Concert Previews

Though he came on the scene in the age of Garth, Alan Jackson has never been one for the kind of spectacle and shallowness - not to mention lack of country character - so prevalent today in country music. His own music is radio-ready, to be sure, but the Georgia native has become a superstar with a workmanlike manner that is understated but forthright, and never pandering. It's a style he has resolutely maintained for more than two decades now. As he shows on his most recent album, 2011's Thirty Miles West, his work continues to possess the kind of soul and craftsmanship that are built to last, no matter what happens to his commercial fortunes. In other words, he's heading to the pantheon of the greats.

- Nick Cristiano

- Shaun Brady

- Steve Klinge