This fan smelled a Rascal Flatts rat right away

As you know, I have the greatest job in the word. Sometimes, it’s tough when that alarm goes off at 2:10 a.m., but other than that, it’s the best. Not only do I love country music, I’m a fan, just like you. I follow the artists on Facebook and Twitter, I read all the country news websites, and I watch all the awards shows.

So, when the 49th Academy of Country Music Awards show rolled around a few weeks ago, I was ready. Hosts Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, known as “Bluke,” delivered their slapstick comedy. Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Kimberly Perry stunned on the red carpet. And, of course, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas “rocked” with country performances. With so much tight-jean, high-heeled, fist-pumping, confetti-laden entertainment, an hour had gone by before any awards were handed out.

Some of the singers were spot on — Eric Church and Keith Urban really brought it. Some of the others were perhaps racked by nerves or too much Red Bull, because, as American Idol’s Randy Jackson liked to often say, they were a “little pitchy.”

Toward the end of the show, Rascal Flatts took the stage. I love me some Gary, Jay and Joe Don. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen them in concert and was looking forward to hearing their new single, “Rewind.” In a word, it was “perfect.” Almost too perfect. Hmm. Gary is known for his trademark “runs” and can always be counted on to hit the high notes, but this sounded almost … like … the … record! What’s going on? As I was tweeting with fellow fans during the show, it started. “Is RF lip-syncing?” “OMG, what a rip-off! Those guys are on tape!”

Especially ironic, after “Bluke” boasted the “live” aspect of the ACMs. “Everybody in here tonight is ready to listen to some great, amazing live music. And if you don’t like live music, then you need to go down the block and see Britney Spears!” They joked, referring to Brit Brit’s nearby residency in Las Vegas.

So, was Rascal Flatts “live or Memorex?” The guys came clean on their Twitter page the next day. “After having performed several shows earlier in the week, Gary (LeVox) lost his voice. So, instead of canceling our commitment to do the show, we made a last-minute decision to lip-sync. We’ve never done it before, and we’re obviously not very good at it. We look forward to singing live again in the very near future!”

Well, there you have it. Social media exploded with those against what the band did and those defending them. Was it bad that they lip-synced? While I understand they didn’t want to disappoint fans, anyone who knows and loves them smelled a Rascal Flatts rat right away. To me, it was more disappointing that they tried to pull a fast one, instead of coming onstage and letting us know Gary wasn’t feeling well. I would have been fine with that.

Even better, they could have graciously given their four minutes of time to another artist who wasn’t scheduled to perform. That would have made me love them even more.

Or, they could have done an all-out Brit and performed “Oops, I did it again?” Just sayin’.

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