Here's an interesting coin toss: Neo-trad country crooner Chris Janson at the Rialto Theatre or pop country duo Dan + Shay at Fox Tucson Theatre?
Here's the thing: Dan + Shay hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10; Janson goes on 30 minutes later at 8. There's no wiggle room to catch both shows.
And it gets even more interesting: Janson's at the Rialto, 318 E. Congress St.; Dan + Shay is at the Fox on the other end of Congress, at 17 W. Congress.
So if you're a country fan, how do you decide aside from, of course, your personal faves? If you're a diehard fan of either, the choice is easy. But if you love them both, how do you pick?
Here's three things to consider:
• Dan + Shay has three back-to-back No. 1 hits: "Nothin' Like You," "From the Ground Up" and "How Not To." Janson inched close to a No. 1 with his No. 2 hit "Buy Me A Boat"; his latest single "Fix A Drink" was nearly a Top 10 hit.
• Dan + Shay sings big emotional ballads like their No. 1 hit "How Not To" and "Nothin' Like You"; Janson sings party songs that put you in the mood to kick up your heals like his latest single
"Fix A Drink."
• Do you want to sit or jam? If you see Dan + Shay it will be from the comfy seats at the Fox. You can stand but you can't get in the aisles and dance; the security force is pretty notorious for frowning on such pursuits. At teh Rialto, it's pretty much a free-for-all. You can grab a seat in the balcony, but the floor is all about dancing, jamming and bringing out your inner country boy/girl.
Final thoughts: We got a preview of both acts at the 2016 Oro Valley Music Festival. Dan + Shay kinda surprised us; we had expected the laid-back soft rock event, but the pair kicked up the dust with a pretty energetic set. Janson, who introduced himself to Arizona at Country Thunder months earlier, proved himself to be the real deal: genuine, authentic and rocking. He also reminded us of Mick Jagger if the Rolling Stones frontman sang with a twang.
