Zac Brown Band gives fans 4-hour show at The Joint

Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Zac Brown Band at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on March 13, 2010.

By Don Chareunsy (contact)

Monday, March 15, 2010 | 10:33 a.m.

Zac Brown Band at The Joint

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Erik Kabik/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on March 13, 2010.

Erik Kabik/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Nic Cowan opens for Zac Brown Band at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on March 13, 2010.

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

If comedy actors Jack Black and Zach Galifianakis had a brother who just happened to be a Grammy Award-winning country music singer, his name would be Zac Brown. The resemblance is uncanny. In fact, maybe Brown really is Black, as Black proved his music chops in School of Rock.

Reigning Best New Artist Grammy Award winner Zac Brown Band performed for 4 hours Saturday night at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel accompanied by Joey & Rory, as well as Levi Lowery, Sonya Leigh and Nic Cowan, three of Brown’s favorite musicians from their hometown of Atlanta. Our contributing photographer Erik Kabik was with ZBB before the concert and stage side Saturday night for our Vegas DeLuxe photo gallery.

The sold-out evening began with Joey & Rory singing “Freebird,” with Joey in his trademark overalls, and telling the audience that for the next 4 hours, they would serve as emcees, as well. In music revue showcase-style, they introduced poet and instrumentalist Levi Lowery, whose short set included a questionable song about a man who has a Chinese woman do his laundry and two Mexicans maintain his yard until the Feds deport them. Nice to see that he’s moved away from offensive stereotypes in 2010, ironic or not. “Georgia’s outlaw daughter” Sonya Leigh is reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge with her husky voice. Rory told the ladies in the audience that Nic Cowan, who mixes soul, blues and country, is easy on the eyes. In his tight, gray, long-sleeved T-shirt, he indeed is eye candy.

The three opening acts (four with Joey & Rory) were boosted in their 1 1/2 hour set by Brown appearing onstage with them -- in a beanie, faded red T-shirt and caramel-colored leather vest -- but the audience was here for Zac Brown Band. Nearly two hours into the evening, and after a long but humorous video was played, Zac Brown Band took the stage and launched into their hit “Whatever It Is.” The next two hours also featured their chart-toppers “Chicken Fried” and “Toes,” their current hit “Highway 20 Ride,” the always crowd-pleasing Charlie Daniels Band classic “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and a good dose from their album The Jar, which is scheduled to drop in May.

What sets Zac Brown Band apart is the incredible musicianship of Brown on lead vocals and guitar; the amazing Jimmy De Martini on fiddle and vocal; John Driskell Hopkins on bass guitar and vocals; Coy Bowles on guitar and organ; Chris Fryar on drums; and multifaceted Clay Cook on guitar, organ, mandolin, steel guitar and vocals; beautiful harmonizing; and fiery showmanship. It’s easy to understand why ZBB won the Best New Artist Grammy in a field that included Keri Hilson, MGMT, Silversun Pickups and The Ting Tings.

ZBB is nominated for four awards at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards here in Las Vegas on April 18, including Entertainer of the Year, their first nomination in the category. Fans vote for Entertainer of the Year, and Brown (jokingly?) implored the audience to vote for his band because, “Aren’t we all just a little bit sick of Taylor Swift winning everything?” Brown himself also garnered two additional nominations as a producer and songwriter.

This is not the last of country music at The Joint, as two superstar acts invade The Joint in coming months. Keith Urban, with opening act Kris Allen (he’s considered country now?), hits town April 23, and there are four opportunities to catch Kenny Chesney and his gun show at The Joint: May 14 and 15 and July 2 and 3.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.