Country star Thomas Rhett headlines Sun Friday and Saturday
I'm not sure what happened in Valdosta, Georgia, but they apparently got the traditional surname arrangement flipped around. Consider country musician Rhett Atkins. If he had a son and decided to name him Thomas, we'd expect Thomas Atkins, right? Well, Rhett DOES have a son named Thomas, born in Valdosta — and yet for some reason, he's Thomas Rhett.
At least as important is that fact that Thomas is a very big-deal C&W star himself, with the successful albums "Goes Like This," "Tangled Up" and "Life Changes." It's easy to see (and hear) why.
Rhett (Thomas, not, ah Atkins) has that sing-the-babes-to-sleep voice that's served Brad Paisley so well. Plus, he's a damned good songwriter. His ballads are poignant without Nashvillean tendency for corn, and the mid-tempo tunes mix pop production, a few genetic strands of timeless honky-tonk, and even a dusting of Southern rock gloss as per Atlanta Rhythm Section or the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Good stuff.
See Thomas Rhett Friday and Saturday in the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Thomas Rhett, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Mohegan Sun Arena; also, Midland and Brett Young; $59-$79; 1-800-745-3000.
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