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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
Thomas Rhett performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wednesday, March 15, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle )
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Thomas Rhett may be classified as a country star. But it's hardly an accurate description of what he does.
The young singer, who performed Wednesday for a RodeoHouston crowd of 73,300, doesn't just push against the genre. He bends it and bounces far past it.
Rhett sang about (and wore) tight jeans under a Ramones jacket. He's released just two albums and 11 singles, but he did a good job of stretching things out into a solid set.
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"Star of the Show" was like a twangy Justin Timberlake tune. He jumped offstage and greeted fans during "Vacation," which samples War's "Low Rider."
A new song, "Craving You," played like Bruno Mars-lite. There were even synchronized dance moves with the band.
He took the comparison a step further with a closing cover of Mars' "24K Magic."
Rhett was joined by Cypress native Danielle Bradbery, who won Season 4 of "The Voice," for "Playing With Fire." Her soaring vocals carried the song.
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Much of Rhett's material -- "Crash and Burn," "South Side," "T-Shirt" -- is harmless country-pop fluff. "Die a Happy Man" even comes with an '80s-esque sax break.
It doesn't make a huge emotional impact but is good for singalongs and thrusting cell phone lights into the air. And that's the stuff RodeoHouston nights are made of.
"Oh if it's the last show I ever get to play at the Houston Rodeo," he sang. "Baby I could die a happy man."
There were reports of a shooting on the RodeoHouston grounds just after Rhett's set. But police questioned people and found no evidence of shots being fired.
Source: www.bing.com
