My buddy made the best argument about how you define a good concert. His definition went like this: “You know a band is good when tune after tune you say…oh yeah! they wrote this one too. I love this song!”
That was exactly the feeling I got from Darius Rucker’s show at the Joint at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, October 18th.
He just kept on surprising me.
Sure, I knew he was the lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish, so I expected a few of their tunes. However, Rucker reminded me that there were more than a couple, and if you are in my age bracket hits like Time, Let Her Cry, Only Wanna Be With You, and Hold My Hand will certainly bring you back to your high school dance days, making out and lots of heavy petting.
Next, I knew that Rucker had launched a very successful country music career. What I DIDN’T know is how seriously his troubadours tackle the genre. You can hear it in their orchestration with authentic slide steel and fiddle that seems to fit “just right” under a bed of vocal harmonies. This “true-to-the-genre” sound parlayed nicely into their respectful homages to country music legends Hank Williams and Jerry Reed on Saturday. And there is no doubt in my mind that these masters would tilt their stetsons in praise. After seeing how Rucker presents his music live, I can see why he has found success with country hits such as Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It, Come Back Song, Alright, and Radio. All of which he played on Saturday.
And just when I thought the surprises were over, Rucker broke into Prince’s Purple Rain for his final tune.
Let that sink in.
Makes you want to catch a Rucker show doesn’t it?
Maybe you will see me there.