The fourth annual BUZN Half DUZN country concert had a revamped format Tuesday at Mystic Lake Showroom.
Sponsoring radio station BUZN 102.9 decided to divide the half-dozen country performers in half for two separate sets instead of the usual six acts sharing the stage at once. The singers then performed in round-robin fashion four times.
The opening segment belonged to three new duos – LoCash, Maddie & Tae and the Brothers Osborne. The closing portion featured three veterans – Craig Morgan, David Nail and Trace Adkins. Both sets had plenty of rewards.
Here are a few thoughts:
Fresh from the Grammy Awards, the Brothers Osborne are very talented even though it was just them with acoustic guitars. Long-fingered John Osborne is a gifted lead guitarist and T.J.Osborne had a star's voice, deep, easy and emotional. Loved their bluesy new song "It Ain't My Fault" and, of course, the Grammy-nominated hit "Stay a Little Longer," which the Osbornes said BUZN has played more than any other radio station.
LoCash proved to be a chatty, friendly hat act – a fedora and a ballcap, with sidemen in a stocking cap and backwards ballcap – that suggested a new version of Big & Rich with stronger vocals. LoCash sparked a lot of the conversational by-play between the three duos.
Visually, Maddie & Tae looked right – one left-handed and one right-handed acoustic guitarist. Their lyrics are clever and cheeky (loved "Girl in a Country Song") but their high-pitched twangy voices are too similar. Imagine Dolly Parton harmonizing with herself.
Craig Morgan's robust voice projected like an opera singer through a megaphone. It was a little too bright. At 51, the enthusiastic '00s star may be past his prime but the crowd responded enthusiastically to such hits as "International Harvester."
