Rascal Flatts, like so many of its contemporaries out of the Nashville music machine, is technically a country band but with further-reaching pop sensibilities. This may be, in fact, because the band hails from north of the Mason-Dixon line — Columbus, Ohio, to be exact. This innate Midwesternness comes through in the unabashed earnestness of the band's biggest hits, which are midtempo, sweeping ballads that shoot for the rafters.
And although the group incorporates a little twang, its country quality comes through more in the Everyman, almost melodramatic emotional intensity of the songs rather than any hillbilly rollicking. Case in point: The band's biggest hit to date, "What Hurts the Most," hit number one on both the country and adult contemporary charts while soaring to the Billboard top ten overall. The group's also known for its big-budget, high-energy live tours, which all bear names: This time out, it's the "Flatts Fest Tour," which stops in West Palm Beach this Saturday at Cruzan Amphitheatre.
