Rascal Flatts performed some of their greatest hits and new holiday music to an intimate crowd at the Theater at Madison Square Garden as part of the Budweiser One Night Only concert series.

Rascal Flatts rolled in to New York City this week for a very special performance at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The show was sponsored by Budweiser as part of their One Night Only concert series. 

The trio, made up of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney, is the most decorated country group of the past decade with over 40 trophies from the ACAs, ACMs, AMAs CMAs, People’s Choice Awards, and more. They have sold over 23 million albums,  32 million digital downloads worldwide, and earlier this year earned their 16th #1 hit single with I Like The Sound Of That. During their Rhythm And Roots Tour, which wrapped up last month, the band reached a major milestone having sold 10 million tickets to date.

With achievements like that, Rascal Flatts are clearly among country music’s elite artists. And given that status, being able to see them perform in an intimate venue like the Theater at Madison Square Garden is truly something special.

Their set at The Garden featured many of the trio’s greatest hits – with 16 #1’s, they have plenty of material to choose from. In fact, nearly half the songs their set were #1s, including Fast Cars and Freedom, Banjo, and this crowd favorite, What Hurts the Most:

Their performance also featured a couple songs from their recently released Christmas album, The Greatest Gift of All (a free digital download of which was given to everyone in attendance). Talking about the new album at Monday’s show, LeVox said, “It’s out, finally. It took us sixteen years to make it.” LeVox got some good laughs out of the crowd as he did a little marketing, telling the audience that the album “makes a great Thanksgiving Day present…made a good Halloween [present] – that’s what we passed out at our house!”  Check out a clip of the guys performing Let It Snow at The Garden:

Later in the show DeMarcus spoke with the crowd, commenting on the recent presidential election. “I’m very upset,” he said. “If you saw us in concert this summer, you know that I put my name in the hat to run for President. I’m very pissed off that y’all didn’t vote for me. I had thirteen people write my name in.” On a more serious note, DeMarcus continued, “I still believe with all my heart that this is the greatest country on the face of the Earth. It is time for us to put this race behind us, to join together…to help heal the wounds that exist in this country, to lay our differences aside, to have each other’s backs, to stand up for each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re different than the guy standin’ next to you, we’re all Americans first. This isn’t about bein’ Democrat or Republican – we’re Americans first and foremost. Let’s never forget that, because we’re so much better together than we are apart.”

After the concert I caught up with Stephen Gebhardt, co-founder of The Roosevelts, to see what he thought about the show. “Seeing Rascal Flatts in such an intimate setting  was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “Their vocals and instrumentals were in top form and the icing on the cake was the event production from Budweiser who really took the entire experience to a whole ‘nother level. The custom leather koozies were a very nice touch. I left MSG humming Fast Cars and Freedom and memories that’ll last a lifetime.”

Rascal Flats performs at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in NYC on November 14, 2016. Photo by Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos.

Rascal Flats performs at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in NYC on November 14, 2016. Photo by Carl Scheffel/MSG Photos.

The Budweiser One Night Only concert series is dedicated to bringing artists to smaller, more intimate venues, for one-of-a-kind shows. The series kicked off in August with Florida Georgia Line (check out our coverage of that show here). To enhance the fan experience, Anheuser-Busch has also brought its popular Budweiser Country Club to life inside the Theater at MSG. A country themed photo booth, custom stamped leather koozies, and Hatch prints commemorating the show, all help to bring fans closer to the music than ever before. The One Night Only concert series will include six intimate performances at the Theater at MSG with additional artists to be announced throughout 2017.

Check out our exclusive pics from the show:

The Country Scene's Shawn St. Jean with Jay, Joe Don and Gary of Rascal Flatts at MSG on November 14, 2016.

The Country Scene’s Shawn St. Jean with Jay, Joe Don and Gary of Rascal Flatts at MSG on November 14, 2016.

Now go grab some eggnog and have a listen to The Greatest Gift of All on Spotify:

Rascal Flatts Setlist, November 14, 2016, The Theater at Madison Square Garden:

Setlist from the Rascal Flatts show at MSG on November 14, 2016.

Setlist from the Rascal Flatts show at MSG on November 14, 2016.