In Hidalgo last night, a crowd of thousands suspended disbelief and at Brad Paisley's suggestion, pretended it was a Friday night and they were at Dodge Arena to party.

Chuck Wicks kicked things off to the sound of a few screams and cheers. His average-Joe appeal of ripped jeans and cowboy boots had some cowgirls swooning. He began his set with his newest single, "All I Ever Wanted".

The audience was cooperative enough when Wicks asked them to clap along to the second song, but it didn't seem like their hearts were really in it. "Stealing Cinderella" got the most attention from the crowd, with "woo"s shouted throughout the song.

Polite applause came from the seats where the audience was glued to their chairs. Wicks just couldn't get them to budge. After a short 20-minute set, the country newcomer exited the stage, allowing a few minutes of intermission before Jewel walked out, electric guitar in hand and ready to rock the Rio Grande Valley.

The pop/country star looked casual and comfortable in her striped, bohemian-style dress and boots. She flirted with the crowd while she wailed on her guitar and belted out her first song, "Love Me or Leave Me Alone".

"It's so fun to get to tour with Brad Paisley," Jewel said, before launching into a song she wrote for husband Ty Murray, "I Do."

When Jewel got around to her old hit, "You Were Meant for Me", the audience was finally inspired to get out of their seats and gather around the stage where the star stood. The whole arena sang the last chorus to Jewel, while she strummed away at her acoustic guitar.

At first it seemed the RGV just prefers to sit through a concert in quiet reverence, instead of jumping to their feet all at once and
dancing to the music - that is, until Brad Paisley appeared on stage.

The roar the audience let loose when Paisley opened with "Mud on tires" was deafening. Everyone was on their feet, dancing, swaying, singing or snapping photos with cell phones. Fans watched, awestruck, as Paisley's fingers deftly flew over the strings of his guitar. On the last note of each song, the audience erupted in applause.

And Paisley followed the cardinal rule of this southern state - "If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band," to quote the band Alabama. The concert last night was all about the music.

"The music, I mean, Jewel, Brad Paisley ... and I don't know that much about country music, but it was really good," said Elaine Rivera of Mission.

The brightest highlight of the evening had to be when Paisley sang a duet, "Whisky Lullaby", with Alison Krauss on a big screen behind him. Then out of a dark corner stepped Krauss, in the flesh, according to some, to continue the song with the country star. Though the effect of the bluegrass star on screen may have just been very convincing.

"It was good. Alison Krauss just came out. They started the song, "Whiskey Lullaby", and she just came out of the corner," said Sarah Morales of Edinburg. "It was just, wow."

HIGHLIGHTS

>> Jewel scatting at the end of "Who Will Save Your Soul" alongside her lead guitarist's riffs
>> The final song of Jewel's set, which is simply her yodeling
>> The impressive light show for Brad Paisley's set
>> Paisley's guitar skills
>> The look back at Paisley's childhood and high school years on the big screen
>> Alison Krauss joining Paisley on stage for a duet

Amy Nichol Smith covers entertainment for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4420.