Rascal Flatts changes

Friday, March 30, 2012 – Rascal Flatts announced today they have re-named their 2012 tour the Farmers Insurance Presents "Changed Tour."

The tour had been called "The American Band Tour." The new name reflects the title of the band's upcoming album, "Changed," due out on Tuesday. The concert line-up will feature an all band set-up with Little Big Town, Eli Young Band and Edens Edge opening as previously announced and launches in Hartford, Conn., on June 15 at the Comcast Theatre.

Tour dates are:

June 15 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre

June 16 Boston, MA Comcast Center

June 23 Washington DC Jiffy Lube Live

June 24 Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live

June 29 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center

June 30 Darien Center, NY Darien Lakes Perf. Arts Center

July 6 Bangor, ME Bangor Waterfront Pavilion

July 13 Dallas, TX ** Gexa Energy Pavilion

July 14 Houston, TX ** Woodlands Pavilion

July 20 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

July 22 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center

July 27 St Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

July 28 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Aug. 9 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Aug. 10 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Center

Aug. 11 Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Bank Center

Aug. 31 Indianapolis, IN Klipsch Music Center

Sept. 1 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion

Sept. 13 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

Sept. 14 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Sept. 15 San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Sept. 20 Boise, ID Taco Bell Arena

Sept. 21 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena

Sept. 22 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome

TBA Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena

TBA Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre

TBA Grand Forks, ND Ralph Engelstad Arena

Oct. 4 Phoenix, AZ Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion

Oct. 5 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Presents the Pavilion

Oct. 6 Denver, CO Comfort Dental

Oct. 18 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena

Oct. 20 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre

Oct. 26 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre

Oct. 27 W Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre

**Thompson Square will replace Eli Young Band

More news for Rascal Flatts

CD reviews for Rascal Flatts

Changed

To some, Rascal Flatts is little more than a trio of pretty boys, existing just on the periphery of traditional country music. And to some degree, these haters are correct. This ain't no honky tonk music. But there is still a lot of goodness wrapped inside all the overly ornate sonic packaging. This new album's title track, for example, has all the power of a camp meeting revival ballad. Heck, the single Banjo sports some mighty fine picking from the inappropriately named Ilya »»»

Nothing Like This

Rascal Flatts have become one of country's most bankable bands by turning out albums that are consistently strong and provide the listener with a nice mix of fast and slow. Which is why it's so surprising that their latest offering, "Nothing Like This," is so bad. While the sound is signature RF, the song lineup lacks anything to distinguish it - the material is boring and nondescript, each song blending into the next without any sort of demarcation. The low point is probably »»»

Unwrapped EP

If the best things in life do indeed come in small packages, this "Unwrapped" EP from Rascal Flatts fits that most worthy description. All but one song have been unavailable for about a year, and one track (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen) is a brand new recording. For Jingle Bell Rock, Rascal Flatts actually trade rock music for big band jazz; this one features plenty of brass horn work. However, White Christmas sticks to a stately orchestrated formula. The trio shows off its vocal chops on »»»

Editorial: Walking the talk – When names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon and the Hag are invoked, you're talking hard core country. These are the touchstones of country , the guys who made country music what it was and still is (or maybe can be). When these folks would sing about being down-and-out and the rough-and-tumble, they knew of what they were singing about. Fast forward a few years to the country singers of today. »»»

Concert Review: McGraw has plenty of fight left – Despite the fact that Tim McGraw is five years sober, fit as a triathlete and touring behind a number one album, he is still in an unenviable position. As he approaches 50, McGraw has to stay a step ahead of the current crop of young country hunks with TV shows, cross format radio airplay and wider appeal. But as he proved at First Niagara's... »»»

Concert Review: Steve Earle doesn't rest (on laurels) – If you didn't realize Steve Earle had a new disc out, "The Low Highway," it would have been no problem realizing that quite and quickly. That was because Earle started the two-hour show with three straight tracks from "The Low Highway," and he would not be done for the night. The title track of was a midtempo effort... »»»

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