I’ve got to applaud those stalwart Zac Brown Band fans!

Wind and rain could not keep nearly 20,000 ZBB fans away from Cruzan Amphitheatre Saturday night.

By the time ZBB took the stage at about 8:30 p.m. people had dried off their seats with towels provided by the staff and nearly every seat was filled. Throughout the show the people on the lawn, many soaked to the skin, cheered the loudest.

There is something inherently different about a ZBB show. The caliber of the musicians is one notable example. Every band member seems to get an opportunity to shine. From the astounding ability of fiddle player Jimmy De Martini to Clay Cook’s guitar work to the two percussionists, drummer Chris Fryar and Daniel del los Reyes, everyone takes a turn showing off their skills.

I loved the set, which looked almost like a big Ferris wheel surrounding the band. The video content shown behind the band was subdued and not a glaring distraction that pulls the eye from the performers.

Before the set, the crew attached a huge white curtain to the metal framework and when the first notes of Keep Me In Mind rang out, the curtain dropped and billowed in front of the stage as a half a dozen members of the crew scrambled to contain it.

Then Zac appeared in a black T-shirt, and what are surely the baggiest jeans on any male country singer. Of course, he had his ever-present beanie on and for those of you who wonder why he wears it, he told TasteofCountry.com that he hates cold air blowing in his ears. He said he needs to stay healthy and he doesn’t want to get an ear infection, so he started wearing it and now it’s just a part of who he is.

It was hilarious to see so many men in the crowd with their beanies and bushy beards: It was almost like a Zac Brown look-alike contest and Zac has singlehandedly made the look cool!

Speaking of bushy beards, John Driskell Hopkins, he of the mutton chop sideburns, stepped up to lead the band in the bluegrass tune, I’m Not Okay, an uptempo romp. The band followed with the rocker – and title cut of their last album – Uncaged.

A lovely piano solo led into Colder Weather, which got a huge cheer from the crowd. The harmonies are so tight yet easy, something you seem to see a lot more in family bands who grew up singing together.

The band followed with Natural Disaster, and a stirring organ lead-in that felt a lot like church. Then As She’s Walking Away, with Hopkins singing the Alan Jackson part.

Zac spoke little during the concert, preferring to do his talking with lyrics and melody, but he did mention that Quiet Your Mind is one of his personal favorites. Then came another crowd favorite: Toes.

An acoustic set at the end of the runway, which called Zac called a Living Room Jam, felt almost like I was in someone’s living room. Opener Levy Lowrey returned to the stage for killer The Problem with Freedom, followed by the tender Sweet Annie. They even mixed it up with a few covers: Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing and the Allman Brothers Midnight Rider.

Zac spoke briefly about his charity project, Camp Southern Ground, which he has called his “life’s work.” (Southern Ground is als0 the name of his label imprint, his first cookbook and is embossed on his guitar strap.) It’s for children affected with neurobehavioral disorders including Asperger syndrome, Tourette syndrome and autism spectrum disorders, as well as learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD and dyslexia.

A guy leaving said the band didn’t do enough original material, but that’s an empty complaint. With more than 20 songs in the set, only five or six were covers of any kind. And when you have a fiddle player who can do justice to The Devil Went Down to Georgia, I’ll listen to a cover tune anytime.

In fact, I’ll listen to anything Zac Brown Band wants to play. Just tell me where and when.