Want to get married in style this weekend? A wedding chapel complete with preacher will be one of the attractions open all afternoon before Rascal Flatts takes the stage to kick of its Flatts Fest tour. Concertgoers will also have a chance to check out some memorabilia, give voice to their inner performers on karaoke or play a carnival game while waiting for Justin Moore, Sara Evans, Easton Corbin and the headliners to take the stage.
“We are really, really excited about it,” said guitarist Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts playing in support of the band’s Big Machine label debut “Nothing Like This.” “Our fans are everything to us. I could go on all day, but basically we just want to give back to them.”
| ONSTAGE |
| Rascal Flatts Flatt Fest |
| » When: 7 p.m. Saturday |
| » Where: Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow |
| » Info: $30 to $85; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
That’s especially true now that the group, which formed about a decade ago, has found renewed vigor since parting ways with its former label. Not only have longtime fans stuck with the band, but a whole new group of fans has jumped into the mix.
Want proof? Consider the band’s top record sales, including “Nothing Like This,” which debuted at No. 1. That’s the sixth consecutive Rascal Flatts studio album to debut in the top slot. Let’s not forget the demand for the trio at major events, including the CMA Musical Festival, which ended Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
The trio spent hours before and after their CMA performances signing autographs, chatting with fans and shaking hands despite Nashville’s oppressive heat.
“We always want to give back,” Rooney said. “In March, [band mates Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox] and I went to play golf with Arnold Palmer [at his Golf Invitational in Orlando, Fla.] and we watched him that day sign autograph after autograph. Here’s a guy who’s a legend, now 82 years old, and he does that and his fans are so appreciative. That’s exactly how we feel about giving back.”
Although Rooney didn’t want to give away all the surprises planned for the show and the weeks ahead, he did note that U.K. pop star Natasha Bedingfield, who recorded the song “Easy” with the band, also joined them in Nashville just over a week ago to film the video.
The video is something different for the band, he said, centered on an opulent love story with Bedingfield, of course, playing the beautiful princess.
Other recent collaborations have included recording “Dancing on the Ceiling” with R&B great Lionel Richie. The new version will be out later this year and the band also plans to perform it — with Richie at least in a virtual role — during the tour.
“Lionel may well pop up at some shows, too,” said Rooney teasingly. “We can’t give away all the secrets.”
Whatever your entertainment preference, sounds like Flatt Fest will offer just what you want.
