Rascal Flatts Announce Flatts Fest Tour Dates and Opening Acts
Rascal Flatts have officially announced they will launch Flatts Fest, their new summer tour, on June 18 in Bristow, Va. The trek, featuring opening acts Sara Evans, Easton Corbin and Justin Moore, is currently scheduled to run through September.
Earlier this month, the guys said they were in the pre-production stage of the festival-type show and were not quite sure of how to implement all of the details, of which there were many, but one thing they knew for sure was the fans enjoyment was No. 1 on their list of must-haves. "It's going to be an interactive, midway-type of theme at the front," Jay told The Boot. "We're going to be getting really heavily involved in [the details] and trying to figure out what's realistic to do and what we can do to make it a fun -- not just a concert -- but an event for the whole family."
"It's going to be a great show. It's going to be an event," Jay continued. "It's not just going to be just an opener and a closer. We're going to try to make it an entire experience."
Flatts Fest will include a new stage production and set list, along with an interactive pre-show festival atmosphere and tailgating experience, with activities spread throughout the plaza and parking areas. The activities will include a mobile karaoke vehicle, carnival games, photo booths, putt-putt golf and festival food vendors. More information on the events surrounding the festival will be released closer to the launch of the tour.
Expect the guys to begin rehearsals for the new expansive tour at the beginning of June, since it usually takes them a couple of weeks to make sure they have everything in place for their fans. "We usually take the week or week-and-a-half before the first show and go and get familiar with the set," says Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney. "The set gets brought into town or some city close to us where we can take our crew and practice breaking down the set and setting up the set. We get a set list together and start cracking away at the show, seeing how the flow goes and maybe change a song here or there. But [we take] usually about a week and a half, or two weeks at the most before the first show."
The award-winning group are currently scaling the country charts with their single, 'I Won't Let Go,' the second single from their album, 'Nothing Like This.' Watch them perform the song live in our studio here.
2011 FLATTS FEST dates:
June 18 - Bristow, Va. - Jiffy Lube Live
June 19 - Virginia Beach, Va. - Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
June 24 - Oshkosh, Wisc. - Country Festival USA**
June 25 - Chicago, Ill. - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
June 26 - Maryland Heights, Mo. - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 8 - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - Blossom Music Center
July 9 - Camden, N.J. - Susquehanna Bank Center
July 17 - Craven, SK - Craven Country Jamboree**
July 22 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Riverbend Music Center
July 23 - Noblesville, Ind. - Verizon Wireless Music Center
July 24 - Twin Lakes, Wis. - Country Thunder Festival**
July 28 - Atlanta, Ga. - Lakewood
July 29 - Charlotte, N.C. - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 30 - Raleigh, N.C. - TWC Music Pavilion
August 4 - Detroit, Mich. - DTE Energy Music Theatre
August 6 - Detroit Lakes, Minn. - WE Fest**
August 11 - Hartford, Ct. - Comcast Theatre
August 12 - Darien Lake, Minn. - Darien Lakes PAC
August 13 - Ottawa, Ontario - Rideau Carelton Raceway-OLG Slots Casino
August 19 - Tampa, Fla. - 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
August 20 - West Palm Beach, Fla. - Cruzan Amphitheatre
August 27 - Oro Station, Ontario - Burls Creek Family Event Park**
September 9 - Salt Lake City, Utah - USANA Amphitheatre
September 10 - Denver, Colo. - Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
September 11 - Albuquerque, N.M. - Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion
September 15 - Sacramento, Calif. - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
September 16 - Mountain View, Calif. - Shoreline Amphitheatre
September 17 - San Bernardino, Calif. - San Manuel Amphitheatre
September 18 - San Diego, Calif. - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
**Not a "Flatts Fest" date
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