It was the perfect match when Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan and Uncle Kracker graced one stage at the Arco Arena in Sacramento. Between the three of them they pretty much have the country thing covered. It was a night of songs that spoke of broad topics such as guns, tractors, beer, and the farmer’s daughter. Really, what more could a country fan want.

Craig Morgan took a few fans by surprise when the spotlight hit him about three rows deep in the audience. He then leapt on stage and launched into a 90 minute set that had the entire crowd on their feet and singing along. Although Morgan has had major success within the country industry he is far from a household name. A talented musician and entertaining live performer, Morgan put on an energetic set that kicked off with the upbeat “Bonfire.”

When the first chords of “International Harvester,” were played the audience went into a frenzy. Fans stood on chairs, cowboy hats were flung, and the party ensued. Uncle Kracker’s set had been lackadaisical. He’d stayed stationary behind the mic for much of the set. Morgan on the other hand was all over the place. He has obviously head lined a few shows in his day. The on stage experience showed and he closed out the explosive set with his current single “Still A Little Chicken Left On That Bone.”

Rodney Atkins is an outright superstar. He’s certainly southern, not afraid to speak his mind and makes catchy music that country radio stations love to play. He spent nearly a decade on the bar circuit before he hit it big. Now that he has, he’s not wasting any time. Happy for an audience of any size, Atkins is sure to put on a memorable show and that’s exactly what he did in Sacramento.

Apparently Atkins appreciates his fans. It’s a wonder he actually sung any songs as he spent most of his first couple minutes on stage high-fiving kids, signing hats and giving the audience some serious face time. Atkins has a no nonsense attitude about him. He donned jeans a t-shirt, what looked to be work boots, and an old baseball cap. That is Atkins uniform. Whether performing in a bar or at a prestigious awards show.

That persona comes through in songs such as “These Are My People,” and “Cleaning This Gun.” Atkins referred to the latter as a love song. He’s most definitely country, doesn’t really have that pop sound that most country groups have these days and even had a montage tribute to Hank Jr play on the larger than life screen that served as his backdrop.

Atkins set was plain old fun to watch. No frills except for the giant LED screen behind him that usually featured pictures of famous country artists like George Strait and Willie Nelson or an image of the American flag. Atkins is what the country industry needs more of: hard working, genuine and appreciative to anyone that will take time to listen.

Review By: Tyler Sobie