Resch Center welcomes Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts

When the lights at the Resch Center went out at 8 p.m. Oct. 9, the sold-out crowd leapt out of its seats and the screams for one 18-year-old woman began. The name on everyone's lips: Taylor Swift, one of country music's hottest singer/songwriters. And when she appeared, clad in a gold sequin dress, cowboy boots and big, blond curly hair, the screams became deafening. The little lady with a big voice kicked the Bob That Head Tour off with a crowd favorite, "I'm Only Me When I'm With You." After finishing, Swift welcomed the crowd, saying "I'm Taylor," in a shy voice before talking about how excited she was to break out her winter clothing while in Green Bay. The crowd sang along as Swift launched into her first No. 1 hit, "Our Song," which she wrote for her ninth grade talent show. Swift continued playing hits such as "Teardrops on My Guitar," "Picture to Burn," and "Love Song," but she also played new material off her upcoming album, "Fearless," due out Nov. 11. Swift's angry side came out for a garbage can drum battle between her and her female fiddle player during the more rocked-out version of "Should've Said No," proving she can do more than just look pretty while singing and strumming a guitar. One thing I loved about Swift is she actually sang and she writes her own songs. Nowadays, when a lot of big acts perform, they lip-synch to a track - which they most likely didn't write - to make themselves sound better, but Swift held her own and proved that she deserved to be on that stage. The 50-minute set was fairly low-key, giving Swift a chance to show her personality and talent instead of distracting the crowd with pyrotechnics, flashy lights and videos. Instead of going the traditional route, she jam-packed the show with great songs and interwove it with interacting with the crowd. Despite her young age, she is an amazing performer and I would have loved to see her for the same amount of time as Rascal Flatts, if not longer. But, after a short intermission for a set change, the crowd was eager for Rascal Flatts to take the stage and emerge from behind the mysterious white curtain. The group started things off with a bang, literally, when to begin their set, a huge firework exploded in the middle of the stage. The screams that erupted when the curtain dropped to reveal the band suspended on a mini-stage were almost as loud as the bang. As the mini-stage lowered from the ceiling the crowd only got louder while the band busted into "Still Feels Good." Lead Vocalist Gary LeVox, bass guitarist Jay DeMarcus and lead guitarist Joe Don Rooney worked the crowd as they sang chart-toppers from their five studio albums. Songs included "My Wish," "Bless the Broken Road," "I Melt," "Take Me There," and "Feels Like Today." One thing I particularly enjoyed was how the trio split up the time in between the songs. During one break, Rooney had time to show his vocal talent as he did a solo, with the help of the crowd, of "I'm Movin' On." His voice was so pure and sweet that it made my heart melt. DeMarcus also got his time with the crowd while talking about the tight, little things the women wear to concerts as he made his way around the stage, which included a runway that made a circle around the whole length of the Resch floor. After almost 90 minutes of good songs and running around on stage, it was time for the band to say goodbye. As they exited the stage, the crowd gave a standing ovation and the screams and whistles became ear-piercing. The Resch was again dark before a video with the words Rascal Flatts in Guitar Hero-esque lettering popped up on the floor-to-ceiling screens. Chanting the band's name louder and louder, the Guitar Hero theme continued as a video came up with a character who played a medley of famous rock tunes including "Iron Man" and "Sweet Child O' Mine." The crowd got what they wanted as the guys returned to the stage for an encore, belting out the hit "Me and My Gang." Next up was "Bob That Head," where the crowd got a big surprise as a dozen Green Bay Packer players, including A.J. Hawk and Mark Tauscher, flooded the stage to pump the crowd up for the finale. The music was great, the lights were flashy and the pyrotechnics were bigger than ever, but Rascal Flatts still found time to pay attention to the one reason why they were in Green Bay: the fans. The highlight of my evening was seeing the smile on the face of a terminally ill boy who was enjoying the concert thanks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Not only did he get to meet the group before the show, he also got an autographed poster, a couple guitar picks thrown throughout the show and a drumstick that LeVox had thrown to him in the middle of the show, complete with all their autographs. Overall, both the shows were phenomenal and it was great to witness two of country music's biggest acts on the same night. And yes, guys, Taylor Swift is really that hot in person.