Blaine Larsen Plays Opry at the Ryman

With his big, easy baritone and gift for the hook, Blaine Larsen seems like a conventional country singer—his narratives elaborate such red-state themes as growing up, becoming a man and the joys of religion. Still, Larsen knows a thing or two about class and how it affects individual lives, and he recorded one of country's more effective songs about teen suicide, 2004's "How Do You Get That Lonely." Larsen's other great moment is "In My High School," which deftly lays out the kind of future he escaped when he moved from Washington State to Nashville and pursued his musical career. “They had assemblies for the football team / But never for the kids with different dreams,” he sings. Only 23, Larsen continues to develop his songwriting chops: He co-wrote George Strait's "I Gotta Get to You” and plans to release a new record next year.
Fri., Dec. 25, 7 p.m., 2009