At 56, country singer Toby Keith is now something of an elder statesman in the world of country music. He had his days as a young rebel who was dismissed by the old-timers as not being country enough, but now, in the age of hip-hop country, he sounds a little like a piece of history himself.
He’s known for his patriotic nationalistic anthems, but Keith has some other facets to his work.
He has a song called “Wacky Tobaccy,” an ode to the glories of weed, off his most recent record. (Lee Greenwood never did that, I don’t think.) Keith has been known to hang out with Willie Nelson, so that might explain it.
He’s got a tender side too, and he knows how to write about the country staples of trucks, heartbreak and divorce; listen to his 1994 hit “Who’s that Man?” for proof. Merle Haggard isn’t with us anymore, but Toby Keith is keeping that ornery tradition of country alive.
See Toby Keith with Trace Adkins at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, on Thursday, Aug. 23, at 8 p.m. $20 -$275. foxwoods.com.