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Even with a mini-trampoline back-flip, Florida Georgia Line displays a bland puree of over-baked country pop

Midway through Florida Georgia Line's show Saturday night at Gexa Energy Pavilion, Tyler Hubbard uncorked a half-truth of mammoth proportions when he thanked fans for "allowing us to play our country music."

Florida Georgia Line plays country music like Kenny G plays jazz. They're capable of doing it if they wanted, but they choose instead to water it down for the masses until it no longer fits the genre.

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During the encore, Hubbard revised his statement and called his music "a mixtape" of influences before covering Dr. Dre's "Forgot About Dre" and Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places." Country, hip-hop, metal, pop -- you name it. Florida Georgia Line blends it into their sound.

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But it makes for an unusually bland puree. Unlike Kid Rock, who took a similar but saltier approach last month at Gexa, Hubbard and his singing partner Brian Kelley meticulously sandblasted away any rough edges as soon as they appeared.

A banjo would often start a song, but within 10 seconds, it was gone, buried beneath a uniform roar of guitar, drums and synthesizers. It's no coincidence the duo came to fame while working with Nickelback producer Joey Moi. On Saturday, half their songs sounded like twangy rewrites of hits by the much-maligned Canadian metal-pop band.

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And while Hubbard and Kelley are both decent-enough singers with a good sense of harmony, their songs were instantly forgettable, from older hits like "Get Your Shine On" and "This Is How We Roll" to new ditties like "Sun Daze," the latest entry in the over-baked tradition of silly country-pop beach songs.

Florida Georgia Line performs at Gexa Energy Pavillion in Dallas, TX, on Aug. 22, 2015....
Florida Georgia Line performs at Gexa Energy Pavillion in Dallas, TX, on Aug. 22, 2015. (Jason Janik/Special Contributor)(Jason Janik / Special Contributor)

Georgia boy Hubbard and Florida native Kelley came off as polite and perfectly likable Southern gentlemen. Hubbard thanked the crowd for "saving your hard-earned dollars to hang out with us" and he talked about how he and Kelley are so much happier since their recent marriages. You could almost hear a collective "awww" from all the young women who dominated the crowd.

And while neither Hubbard nor Kelley showed the onstage athleticism of say, Kenny Chesney, the duo put on an energetic show, dancing and flapping their hands as they dodged jets of smoke.

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Near the end of the show, Hubbard pulled off a perfect back-flip on a mini-trampoline, which may bode well for his future: When people get tired of Florida Georgia Line, he can always find work as a gymnastics instructor.

Thor Christensen is a Dallas writer and critic. Thorchris2@yahoo.com