PERFORMING ARTS

Travis Tritt at Wolf Trap

Old habits die hard in country music. Which is why the crowd at Wolf Trap on Friday night was reminded not to toss coins at country singer Travis Tritt when he performed his 1991 hit "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)." Throwing a party out on the pavilion lawn, however, wasn't discouraged, and Tritt did his part to keep spirits high, voices raised and beers hoisted by supplying a two-hour, hit-packed soundtrack.

The stifling heat didn't prevent him from sustaining a swift pace right through the encores, either. He veered from his own hits long enough to cover Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" and pay evocative tribute to the late Johnny Cash. He also impersonated Willie Nelson's pinched nasal warbling while reviving "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." At one point, during an acoustic interlude, Tritt reflected on parenthood, but for the most part he seemed intent on living up to the title of his hit "Put Some Drive in Your Country." His powerful voice, with its gruff tone and Georgia drawl, never sounded better than when he was celebrating his southern rock roots with his Country Club band, or tearing through "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" with enough energy to evoke memories of both Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. The lulls, triggered by filler like "Girls Gone Wild," didn't last long.

The opening set by Texas singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen and his seasoned band was far more relaxed, laced with wry, funny, keenly observed tales and capped by the rousing alt-country anthem "The Road Goes On Forever."

-- Mike Joyce

King Wilkie; Tony Rice Unit

Is there a more comfortable way to spend a sweltering evening than sitting on a concrete plaza beneath a sometimes noisy flight path at the Kennedy Center? No doubt string band fans were pondering that very question before King Wilkie and the Tony Rice Unit performed at the Millennium Stage on Saturday.

Both groups, however, were well worth hearing. Unlike many of its bluegrass influences, King Wilkie doesn't boast a dazzling soloist. But the Virginia-bred sextet does have two singers with complementary voices -- mandolinist Reid Burgess and guitarist John McDonald -- plus the wherewithal to generate waves of rhythmic drive. The band also has an interesting repertoire: a mix of contemporary ballads, traditional fiddle tunes and original songs. Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" was appropriately sparse and haunting, while "Trouble in Mind" and "In the Pines" robustly revealed the group's southern affections. In addition to contributing soulful drones and fills, fiddler Nick Reeb enlivened "Squirrel Hunters," an instrumental romp.

Perhaps the only person in Washington wearing a tie at that moment, Tony Rice was in typical form, flat-picking his acoustic guitar with impeccable precision and fluid ease. "My Favorite Things," sporting an arrangement that recalled Rice's jazz-influenced collaborations with mandolinist David Grisman, kicked off the quartet's performance. Later, Rice performed one of his favorite songs: the Carter Family's "Storms Are on the Ocean," distinguished by his group's beautifully woven sound. Flanking Rice and contributing vibrant solos were his younger brother Wyatt, on guitar, mandolinist Rickie Simpkins and bassist Bryn Bright. Alas, the twin bill didn't allow time for the band to stretch out.

-- Mike Joyce