Sometimes predictable is good.

There's nothing unexpected about a concert by Alan Jackson. You know going in that Jackson will be singing a hatful of hits. They'll be sung well. The band will be on target. And there won't be a lot extraneous explosions, walls of flame or fireworks. Jackson won't swing from the stage. The only concession he'll make to modern concert froufrous is having some great big video screens so everybody in the back can see what's onstage and a few videos can play behind the music.

So there's not much new to say about the Thursday night concert by Alan Jackson and Martina McBride at Thompson-Boling Arena. The only thing new was the stiff ticket price ($64.50 and $54.50), which is unfortunately in line with most other arena shows. Of course, it is also a change for an artist who is as successful as McBride to be on the bill as an opening act. However, with concert attendance down all over the country, especially for country shows, the pairing makes sense. (Thursday's crowd was approximately 8,000.)

McBride is a singer who is nearly as dependable as Jackson. She has a great voice and her songs are sturdy. She's the sort of middle-of-the-road artist who, aside from a slight bit of country instrumentation, fits as well on adult contemporary stations as country.

On Thursday McBride paced the stage, giving the audience approximately an hour's worth of music and getting the floor crowd on its feet for her hits "This One's for the Girls" and "Independence Day." McBride provided some powerful vocals and a good range. However, she could not outshine Jackson, who seems to hardly change key or break a sweat.

Jackson has a down-home naturalness that makes selling a song easy. He's like a good buddy telling a story. And, he gives audiences the feeling that he wouldn't tell it if he didn't believe it - even if its something as lighthearted as "Gone Country" (his set opener) or "Chattahoochee" (a highlight, as usual). When Jackson sings something heartfelt and personal, such as "Drive (For Daddy Gene)," it's the embodiment of what country music should be - simple sincere songs that hit a universal nerve.

All Jackson really needs is a good sound system, which, at Thompson-Boling, is always an unknown factor. Thankfully, at Thursday's show it was excellent. Thank goodness the one unpredictable element turned out well.