Darius Rucker shows he’s Country
May 12, 2011
Sunset Cove Amphitheater, Boca Raton, FL
Written by Erin Marta
True to country style, Darius Rucker first came out on stage at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in torn jeans, cowboy boots, Chevrolet T-Shirt, and ball cap. After all, though he may have been the lead singer of a rock band like Hootie and the Blowfish, Rucker has serious country roots.
Originally born in South Carolina in 1966 (hence his recent album title Charleston, SC 1966), Rucker turned to country after first dabbling in R&B after leaving Hootie and The Blowfish. Whatever the genre, Rucker gave a performance with such heart you couldn’t help but want to get on your feet to watch for more.
He was more than happy to allow fans to look back at Hootie’s brightest moments, slipping popular songs like “Let Her Cry”, “Only Wanna Be With You” and “Hold My Hand” into his song list for the night.
As the show went on it was apparent Rucker was at his most comfortable by turning back to his roots. Rucker’s singing was undeniably coming from the core — even if he did slightly lose his wind in the middle of a few songs. Singing crowd favorites such as “Come Back Song”, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”, “All I Want”, and “Southern State of Mind”, Rucker gave Southern lovin’ folk a show to remember.
Rucker then went on to show pictures of his family in the background, and dedicating his song “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” to all the parents, creating an excited buzz from the crowd. He then went on to announce his new single “I Got Nothin’”, which basing on the crowd’s reaction will soon be a popular single if it isn’t already.
Being the ever-pleasing entertainer, he then slowed things down a bit by singing “She’s Beautiful” and couples across the amphitheater were more than happy to dance.
In 2009, Rucker was the first African-American to win the New Artist Award from the Country Music Association. If he keeps going strong, it won’t be a surprise when the awards keep coming and rightfully so.
Opening for Rucker was Tom Jackson. Even though this Jupiter-based singer and his band aren’t that well-known nationally, their attempts at getting the crowd hyped did not go unnoticed. Singing favorites such as Eddie Rabbitt’s “Driving My Life Away” was a gold star attempt at trying to get the crowd up and active, albeit with little to no success. Other songs that did catch the crowds’ attention were “All About You”, and “Southern Thank Y’all”. Jackson’s show went a little short in my opinion; it was still a satisfying show nonetheless.
Photos by Erin Marta
Tom Jackson
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