By Alexandra Fletcher

COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER

Scheduled to perform its fourth show in State College in the past decade, Rascal Flatts' appeal spans farther than just its sound.

Chrissy Miller, lead singer for local country-rock group Fat Girl Slim, said the group's popularity might stem from the image it puts forth.

"They seem like a bunch of down-to-earth, honest, wholesome guys, and they respect their audience," Miller said. "I think they really bring a lot to the table."

Rascal Flatts will perform on Jan. 22 at the Bryce Jordan Center with an opening performance from former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker. Bernie Punt, director of sales and marketing for the BJC, said the band loves to perform here and is just another example of the kind of big-name country acts that have recently performed at the BJC.

"In the last two years, we've had just about everybody on the CMA Awards," Punt said.

Similar to country artist Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts' success can be attributed to the team of people working with the group, Miller said -- their staff reads the market to select great songs for the band to take on.

As a result, Rascal Flatts is producing country songs that almost go toward the pop genre, Miller said. That's similar to artists like Faith Hill, who started off as a solid country singer and dipped into the pop music scene, or Jewel who delved into country after starting as a soft rock artist.

"They are more of a rocking country group than a standard country act -- they provide such a wide variety of music," Miller said. "They do get a lot of airplay. Every time you turn on Froggy [98.1 WFGY] ... you hear them."

Because State College is set in central Pennsylvania, it's appealing to artists traveling to major cities and looking to cover a wide range of people, Miller said.

"They have come a long, long way and I think they are going to do quite well again," she said.