Tim McGraw/Brantley Gilbert/Love and Theft

Tim McGraw’s chiseled chest and signature big brimmed hat simply scream country, and in many ways that fits the stereotypical country artist. McGraw embraces the stereotype even if his music can be more on the pop side, like most country artists these days. His new release, Two Lanes of Freedom, speaks to the old Hells Angel’s mentality of freedom on the highway and finding yourself on the road. The title track is catchy and uses an almost Coldplay-esque drum style refrain towards the end — it works surprisingly well. The album is also filled with traditional country jams talking about summer nights, women and drinking beer. But the song everyone is talking about is “Highway Don’t Care.” It features Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. Brantley Gilbert will open the show, but his take on country music sounds more like early 2000s post grunge (think Nickelback) than modern country. Regardless of the music, the country concerts at Blossom are worth attending if only for the summer style carefree party that the fans embrace. (William Hoffman)