KMLE's Not So Silent Night decks hall with country hits

Darius Rucker performs during the KMLE's Not So Silent Night concert at Comerica Theater, Thursday, December 4th, 2014, in Phoenix, Ariz.(Photo: Jeffrey Lowman/ The Republic)

There were twinkling Christmas trees with giant presents underneath on the stage of Comerica Theatre Thursday as Darius Rucker shared a soulful ballad titled "What God Wants for Christmas" from his new album, "Home for the Holidays." And a loopy Jake Owen got the crowd to sing along on a snippet of "Jingle Bells" after bringing a seven-year-old in a Santa hat onstage to dance.

But KMLE's Not So Silent Night, a benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, wasn't strictly a seasonal concert, allowing the fans to enjoy their favorite country hits by Rucker, Owen, Big & Rich and Gloriana.

After an opening set by Gloriana, a spirited Big Kenny and his partner John Rich treated fans to a set whose highlights ranged from a version of "Lost in This Moment" that found encouraging fans, "Somebody better kiss somebody right now" to "Look at You," They dedicated a poignant performance of "8th of November" to military personnel and veterans, with Rich saying of the soldiers overseas now, "And I hope before they get home, they kill every one of those Isis bastards."

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And they worked their way up to a set-closing "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" with a medley that featured "Tubthumping," "Beverly Hills" and "American Pie," after which they smashed an acoustic guitar on stage.

Owen seemed to be not only in the Christmas spirit but the Christmas spirit with a stripped-down acoustic-guitar-driven set, setting the tone with "This is officially the first show I've played with my new haircut" and adding that he didn't care what anybody thought because "My mama likes it."

After starting the set with "Anywhere With You," he pointed out that his drummer was drunk because Owen was sending him drinks on the four-hour flight from Nashville and that was before they went drinking in Tempe. But however much they drank, it made them just the right amount of loose and loopy.

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KMLE's Not So Silent Night decks hall with country hits