Friday night on the lawn at the Mid Florida Amphitheater, the audience was captivated by Darius Rucker and Lady Antebellum. These two artists have been on my playlists for years and I have grown up listening to them with my family so their performances really took me back to my childhood.

Darius Rucker performed many of his country hits and a variety of his songs from his era with Hootie and the Blowfish, his old band. Rucker was very personal all throughout the concert, adding remarks that made the audience laugh and sharing a private side I haven’t seen before.

My favorite part of Rucker’s performance was when he sang “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” and put various pictures of his family on the screen, warming the heart of the audience. The crowd, myself included, went crazy when Rucker sang his cover of “Wagon Wheel”. And early Rucker fans screamed when Rucker performed throwbacks like “Only Wanna Be With You”, “Let Her Cry”, and “Hold my Hand”. 

Lady Antebellum followed Rucker’s performance with songs ranging from their most recent album, Heart Break, to their first album, Lady Antebellum, back from 2008. The energy of their performance  shook the entire stage.

Their songs range from upbeat songs that get you to your feet and emotional songs that have the ability to make you cry. They took the audience on a emotional roller coaster and added so much life to the concert.

Fans jumped as “Compass”, “Dancin’ Away With My Heart”, and “We Owned the Night”  boomed throughout the amphitheater. The audience swayed slowly as they played “Just a Kiss” and “Need You Now”. My favorite part of Lady Antebellum’s performance was when they sang “Just a Kiss” and a image of a storm overcame the screen while it sprinkled outside, intensifying the overall atmosphere of the show.

Different parts of the concert featured Rucker and Lady Antebellum performing together which made the concert more special. They performed the old country song “Strawberry Wine”by Deana Carter together. Charles Kelley, main male singer of Lady Antebellum, sang many times with Rucker, including a song which they had recorded together separately and multiple Hootie and the Blowfish songs.

Lady Antebellum and Rucker are of some of the greatest singers and most talented artists in the country music industry. Rucker has such a warm voice that filled the amphitheater and added a sense of comfort to his songs. Hillary Scott, a member of Lady Antebellum, has a powerful voice among country singers with her runs and other vocal technique. Their combined voices created a beautiful sound as they sang countless three-part harmonies, each note complimenting the next.

My favorite part of the entire concert was when a special guest was brought out halfway through the show. Musician Dave Barnes came out on the stage and sang his most popular hit “God Gave Me You“, which just so happens to be one of my favorite childhood songs.

The concert was filled with so many great artists coming together to put on a show that couldn’t be missed. This was the best country concert I’ve been to because all of the artists had such great live voices and performance, wowing the audience constantly.