I want to invite you out to the MSU Ampitheater Saturday night for what I anticipate to be a great show from a crossover artist who really exemplifies the spirit of country music.
As a country purist, I have not been all that pleased with crossover attempts to join the country genre for the most part. Jessica Simpson and Jewel have both dangled their pedicured toes into country music’s waters, as have Kid Rock and Miley Cyrus. None of their efforts have thrilled me. Then there is the crossover from Kenny Chesney, who left my beloved genre to sow his wild island oats, but that is another topic entirely.
There is one crossover artist I have embraced, however. His first solo single so impressed me that I rushed out on the day of his album’s release and bought a copy. That is something I have not done since one Garth Brooks released his last studio album, and that was before I was able to legally drive myself, which puts him in pretty good company, I have to say.
That artist is Darius Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish fame. His album Learn to Live is the second-best debut album of 2008.
The first single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” should have earned consideration for Song of the Year, though it may not be the best song on the album, it certainly set the bar high.
The second single, “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” is almost as good and is currently climbing the charts. The album’s title track is also very solid, even if it does flirt a bit with being cliché.
The album’s singles have recently received a lot of radio play, specifically the most recently released one. This could be in part to local stations wanting to promote him leading up to his show this weekend, but I feel it has more to do with him gaining national popularity.
Rucker’s powerful voice is just familiar enough to appease fans of Hootie & the Blowfish, and his songs are authentic and meaningful enough to resonate with even the pickiest country music lover. Rucker’s music is far truer to country music’s roots than the crap some “mainstream” Nashville artists have put out recently (see earlier Kenny Chesney comment).
Though Rucker’s music stands alone as a good enough reason to hope for his success, it is not the only reason I am rooting for him. For one thing, a successful transition will pave the way for others to follow. While most of the artists tempted to cross over are probably washed-up one-hit wonders, Rucker is proving they do not have to be. Anytime talented artists consider an experiment in country, it is a good thing, though I usually wind up talking badly about them.
I hope to see a good turnout for Rucker’s performance tomorrow at the Ampitheater from both traditional country fans and fans of Rucker.
Come out, have a good time and enjoy the free show. Don’t, however, expect to hear Hootie & the Blowfish. He may play some of his old songs, but his new stuff sounds far different.
And whatever you do, do not call him Hootie.