Rascal Flatts Stops in Chicago on Life is a Highway Tour!
Cover Photo By: Evan DestefanoRascal Flatts rolled into Chicago for the second weekend of their Life Is a Highway tour, stopping at the United Center for a night packed with nostalgia and sing-along anthems. The trio of Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney, and Jay DeMarcus has been touring together since 2000. After a brief hiatus, they’re back in full force with a new album of collaborations and a tour that feels like a long-overdue reunion.
Taken with iphoneOpening the tour are Chris Lane and Lauren Alaina. Chris Lane kicked off the night, though his vocals sounded slightly different than usual, perhaps the result of having a little too much fun at the Nashville show the previous night. He opened with his first-ever No. 1 hit, “Fix,” which is hard to believe is nearly 10 years old. A lot has changed since then: Chris is now a father of three and married to former Bachelor contestant Lauren Bushnell. He performed “Big, Big Plans,” the song he proposed to Lauren in 2019, and worked the crowd during the smash hit “Take Back Home Girl,” walking through the audience and handing out high-fives. His identical twin brother Cory stepped out from behind the drums to sing “Let Me Love You,” a tradition that’s been part of Chris’s set for years. He wrapped up his 40-minute set with “I Don’t Know About You.”
Taken with iphoneNext up was Lauren Alaina, fresh off maternity leave and ready to see her feet on stage again. Lauren Alaina is the queen of collaborations as her setlist was a compilation of “Thicc As Thieves,” “One Beer,” and “What Ifs.” Her newest single with Chase Matthew, “All My Exes,” is currently climbing the country radio charts. Lauren stunned in a flowy green top paired with sparkly black bell-bottoms that would make Lainey Wilson jealous. Her vocals were flawless, proving she belongs right alongside Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Lainey Wilson among country’s top female artists. She closed her set with her solo No. 1 hit, “Road Less Traveled.”
Taken with iphoneRascal Flatts have 17 No.1 hits spanning 26 years. Listening to their setlist prior to the concert felt like listening to a long-lost friend. It was easy, uplifting, and nostalgic. It’s hard to feel down in the dumps listening to “Prayin’ For Daylight” and “Fast Cars and Freedom.” They opened with one of their older deep cuts, “Here’s to You,” following up with more familiar “Yours If You Want It.” The band breezed through staple songs that have been in their setlists for decades, effortlessly.
Taken with iphoneThe band later brought Lauren Alaina back out for the iconic “My Wish,” where Gary LeVox proved he can still hit every note as effortlessly as he did in his twenties. Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus each had moments in the spotlight as lead vocalists throughout the set. The multigenerational crowd sang every word of “Mayberry” back to them. Turns out I don’t need a warm trip to Florida to cure my seasonal depression, I just needed Gary LeVox to transport me to a front porch with an ice-cold cherry Coke.
Taken with iphoneThe energy ramped back up with “Banjo” and “Why Wait,” accompanied by stage lighting that was perfectly timed and tastefully done. A piano was brought center stage for the fan-favorite “Bless the Broken Road,” followed by Chris Lane returning for “These Days,” my personal favorite. Rascal Flatts have a gift for making the saddest songs sound joyful.
Taken with iphoneRascal Flatts closed out their set with “Me and My Gang.” That song still hits just as hard as it did back in ’06, even if it no longer appears on quite as many MySpace profiles. The band returned for an encore with the warm-weather anthem “Summer Nights” and, of course, closed the show with “Life Is a Highway.” Their version sounds just a bit better than Michael Scott’s rendition from The Office. This is a tour you will look back on and regret not attending. The night was filled with throwbacks, chart-toppers, and memories. You can catch Rascal Flatts in a city near you through the beginning of March.
