So Much For The Dance Floor - ZBB Rocks!

Zac Brown Band rocked the Pan Am Center for 3-1/2 hours last night. This band of musical machines played everything from their hits “Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” and “Whatever It Is” to new music, southern music, and favorites like “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” There was nary a dull moment as Zac Brown and rotating members of his band played on most every song heard throughout the night. The goal was to give the hard-workin’ people of Las Cruces their monies worth, and it was surely worth every penny as the show was much more like a jam session than a scripted concert.

For some, the evening started with what Zac Brown Band calls the Meet-and-Eat. It’s a much more flavorful version of the traditional handshake and photo parade that most country artists do before a show. Invited guests are taken backstage before the show to mingle with the band over dinner. It’s like being invited to Zac’s home for dinner. The whole experience is so casual that you’d hardly know you’re having dinner among “stars.” To start, gracious host Zac shook everyone’s hand to welcome them to the dinner. Beverages were made available and then Zac and Chef Rusty greeted the group and explained the meal. Chef Rusty travels with the band to prepare these meals, and he said that he enjoys shopping at local markets for the ingredients, as well as picking up fresh, local produce. So while in New Mexico, he explained that one of the dishes had (you guessed it) green chile. One of the slaws served was Zac’s recipe, and the meat had one of Zac’s rubs as a spice. More on his recipes is available in his cookbook. Chef Rusty also prepared a strawberry-vinaigrette salad, rolls, mashed potatoes, a noodle dish, and two types of meat. And cookies for dessert. All very tasty, but the real treats were the acoustic performances from each of the opening acts. Around all the food and music, Zac, the members of his band, and all the opening acts just mingled among the crowd like old friends. Joey & Rory and some band members stepped behind the chafing dishes to serve food; all the musicians just fixed their plates and picked a table to sit and chat. Zac mingled the room to assure that everyone was enjoying themselves. It was a special experience that really showed how Zac and his organization do not put themselves on the celebrity pedestal. They’re good people. They just happen to play music for a living.

Showtime brought a fresh approach to the concert experience. Gone was the opening act warming up the crowd for the grand entrance of the headliner. Joey & Rory, acting as singing MCs, brought Levi Lowrey out to sing a couple of songs, and then Zac and necessary members of the band quietly appeared onstage to jam with Levi. Just as quietly, they went away so Sonia Leigh could do a couple of songs – until it was time to appear again to jam with her. Again, Nic Cowan sang a couple songs; guess who came back to help? Each time Zac was onstage, he made sure the spotlight was on his opener, and he was just there to backup. Each opener did a combination of their own music and music written with Zac, but all of it had a fresh, rootsy sound that was spiced with just the right dash of attitude for the Thursday night crowd.

To transition from openers to headliner, the stage went dark and a video retrospective of Zac Brown Band’s career and backstage antics was played. After all, Zac promised a variety show. Again, there was no definitive point in the video that would have bridged the video and live show with a climactic introduction. The band more or less interrupted the video with “Whatever It Is.” Interestingly, all the bands hits were scattered unceremoniously throughout the show. Oh sure, Zac did his fair share of talking between songs, but he more often pointed out new music than the songs that they he’s already been rewarded for. Highlights of the show included the fiddle-screamin’ CDB cover, “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” and “America The Beautiful” introduced with a salute to the troops. But more so, the musicianship displayed by the entire band through the whole night was the major highlight. It didn’t really matter if the song was new, a hit, or an admittedly-silly chicken song, make no mistake, Zac Brown Band can pick and grin with the best of ‘em. The only disappointing part of the show was that there was not nearly enough dance floor set up for all those who wanted to dance. The general admission area that was promised for dancing was so packed that it was standing room only. A few fringe dancers found some room in front of the stationary floor seats; the rest of the healthy Thursday night crowd were in bowl seats.

This fresh, COUNTRY, sound sets Zac Brown Band up as a marking point in the ebb and flow of country music. Like Alabama and Lonestar before them, who respectively made southern-rock and pop okay in country music, Zac Brown Band is in the process of shifting the axis of the sound of hit country music. And that’s ok. Congratulations on all your deserved awards, and glad you had a good time during your day-trip to White Sands.