The Rhythm & Roots Tour was the fourteenth headlining concert tour by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

trio

Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cou ...

. It began on June 17, 2016 in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

and ended on October 8 of that year in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Background

The tour was first announced on March 4, 2016. About the tour

Jay DeMarcus Jay DeMarcus (born Stanley Wayne DeMarcus Jr.; on April 26, 1971) is an American bassist, vocalist, pianist, record producer and songwriter. From 1999 to 2021, he was a member of the country pop group Rascal Flatts. Early life DeMarcus was born ...

says,

"It's really important to us that each year our shows are fresh and exciting for our fans,". "We put a lot of thought into how to do that this year and mixing it up in Vegas was really fun so we decided to continue with this new change of pace out on the road this summer, so we can share it with more of our fans. We're really excited to have such great support this year with Kelsea and Chris too, it's going to be a blast!"

Concert synopsis

As the show begins the opening notes of "Summer Nights" can be heard behind a black curtain, then the curtains go up and the band is revealed. During "Rewind" there are video clips highlighting some of the groups best moments like when they met

Muhammed Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

, Disney characters, and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Stage design

There are three video screens, the trio and keyboardist stand in front other tour band members who stand on risers.

Opening acts

Kelsea Ballerini Kelsea Nicole Ballerini (born September 12, 1993) is an American country pop singer. She began songwriting as a child and signed with Black River Entertainment in 2014, releasing her debut studio album the following year, '' The First Time''. H ...

* Chris Lane *

Chase Bryant Chase Spencer Yaklin, better known by his stage name Chase Bryant (born October 9, 1992) is an American singer and songwriter. Bryant is a family name shared by his grandfather, Jimmy Bryant, who performed with Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings. In ...

Setlist

#" Summer Nights" #"

I Like the Sound of That "I Like the Sound of That" is a song by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in September 2015 as the fourth and final single from their album '' Rewind''. The song was written by Jesse Frasure along with American singer Megh ...

" #" Banjo" #"

Come Wake Me Up "Come Wake Me Up" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in May 2012 as the second single from their eighth studio album, ''Changed''. The song was written by Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren a ...

"/"

I Melt "I Melt" is a song written by Gary LeVox, Wendell Mobley, and Neil Thrasher and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in July 2003 as the third single from the band’s 2002 album ''Melt (Rascal Flatts album), Melt ...

"/" I Won't Let Go" #"

Life Is a Highway "Life Is a Highway" is a song by Canadian musician Tom Cochrane from his second studio album, ''Mad Mad World'' (1991). The song became a number-one hit in Canada in late 1991. "Life Is a Highway" also peaked at number six on the US ''Billboard'' ...

" #"Forever Young" #"

Bless the Broken Road "Bless the Broken Road" is a song that has been recorded by several American country music artists. Co-written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd, and Jeff Hanna in 1994, it tells how the journey through relationship heartbreak and disappointment was ...

" #" Rewind" #"

Fast Cars and Freedom "Fast Cars and Freedom" is a song recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in March 2005 as the third single from the album '' Feels Like Today''. It was the group's fourth Number One single on the U.S. '' Billboar ...

" #" Purple Rain" #" Love You Out Loud" #"

My Wish "My Wish" is a song written by Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson, and recorded by American country music group Rascal Flatts. It was released in August 2006 as the third single from their album ''Me and My Gang''. It reached number one on the U.S. ...

" #" Take Me There" #"

What Hurts the Most "What Hurts the Most" is a song written by American songwriter Jeffrey Steele and English songwriter Steve Robson. Initially recorded by country music artist Mark Wills in 2003 on his album '' And the Crowd Goes Wild'', it was covered by Bell ...

" #"Here's to You" #"

Me and My Gang ''Me and My Gang'' is the fourth studio album by the American country music group Rascal Flatts, released on April 4, 2006 by Lyric Street Records. The album became the highest US debut of 2006, with 721,747 units and went double platinum in the ...

Tour dates

;List of festivals and fair

Critical reception

Elisabeth Arriero, a correspondent for ''

The Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...

'' says, "There's a reason why Rascal Flatts can still fill up venues like PNC Music Pavilino after 16 consecutive years on tour: They have this live performance bit down to a science without losing any of the enthusiasm or heart."

References

{{Rascal Flatts 2016 concert tours Rascal Flatts concert tours