Mellow Jackson stays a country boy

The ghosts of country music were definitely in the vicinity of the Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday evening. Before a near sellout audience, Alan Jackson proved it is possible to be a successful country singer without putting on a show filled with the theatrics that seem to categorize most of country's current acts. This style of down-home, old-fashioned country jamming has made Jackson a true industry legend, and has helped bolster his "All American Country Boy" image.

Before Jackson took the stage, however, up and coming superstar Deana Carter gave a stellar opening performance. Carter is currently promoting her debut album, "Did I Shave My Legs For This?" - which has already spawned such hits as "And The Band Played," "Count Me In," and her trademark "Strawberry Wine." These new hits were delivered with Carter's sweet-yet-powerful voice and charismatic stage persona, making it perfectly clear why she is one of country's most promising young stars.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily Alan Jackson points the way "down yonder" during Saturday night's Palace show.

A somewhat mellow Alan Jackson finally took the stage and launched into his signature hit, "Chattahoochee" amidst a hallowing audience. The Palace crowd seemed to personify the stereotypical image of country music, ranging in ages from seven to 70, many of whom were adorned with the customary cowboy boots and hats. The audience even grew a little rowdy as hoards of females attempted to evade the security guards, trying desperately to get a closer look at the singer.

One of the things that has made Jackson such a star is the fact that his tunes vary in tempo and style. With upbeat humorous songs like "I Don't Even Know Your Name" mixed with bluesy hits like "She's Got The Rhythm (And I Got The Blues)," Jackson kept the crowd entertained throughout the evening.

But Jackson also performed his love songs, which were met with ear bending shrills. Slow tunes like "I'll Try" and his most recent hit, "Between The Devil And Me" showcased not only Jackson's diverse abilities as a performer but also as his dynamic vocal range.

The show also contained an intriguing interlude when Jackson and his band switched to all acoustic instruments and gathered at the front of the stage for a hootenanny-style jam. This was a bit of a break from the rest of the performance, but it succeeded in giving the Palace a feeling of intimacy. During this acoustic set, Jackson and company delivered shortened versions of "Wanted" and "(Who Says) You Can't Have It All," and closed with the Eagles' "Seven Bridges Road." While this particular element of the show didn't maintain the previous intensity, it did allow the audience to experience a more personal side of the music. Before each tune Jackson explained the background and creation of each piece. His rich vocals echoed through the arena, clearly resonating above the acoustic instruments.

REVIEW
	Alan Jackson The Palace Feb. 14, 1998

The show was brought back into the electronic age with an intense southern rock style guitar solo performed by Danny Grosh. This led into another standard, "Don't Rock The Jukebox." Following this, the pace slowed down again with "Midnight in Montgomery," performed amidst a fog-drenched stage. The piercing steel guitar reverberated throughout the entire arena. Jackson then closed out the set with two of his newer tracks, "Little Bitty" and "Who's Cheatin' Who," after which he accepted numerous roses and then left the stage while the band continued to jam.

After a momentary break, Jackson returned to the stage once again for a rousing "Gone Country," bending the lyrics to sing "Detroit City's Gone Country," which was met with an intense roar of approval from the audience. Jackson then broke into a rocking rendition of "Mercury Blues," during which each band member was given an opportunity to solo, once again showcasing the band's intense musicianship. What seemed to destroy this musical outpouring was Jackson's blatant butchery of the words in the last chorus. Recently the lyrics have been altered in a nationally televised commercial switching the words "Crazy 'bout a Mercury" to "Crazy 'bout a Ford Truck." While the new lyrics fit well into the song, Jackson's motives for doing this should be seriously questioned.

Despite these episodes of blatant commercialism, Alan Jackson gave a solid old fashioned country music performance. Without much fanfare he has taken a sound that has been around for ages and given it a more modern twist without compromising the style of his predecessors. In doing so he has become one of the most successful artists of the '90s. But the duality of Jackson's show demonstrated the pitfall of mainstream success - while still giving a stellar performance, it was masked by his comprising of lyrics for profit.

02-16-98