Or not. 

Rascal Flatts are known for making crisp, impeccably arranged country pop songs of a squeaky clean nature. The trio can play and can sing. They are consummate musicians. Every now and then a song of theirs will hit every single target on a made-for-radio cheat sheet: melody, lyric, composition, emotion, catchiness, punching the money notes, and their secret weapon: Gary Le Vox’s ability to skewer the sweet note right in the gonads at just the right moment so that it rings in your ears and brain like a temple bell. These are not notes a normal mortal person can hit; nor are they merely notes on a scale. They are the note plus the right timbre. What Rascal Flatts doesn’t need is studio tweaking (even though their recordings sound as polished as glass).

And yet someone thinks that what the group lacks in musical polish they need to make up for in visual buffing. Case in point: the liner notes for Rewind.

We’re just casually sitting here, legs akimbo, pondering this shotoshoot.

The album is liberally decorated with artfully arranged shots of all three men assuming poses that would not be out of place in a 1970s swimwear catalogue. If there’s a chummy male smoldering look they haven’t gone for, it doesn’t exist.

Three beefcheeses on a leather sofa on a riser just hanging out the way men do. 

Dudes don’t usually adopt these stances, and when they do — on a dare, say — and the results captured on camera and then shown to other people, they die of embarrassment. Gary, Joe Don and Jay all vie for the cringeworthy crown — with Joe Don leading the field due to his hair game, meticulously and impossibly coiffed and highlighted in such a way that his chin bristle struggles to remind us he’s a man. Don’t even mention the teefs.

The wonders of Photoshoppe made this “group” shot possible! 

Look: The Inky Jukebox loves the Flatts — they are essential when it comes to singing along loudly in your car — but Good Lord, Big Machine: lay off the Photoshoppe (misspelling intended), and hire a less flamboyant Art Director will ya? (Even if that means firing your wife.)

Rascal Flatts joyrides a Red Camero!

Nothing Like That?

(Since When Have You Been Gone?)

There are a few occasions that bands (and the record companies to whom they belong) want to write the PERFECT hit record for because they get mucho airplay and generate a shitload of sales, One of these is the ideal wedding song – the one you know is going to be played for the first dance at every wedding for a few years. The Inky Jukebox can think of many of them without even trying.

The other occasion is summer. Any summer. A summer can become defined by a song. This year, The Inky Jukebox predicts big things for Rascal Flatts’ song “Red Camero” which hits everything on the Summer Hit Song Checklist.

SUMMER SONG CHECKLIST

• Catchy Hook

For best results, steal something already buried deep in your audience’s psyche. Exhibit A: Rainbow’s “Since You’ve Been Gone.” This is one of the best riffs of all time, and Rascal Flatts just rips it. Give it a listen and see for yourself.

• Danceable

A good summer song makes you want to pretend to be dancing on a truck bed holding a beer in one hand and a big spliff in the other. You should feel free to enact this whether you are in a tailgate or not. For those actually driving a vehicle, you can tap your car door to the beat by hanging your arm out of the open window.

• Summery Lyrics

If your lyrics refer to summertime activities, so much the better. Rascal Flatts are already masters of this: See “Summer Nights” and “Bob That Head.” According to this song, “Summer’s just around the bend.”

For other practitioners of the ideal summer lyric, see Kenny Chesney, Uncle Kracker, Kid Rock, Brooks & Dunn, Sheryl Crow, Big & Rich.

• Anthemic Chorus

Keep it simple, keep it short. Like this:

Turn up the music loud

Take the t-tops out

And let the chrome shine

Cruise along the riverside

Feel the wind blow

Through your hair, through your toes

Got your bare feet

Hanging out the window

Oh oh oh oh oh

• Happy Sound

Some chords are happier than others. This song punches them like G-spots.

“Red Camero” is the seventh song on the album Nothing Like This, the first release from the band since they moved to Big Machine Records in 2010. Rascal Flatts put on an entertainment extravaganza when they tour; this is sure to be a giant crowd pleaser. While last year they opened with either of their two summer classics, “Bob That Head” or “Summer Nights,” The Inky Jukebox is going to strongly suggest this one. Turn up the music loud, fellas. Ta.