DARIEN — “Whoever told you there weren’t any rednecks in the North lied,” Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus yelled. “We got a bunch o’ them right here.”

If their raucous response was any indication, the crowd, many of whom came wearing cowboy hats and boots, more than agreed. There was no doubt Saturday night at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center that Rascal Flatts and opener Darius Rucker brought the South to the North, and the audience was loving it.

It is a rare talent that can top the charts in both country and rock — and Darius Rucker is one of them. The former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish showed his Southern roots, playing mainly selections from his two country solo albums.

Rucker had a good time onstage, catering to the crowd — he dedicated “It Won’t Be Like This for Long” to country music fans, “Drinkin’ and Dialin’ ” to people who like to drink and have cell phones. He made self-deprecating jokes, calling a song “cheesy” before knocking the crowd off its boot-clad feet with a fantastic performance of it: “Only Wanna Be With You” by Hootie and the Blowfish.

The crowd was here to have a good time, and Rucker fed off their energy, with a strong performance that pumped everyone up for the main event — and a great show in its own right.

As soon as Rascal Flatts began, the stark contrast with Rucker’s straightforward song-writing and performing was clear. The show began with a video and audio clip of major moments in American history, speeding forward until, of course, the release of Rascal Flatts’ most recent album, “Unstoppable.” Only then did the three members of the band, De-Marcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney, come onstage to thunderous applause.

The spectacle only became more over the top as the concert went on: Sparks rained down onto the stage, and what appeared to be a mirror-plated piano was lowered from the ceiling.

Though fans cheered for the showmanship, they were positively crazed every time Rascal Flatts started a new song, and sang along with every word to hits like “Stand,” “Bless the Broken Road,” “Prayin’ for Daylight” and “Still Feels Good.”

The band joked around, telling the girls in the crowd what they had to do to come home with them — learn Southern cooking, to start — and even launched into spirited renditions of “Stand by Me” and “Let’s Get It On.” When the band announced that they were posing for photos, thousands of flash bulbs went off.

All told, Darius Rucker’s performance was more musically authentic and organic, really showcasing his skill — but Rascal Flatts put on a hell of a show, and judging by their enthusiasm, that was exactly what the fans wanted.

Concert Review

Rascal Flatts

With Darius Rucker on Saturday night in Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.