Singer Gary LaVox is a powerful vocalist who brings some of the expressive color and energy of R&B to his vocals. When they emerged, critics may have said Rascal Flatts were too poppy for country, but listening to them now, given the ways that country has absorbed aspects of hip-hop and dance music, Rascal Flatts sounds old-fashioned. The trio reshaped country music over the past 20 years, bringing aspects of radio pop to the music, while retaining their roots in the tradition of singers like Conway Twitty and Garth Brooks. Eventually the three musicians made their way separately to Nashville, and after backing other country singers, they formed their own group, based on a sense that they had special vocal chemistry when singing together.
The guys in Rascal Flatts all grew up in musical families, and they all had early exposure to church music. Rascal Flatts performs at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, on March 7 at 8 p.m.
