Rascal Flatts Brings 16 Years Of Hits To Indianapolis Tour Stop

Rascal Flatts

At Klipsch Music Center in Indianapolis, Rascal Flatts reminded fans of their chart-topping track record on Saturday night (Sept. 16) with hit after hit, beginning with the appropriate “Summer Nights,” “I Like The Sound Of That,” and “Banjo.”

The trio has notched 16 No. 1 singles in 16 years, since they released their self-titled debut album in 2000. With their tight-knit harmonies, Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney and Jay DeMarcus have become synonymous with heart-tugging ballads and they quickly gave fans what they wanted, via a medley of “Come Wake Me Up,” “Melt,” and “I Won’t Let Go.”

The party-ready hits continued with “Life Is A Highway,” which prove the perfect musical conduit for prank conducted at the hands of their opening acts Chris Lane and Kelsea Ballerini. Band members took the stage dressed in construction crew outfits, with racing flags. Ballerini, rode a red tour car around the stage, before offering a few lines of “Life Is a Highway.”

“For the next 90 minutes we are going to take a break from all the bullshit happening in the world and party our asses off!,” said Jay Demarcus.

The hit parade continued with “Stand,” and Why Wait,” before diving into covers of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” before swerving into their own signature hit “Bless the Broken Road” and a flawless transition to Journey’s “Open Arms.”

During “Rewind,” the trio took fans back in time a collage of photos from the trio’s childhoods and teenage years (“Don’t laugh,” LeVox quipped), through highlights of the band’s career, including platinum albums, award wins, and celebrity pics.

The pranks continued steadily throughout the show, as crew members began playing cornhole during the Flatts’ “Fast Cars and Freedom.” During a tribute performance of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” three large screens featured pictures of comedian Dave Chappelle dressed as Prince.

Rascal Flatts sailed through “Love You Out Loud” and “My Wish,” before once again tugging at the heartstrings with “What Hurts The Most.”

The evening ended with “Me and My Gang,” as Chris Lane and Kelsea Ballerini returned to the stage and threw beach balls into the crowd.

“Indiana is like a second home,” LeVox told the crowd.

Kelsea Ballerini

Opening act Kelsea Ballerini worked the stage with the charisma of a headliner, holding the crowd’s attention with a mix of hits, album cuts, and covers.

“I want to sing loud enough that Rascal Flatts hears backstage and gets excited,” she said before launching into her second No. 1 hit, “Dibs.”

She included album cuts “Looking at Stars,” “Sirens,” “XO,” and her current single “Yeah, Boy.”

She pulled a headliner move midway through the set, venturing into the crowd to shake hands and thank fans. The gutsy move easily held the crowd’s attention, before she returned to the stage to introduce a new song, “Moonlight,” presumably to be included on her forthcoming second album for Black River Entertainment.

Some super fans even held a sign celebrating Ballerini’s birthday last week.

In a deft mix of onstage banter and cover songs, Ballerini attempted to endear herself with everyone in the audience who ever suffered through a bad breakup. She began with James Bay’s “Let It Go.”

“One day they wake up and realize you are the best thing that ever happened to them. Then, as you know you have a choice go back to someone who broke your heart or stand up for yourself,” she said. “So if you pick up the phone it’s like…” before transitioning to Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.”

“Then they will probably ask you why it’s too late,” she concluded, launching into “Peter Pan.” “This just became my third No. 1 song and I’m freaking out about it,” she confessed.

Chris Lane. Photo: Lora Olive

The Indiana show was the last night of the tour for opening acts Ballerini and Lane, a night that practically requires pranks, and Ballerini’s show was no exception. During the heartfelt “Peter Pan,” opening act Chris Lane and his crew came onstage dressed in Peter Pan outfits, including one crew member who descended from the ceiling, wearing a fairy costume.

“That was the best thing I’ve ever seen,” exclaimed Ballerini. “That was the tour prank to top all tour pranks,” as she composed herself to finish the song.

“This song completely changed my life and made my dreams come true,” she said before introducing her debut No. 1 single, “Love Me Like You Mean It.” “Thank you for letting me do what I love every day.”

Big Loud Records artist Chris Lane celebrated a gold single during the show, as his No. 1 single “Fix” sold more than 500,000 units.

Lane was presented with a plaque onstage during the show.

“I’m excited to reach this milestone,” shared Lane. “I love seeing people show up and sing along to ‘Fix.’ This means that people are listening and believing in me, I don’t take that for granted.”