Country superstar Jason Aldean started out his show with an air of mystery Thursday night at the Oklahoma City Arena. After the show’s openers Thompson Square and Luke Bryan got the crowd warmed up, Aldean started singing his opener “Crazy Town” as his silhouette was masked by the curtain across the stage. When the curtain fell, the crowd of fans decked out in cowboy hats and boots went wild.

Aldean played a wide variety of country music, with some edging closer to rock than country. He even included some country rap in his set list by throwing in a cover of Kid Rock’s “Cowboy” as the finale of his show. The majority of the show consisted of Aldean’s good old classic country music, acoustic guitar and all.

Aldean did show a softer, more charming side with several country ballads including “Laughed Until We Cried.” He promoted his new album “My Kinda Party” that hits stores Tuesday, and played several songs from the new album, including the title track. This young country star already has five singles on the Billboard charts, and his new album is sure to skyrocket even more of his songs there.

Aldean’s fellow Georgian country star Luke Bryan came on before Aldean. Bryan is definitely a rising star in the world of country music; fans of country will probably see Bryan headlining a tour of his own within the next two years. Though Bryan did play some catchy tunes such as “Rain is a Good Thing” and “All My Friends Say,” the most notable thing about him was his excellent showmanship. Bryan entertained the crowd to a degree that Aldean didn’t even come close to matching. Unfortunately, Bryan’s showmanship was somewhat marred by the fact that his dance skills were on the verge of nonexistent.

Both country boys did a great job of working the crowd. They both mentioned favorite items of country folks including whiskey, tractors, pickup trucks and, of course, beer. In fact Aldean even encouraged the crowd to drink more beer by saying the show would get better if they did.

After 15 songs the show came to a close with Aldean’s “Hicktown.” After he came back for an encore with his fan favorite “Big Green Tractor,” the country star grabbed a beer he was tossed, took a gulp and bowed with his band to the sounds of an adoring audience.

— Carmen Forman, University College freshman