Judging by the number of beer drinkers among the 1,700-plus crowd that showed up for Sawyer Brown and Bucky Covington performance Friday night, it appeared that St. Joe was in a T.G.I.F. mindset, ready to kick back and cut loose to a few tunes they knew by heart. For those fans, the two headliners happily obliged in each of their loose, playful sets.

Given that I saw Bucky open up for Dierks Bentley when he came to Maryville, Mo., in 2008, I was wondering if his set had changed much in the last year. Unfortunately, very little was altered during this 45-minute set, but that didn't stop several hundred girls from going bonkers, letting out screams for the dusty-voiced, goldie-locked heartthrob. This is who Bucky's probably singing to with the "American Idol" seat-on-the-stage move during the tragic narrative ballad "I'll Walk."

Besides his hits, the set was dominated by country rockers, which included "The Bible and The Belt" and a new song that referenced Evil Knievel with a country-fied Roy Orbison riff. He and his capable six-piece band proved that the country crowd dug some Pink Floyd with a surprisingly spot-on cover of "Another Brick In The Wall." It got people on their feet and kept most of them standing through the end, which was a unique band showcase of The Georgia Satellites "Keep Your Hands To Yourself." Each band member broke into a separate song to showcase their prowess. Jerry Lee Lewis for the keyboardist. Rush for the drummer. A bit of Ozzy and Zeppelin for the guitarists. Not to mention the "Rocky" theme for Rocky, Bucky's twin brother and energetic percussionist, who also stole the mic from his brother for a verse. It may not have been a refreshing change of pace for Bucky, but his fun-loving attitude and charismatic rapport was contagious throughout.

It was also pretty clear that letting the good times roll is something he may have picked up from playing with country music vets Sawyer Brown based on their crowd-pleasing 90-minute set.

Once the band kicked things off with their 1993 single "The Boys And Me," most of the crowd was on their feet for the night and Mark Miller was let out of his cage. Man, does he have his own thing going on as a frontman. With loose khaki's, a burnt orange t-shirt and weaved hat, he ingnited the crowd with hip thrusts, one-legged spinning kicks, dance moves and cooky hand gestures. Dude was pretty fly for a white guy fronting his tight quintet band that hasn't lost a step despite their decades of performing.

The band's lifespan and history seemed to be a theme throughout the show. "We are now going to play your 27 years worth of music," Miller stated to the enthusiastic crowd, which was constantly showered in blinding white light for Miller's appreciative banter. They mentioned how they were proud they still held the attendance record at Civic Arena while playing honkey-tonk numbers like "The Race Is On" and effective ballads like "Cafe On The Corner" and "The Walk." They even got a little spiritual with the near-hymnal "All These Years" and the barn-burning sing-along "Mission Temple Fireworks Stand."

Two things you can immediately appreciate about Sawyer Brown: 1. In a time when lines between country and pop are becoming more and more blurred, Sawyer Brown are undeniablly country. 2. The guys have a heck of a time on stage. The crowd got clapping when they did the Alabama cover "Dixieland Delight" and during a Steve Miller Band medley, both keyboardist Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard and impeccable guitarist Shayne Hill literally stole the show from Miller (kudos to "Hobie," hamming it up extending his arms doing his self-proclaimed "Rascal Flatts" pose).

After an encore spurred on by foot stomps and the crowd banging on bleacher seats like bongo drums, they gave the crowd one of their biggest hits with "Some Girls," joined by Bucky on stage. But it was a soft rendition of a new song that ended things on a sincere note. It was a nearly four-minute ballad that served as a highlight reel, a country Cliffs Notes of their 27-year career. And it was enough to convice the crowd that they had several more years left in them.