Rascal Flatts heat up Lexington

The first rule that any artist needs to learn before going on stage in front of thousands of people – remember the words to your songs, especially if you write them.

Going into the Rascal Flatts concert Friday, the skepticism was weighing heavy considering that Jessica Simpson was the opening act for a band way, way better than her. As she took the stage the skepticism changed to sheer doubt when it became clear she was lip-syncing.

Now, this is common during live performance; however, big-name artists who do lip-sync have been doing if for a while, and more importantly – they are not as ditzy as Jessica Simpson. It was obvious she needed to practice her routine a little more.

It was also clear she needed a little more time to memorize the words to her songs because around a minute into “Come On Over” Simpson had to tell the band to stop and start again.

“I forget the words I actually write,” Simpson said. “I am a nerd; I do it all the time.”

After having to listen to Simpson rant about her top-notch boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, and her oh-so-precious father, Joe; the audience breathed a sigh of relief as she left the stage. The girl next to me even said, rather loudly, “Thank God it’s over.”

After a 30-minute break, the stage was set and the audience stood in anticipation as the starry night backdrop appeared to have a comet headed for Rupp Arena. As the comet crashed, fireworks blazed and “Still Feels Good” blasted from the sound system as Rascal Flatts made their way to the stage.

Most times, being from Kentucky and all, being called a redneck would offend some, but the boys of Rascal Flatts, especially bass player Jay DeMarcus, said they were more than happy to sit in traffic for three hours just to make it to Kentucky. They told the audience to prepare themselves for the biggest “redneck party” Lexington has ever seen.

Before the “redneck party” began the boys warmed the audience up with a few songs from past and present albums. But what appeared to be the highlight of the evening was DeMarcus’ 10-minute comedy stint.

As lead singer Gary LeVox took a breather backstage, DeMarcus grabbed a towel full of sweat and proceeded to talk about girls in short skirts. Despite his horrifying attempts at girly voices, his routine was fitting seeing as many girls braved the freezing weather Friday in short, jean skirts and cowboy boots.

Despite their horrible opening act, Rascal Flatts proved they can definitely put on one hell of a concert.

As the band wrapped up the evening with “Me & My Gang” and “Bob That Head,” the audience watched as balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling.

Now, we just have to hold out until April 7, when their newest studio effort, “Unstoppable,” hits stores, which ultimately leads to another tour, and, if we are lucky, another stop in Lexington.

Kelly Wiley is a journalism senior.