Perhaps Tim McGraw said it best: “Y’all got it made down here.”

We certainly did tonight when McGraw, Luke Bryan and The Band Perry performed at Cruzan Amphitheatre on McGraw’s Emotional Traffic Tour.

The low humidity and light breeze kept things comfortably cool for us in the audience, despite having arguably the hottest man in country music up on stage. And I do not mean Luke Bryan, although he’s adorable.

At 44 (he was born May 1, 1967), McGraw is fitter than ever. Absolutely no body fat on that man. In tight white T-shirt and tight jeans (Luke Bryan’s jeans were tighter however), a belt buckle the size of a deck of cards, and his signature black hat, McGraw started his show on a tiny stage about halfway to the lawn. The first song was one of four new songs he promised he’d play. But he switched quickly into one of his biggest hits, and a fan favorite, Something Like That.

Photos: Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan at Cruzan

I saw a lot of couples in the audience tonight, and a lot of romance. Both men and women seem to appreciate McGraw, of course for different reasons. And he’s a sure bet on country radio. Nielsens’ music branch named McGraw the most played artist of the decade in any genre. It’s songs like Where the Green Grass Grows, one of his favorites, to When the Stars Go Blue, to Last Dollar, all of which he played in quick succession, dealing off No. 1 hits like dollar bills at an arcade.

Then he dug back into the vault and pulled out Maybe We Should Just Sleep On It from 1995.

Sometimes comedic (Do You Want Fries with That), sometimes controversial (Red Ragtop), McGraw’s range of songs — at least two dozen No. 1 singles – lets him touch a wide range of people. That’s why, despite this being SunFest weekend, McGraw had no problem filling the venue. He may have lost a few fans to the waterfront but not many.

One highlight was McGraw’s cover of the Lionel Richie/ Commodores classic Sail On. McGraw said he’s introducing a whole new generation to Richie. Lucky kids. Although no one will ever out-perform Richie, McGraw found solid footing on the song. He’s seems to be really focussing on his vocals, demanding more of himself vocally. The song is a sentimental one for McGraw: He said it was a favorite slow-dance song when he was a teen.

McGraw brought The Band Perry, who opened the show, out to join him on one of my favorite songs, She Can’t Be Really Gone, from 1995’s All I Want. It’s becoming more common for opening acts to join the headliner on stage at some point in their set.

But that song! I love the imagery:

Her hat is hanging by the door
The one she bought in Mexico
It blocked the wind,
It stopped the rain
She’d never leave that one
So, she can’t be really gone

The shoes she bought on Christmas Eve
She laughed and said they called her name
It’s like they’re waiting in the hall
For her slip them on
So, she can’t be really gone

When I turn to look at the crowd behind me I see a sea of smiling faces. I see people who feel connected to one another. I see people who are basking in the positive energy the performers tonight are giving off.

The Band Perry – brothers Reid and Neil and big sister Kimberly – are modern day poets with incredible insight and sly humor in their songs. They’re deceptively simple. Like a really good book, there is more going on than you first appreciate. Plus the line from You Lie that just kills me, “I never liked the taste of crow but, baby, I ate it,” has so much attitude. And I love that the girl in the song is still living in a day where she can get her dad to fight her battles, as in, “My daddy’s gonna straighten you out like a piece of wire.”

Their look is so polished and well-styled: Kimberly in an adorable strapless sundress and boots, and the boys both have bigger hair than some girls I know. But they’re also the real deal, playing guitar, mandolin, bass, and who knows what else. The Band Perry has already made a big splash in the country music pond and has proved they’re not one hit wonders or one trick ponies. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

But the night would not have been complete without the comedic Luke Bryan, who seems to think there’s a R in the middle of the world wash. The sun hadn’t even set yet when Bryan took the stage at about 7:30, kicking things off with Country Man, one of my guilty pleasure songs. It’s one-half jingle – it be great for a commercial for camoflage seatcovers.

Then he got serious with Someone Else Calling You Baby, his No. 1 from February, and definitely popular with this crowd. More popular? When he told the crowd he’d gotten up at 4:50 a.m. to go fishing in Lake Okeechobee. “We got our butts blown all over that lake,” he said, to the delight of the crowd. Maybe he got a nap before the show, because he certainly didn’t seem tired. He literally bounced and bounded across the stage, smiling that perfect white mischevious smile of his.

Another fan favorite was Bryan’s current single, which is stampeding its way up the charts, a party anthem called Country Girl (Shake It For Me). And of course, the song that started it all for the Georgia boy: All My Friends Say, about all the things a guy can’t remember after “shooting doubles” when his ex walks in with a new guy.

Well, Luke, all my friends say they had a great time at Cruzan tonight.

The Nashville Rising benefit concert led by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw has raised more than $2.2 million for flood victims in Tennessee.

The total came from sold-out ticket sales, donations and sponsorships. It will be distributed through the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Last month’s all-star concert included performances by Hill, McGraw, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, LeAnn Rimes, Luke Bryan, Michael W. Smith, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Toby Keith and ZZ Top.

Record amounts of rain the first two days of May caused more than $2 billion in damage in Nashville alone. The water forced thousands from their homes, struck some of the city’s biggest landmarks and destroyed the gear of scores of musicians.

Photos: Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum and Love and Theft

Last week I said I thought a lot of the fans at the sold-out Tim McGraw show at Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach Saturday might be there to see Lady Antebellum, McGraw’s opening act.

I was wrong.

Even though Lady A were enthusiastically received, most fans were solidly of the McGraw camp.

One reason may be that McGraw is an artist who appeals to both the men and women in the audience.
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With the announcement of the seven show Country Mega Ticket today at Cruzan Amphitheatre, this year promises more country music locally than ever!

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.
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Apparently, now’s the time for major acts to announce their 2010 plans. Only days after Bon Jovi talked about their world tour and hours after U2 released their new U.S. dates, country megastar Tim McGraw let everyone know about his tour dates for next year.

The Southern Voice 2010 tour will make stops in more than 60 cities, including suburban West Palm Beach. McGraw will appear at Cruzan Amphitheatre on May 8, 2010.

The supporting acts for the Cruzan stop will be hot young trio Lady Antebellum and Love and Theft, a country-rock group who just put out their debut LP.

Ticket information is not yet available, though McGraw has already begun offering tickets for two shows on the tour — the Houston Rodeo and Country Fest in Cadott, Wis.