Rascal Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox heads out into the crowd Friday. (Photos by Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

Photos: Rascal Flatts at Cruzan Amphitheatre

The real stars at tonight’s Rascal Flatts show weren’t on stage. They were on the lawn.

Despite the prayers of thousands of fans, the sky drenched everyone not in the covered section of reserved seating. I thought the lawn would be deserted when I turned around.

It wasn’t. The fans were sticking it out.

And these weren’t casual fans with nothing better to do — tickets were still available at show time. The fans who did show up were true devotees. These were fans who knew every word to every song in the Rascal Flatts’ 10-year, six-album career.

And that’s what the Nothing Like This Tour showcased. The set list included pretty much every song you’d want to hear, from their very first hit — Praying for Daylight — to the song that’s climbing the charts now — Why Wait, from their upcoming album, due out Nov. 16.

But it’s their easy rapport on stage — well, that and Gary LeVox’s voice — that makes it so great to see this band live.

By the time Flatts took the stage, at about 9:15 with an explosion of fireworks, it was still pouring. I think if there had ever been a lull in the show, people would’ve left, but there wasn’t. This was non-stop, tag-team entertainment and LeVox’s voice was the best I’ve heard it.

But if you showed up expecting to hear the recorded version of their hits, you might have been disappointed. But you could have stayed at home and had that. Many performers just don’t sing as well live as they do in the studio, where conditions are carefully controlled. LeVox actually sounds, in many cases, better in person. And it’s so effortless, like he’s just holding a casual conversation.

But nobody takes it easy up there. Guitarist Joe Don Rooney and bass player Jay DeMarcus both wear headset mics to deliver the harmonies that made Rascal Flatts famous, and to work the stage. They both talk. DeMarcus is a comedian who likes to imitate women. Rooney is a soft-spoken, earnest boy-next-door who always thanks “the fans, the fans, the fans.”

And tonight was about the fans. I was surprised by how they handled the rain and I was surprised by the reception they gave opening act Kellie Pickler.

They absolutely loved her.

Kellie Pickler opens for Rascal Flatts.

It’s tough being an opening act, but Pickler made it look easy, despite a “respiratory infection and bronchitis.” She was flushed with fever and coughing, but she still looked fabulous in her short, tight, black v-neck dress and sparkly three-inch heels. It made me think of Ginger Rogers “dancing backwards in high heels.” It’s a little easier to strut up and down those ramps in a pair of cowboy boots and jeans!

Her voice might not have been quite as strong as it usually is, but it was pitch-perfect and she hit the high notes like a pro. She apologized for cutting the set a little short, performing The Best Day, Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind, Rocks Instead of Rice, Making Me Fall In Love Again, and a Dolly Parton medley (Dolly actually introduces Pickler on video) that included Jolene and Two Doors Down before she took a break on a stool and got philosophical.

She talked about how the only person stopping you from doing what you love is you and that blood doesn’t make someone your family, then she sang I Wonder, the almost painfully honest song she wrote about her mother’s abandonment. She spoke about how she found closure in the song, and said her goal is to write songs that help other people find closure too.

Pickler had that crowd in her spell. I think people know honesty when they see it and other than her breast implants and hair color, there’s not much that’s fake about Ms. Pickler.

And hey, it worked for Dolly…

Chris Young wears the jersey of friend Jake Long of the Miami Dolphins.

Chris Young, a little eye candy for the women, opened the show wearing the Miami Dolphins jersey of Jake Long, number 77, who Young says is a friend. The Tennessee native is celebrating a big jump for his current single, Voices, this week, up four spots to No. 25.

Young opened with That Makes Me, a Southern rocker that celebrates the hillbilly. Isn’t it funny how some people use hillbilly as an insult, and others take it as a compliment?

Young was smart: He kept his short set up-tempo, sprinkling in his three hits to keep the momentum going. But Young is, well, young, and he needs seasoning. He needs a little bit of Flatts’ confidence and easy rapport (yes, and a few more hits) and a little of Pickler’s vulnerability and authenticity.

I’m willing to wait.

Tim McGraw kicks off the Country MegaTicket at Cruzan Amphitheatre on May 8.

Following some incredibly satisfying entertainment at the South Florida Fair — I saw Luke Bryan, David Nail and Chris Young — we have a brand new festival at Cruzan and the South Florida Fairgrounds.

The first- even WIRK Rib Round-Up kicks off the season on March 6, promising sweet and spicy ribs and extra-tasty entertainment.

Billy Currington is the biggest name on the bill. His second Billboard No. 1, People Are Crazy, topped the chart last summer. Also performing: Vero Beach’s Jake Owen, Darryl Worley, American Idol’s Josh Gracin and newcomer Josh Thompson.

Taylor Swift’s concert at BankAtlantic is the following night (March 7). You’re lucky if you already snatched up tickets for this show, unless you plan to pay a few hundred dollars for them.

Next up is the Country Rat Pack at Sunrise Theatre in Fort Pierce on April 3. Tracy Lawrence, for my money one of the best singer/songwriters in the business, Tracy Byrd (Watermelon Crawl, Keeper of the Stars) and Richie McDonald, the former lead singer of Lonestar, combine for a night of classic country music.

The Acreage Music Festival and Chili Cookoff is back again the weekend of April 24-25, bringing back David Nail, the Eli Young Band and Halfway to Hazard.

On May 8, the Country MegaTicket kicks off with Tim McGraw and hot group Lady Antebellum. Lady A performed at the South Florida Fair last year, pretty much playing their way through their debut album. This year, we’ll surely hear lots of stuff from their sophomore disk, which has already seen its debut single go straight to No. 1.

Montgomery Gentry headline the Country Throwdown Tour, coming to Cruzan Amphitheatre on May 15. (AP)

On May 15, the Country Throwdown Tour, an all-day country music festival, brings Montgomery Gentry, Little Big Town, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram and more to suburban West Palm Beach. Emily West, an adorable down-to-earth singer from Iowa, also performs.

Brooks & Dunn’s final tour stops at Cruzan on June 12, with opening act Jason Aldean (who is also headlining his own tour this year.)

On July 17, Rascal Flatts returns to Cruzan for their annual show. Still don’t know why these guys pick July to come to South Florida, but I’m glad they do! Sexy siren Kellie Pickler joins the guys.

Brad Paisley with opener Darius Rucker show up on Aug. 14.

Toby Keith kicks off Labor Day weekend with his show on Sept. 4. No opening act has been announced.

Oct. 16, Sugarland performs.

2010 TIRE KINGDOM COUNTRY MEGATICKETs are available online through livenation.com or charge by phone at (877) 598-8698, beginning Friday. But if you bought a MegaTicket last year, you can purchase tickets for this year’s shows today with the presale password that was emailed to you. This special presale ends tomorrow at 10 a.m. Go to www.megaticket.com or call (877) 598-8703

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Taylor Swift rocks out with Joe Elliott of Def Leppard. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

Truthfully, I was a little bit overwhelmed by Taylor Swift’s domination of the 2009 CMT Music Awards show last night. I fully agree that her video “Love Story” earned its position as Video of the Year, but did we really need to see three performances from her?

Don’t get me wrong: I love Taylor. Always have. But I find some of her antics contrived, and it seems like no one wants to question Taylor’s judgment. Like the bathrobe behind the fake window during “You Belong To Me”? Did we really need all this overly-orchestrated stuff?

And I was dreading the rap I’d heard about and the Def Leppard number, “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, but I have to say, her rap with T-Pain was cute. And you have to love someone who can make fun of herself.

It also shows Swift’s open-mindedness to other genres and her depth as a musician that she can morph so easily with rap and rock. And the preamble to the pre-taped rap had Swift in Vulcan ears on the bridge of the USS Enterprise and then in NFL gear. “It’s my dream,” was the hook. I doubt Swift dreamed that she’d become the face and name of country music in 2008-09.

And to her credit, Swift has brought a whole new generation of fans, kids who never would’ve ventured away from the pop music charts without a vibrant, youthful, well-mannered young lady to lead them.

And it always seems like Swift’s the most surprised to win of anyone! She is certainly gracious and charming. In her acceptance speech, she singled out Shania Twain and Garth Brooks as role models for her career. She says she learned to make videos by watching Shania, and how to treat her fans from Garth. Can’t argue with that. She also answered the burning question about who her date was: It was her younger brother Austin.

(“God smiles on my little brother, inside and out he’s better than I am.” — From Swift’s “The Best Day”.)

That being said, the awards themselves were fairly predictable.

Golden Boy Brad Paisley won three awards, beating the usually unbeatable Trace Adkins for Male Video. Paisley’s “Waiting on a Woman,” with Andy Griffith, trumped “You’re Gonna Miss This”, with Trace’s dad and lots of friends and neighbors.

Sugarland’s “All I Want to Do” won a buckle for duo video of the year. Rascal Flatts won the group video honors for “Every Day”. They performed “Summer Nights”, a track from their latest album, Unstoppable“. No surprises there.

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Kid Rock gets goofy in the elevator with Sheryl Crow during the after-party. (Rick Diamond / Getty Images)

Yes, I want my kids thinking a stripper pole is cool. I turn the station every time that song or video comes on.

I guess I should be more open-minded about cross-genre acceptance. I certainly love Darius Rucker’s foray into country music. (Can’t wait to see him next month with Flatts at Cruzan.) But he’s the best cross-over artist so far. He left Jewel and Jessica Simpson in the dust.

Other award winners included the Zac Brown Band for Breakthrough Video for “Chicken Fried”. And director Trey Fanjoy, who always contributes fresh, creative products, won director of the year.

Paisley and Urban won for the collaborative video prize for “Start a Band”. And Paisley also shared a buckle with Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson, George Strait and Paisley for their performance of “Country Boy” during the TV special, “CMT Giants: Alan Jackson”.

One final thought: Could it be that Carrie Underwood’s reign is over? Underwood was only nominated in the Video of the Year category and she didn’t win. Her cover of Randy Travis’ “I Told You So” is the first song of Underwood’s that failed to reach No. 1 since “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” stalled short of the top spot in 2006.

But I gotta say, the blondes are taking over: Underwood, Nettles, Swift, Kellie Pickler, Miranda Lambert, Julianne Hough.

Could it be the men of country are going to take a back seat to the women? Hey, look at our President. Change has come to America. Maybe change has come to country music too!

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