Trace Adkins: Live Country

Veteran baritone country performer Trace Adkins serves up a career-spanning concert in this easygoing 2014 engagement filmed at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, NY. The 20 songs range from Adkins's first single, "There's a Girl in Texas," to newer material. Adkins, a former football player and oil rig worker, receives solid accompaniment from the Sarepta Gentleman's Club along with Jill and Kate, two backup singers who also perform as a duo. From his muscular performance style to his casual apparel—jeans and t-shirt—it's clear that Adkins served as a model for Luke Wheeler on ABC's Nashville. Adkins, who also acts, notes during a bonus interview that his career was launched in Nashville, where success came early. Unlike some country singers whose songs are built around patriotism and family values, Adkins concentrates on women and relationships. Naturally, that also includes numbers about sex, such as "Maintenance Man," which he describes as his "nastiest song" (by gangster rap standards, it isn't nasty at all, of course). As a band leader, he plays it safe, with the exception of "Chrome," which adds funk and boogie to his traditionalist approach. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)