The award-winning country duo Florida Georgia Line (FGL) made their second stop in Iowa in the past 10 months, this time in the UNI-Dome as part of the “Dig You Roots” tour on April 21.

Fans went crazy as the pair, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, descended onto the stage from elevated platforms and a semi-truck in the background, to start off the show singing, “This is How We Roll.” To my surprise, the duo was touting general bling and Kelley had on a gold chain and a backwards cap along with their denim.

FGL maintained the high energy by singing, “It’z Just What We Do,” “Round Here” and “Anything Goes.” The stage made use of pyrotechnics and entertaining b-roll of the duo and other touring members. I always find something personal and endearing about these short clips of band members goofing off and hanging out while on the road, and FGL made good use of it.

I received a lot of mixed remarks from friends when I told them I was going to this concert. There seems to be a definite divide between country music fans who resent the hip hop influenced sound that is unique to FGL, but I think it works. From the rapping to creative uses of auto-tune, FGL’s style reflects the younger generation of country fans who do occasionally listen to Drake but prefer to party in the honky-tonk. It’s a newer way of making music, but I think the breaking of genre molds is the new frontier.

The “Dig Your Roots” tour aesthetic truly settled in once a bunch of inflatable trees were raised up on the stage. Singing their titular song, Kelley, referring to himself as BK and the next front man as “T-Hubs,” introduced the more personal side of the group. His message about growing up in a rural area, and staying rooted in their hometowns, resonated well with the audience.

One standout performance during the night was of the song “Dirt.” The atmosphere of the crowd was vibrant and appreciative towards this song, which is notably more country and less party-like lyrically. As hazy white stage lights filled the stage, FGL sang an appraisal to the refrain, which felt very off the cuff and intimate, belting out, “Makes you wanna build a 10 percent down white picket fence house on this dirt.”

BK invited the audience to raise a cup to themselves for coming out to enjoy the show and, without missing a beat, plugged FGL’s Old Camp Whiskey brand. In a move of musical marketing genius, FGL performed “Smooth,” which is also the title of their upcoming 2017 summer tour that will feature Nelly and The Backstreet Boys.

Throughout the night, there seemed to be an unofficial solo cup stacking competition in the works. My fear was that someone would spill beer on me, but I managed to leave the event unscathed. One man had 12 solo cups stacked during the opening sets, which was right before FGL. An artist also encouraged an audience member to chug one of the drinks they were “double-fisting” with much crowd enthusiasm.

In another moment with a personal touch, FGL performed “Life is a Honeymoon,” dedicating the song to their wives. The big screens filled with footage from both Hubbard and Kelley’s weddings, which gained supportive cheers from the crowd. Their two-time platinum No. 1 song “H.O.L.Y.” received even more enthusiasm as BK sat down at a pristine white piano and Hubbard played the guitar.

Bringing back the party atmosphere, FGL invited their openers Seth Ennis, Chris Lane and Dustin Lynch back on stage to perform “Sun Daze” and then “Party People.” And since nightly concerts can’t go on without this particular moment, FGL had fans turn on the cell phone flashlights to perform “Get Your Shine On.”

The show ended with a medley of pop song covers, again proving that FGL isn’t afraid to cross the music genre divide for a little fun. From “Ride Wit Me” to “This is How We Do It” and “Jump Around,” they hyped up the energy before closing with “Cruise.”

Ennis, the first opener, received little crowd attention, and Lane only had slightly more success. Lynch, on the other hand, brought the energy up and put on a great show in his own right. He performed most of his well-known songs, such as “Seein’ Red,” where Lynch took the opportunity to highlight his “manhood” to the excitement of some female fans, but I found it quite nauseating and obnoxious.

Lynch also performed “Cowboys and Angels,” and introduced his new unreleased song “Love Me or Leave Me,” simmering down the tone of his set. But Lynch heated things up at the end with “Where It’s At” and made sure the big screens got one last look at his crotch before exiting the stage.

It’s worth note that three of the performing artists, including FGL, took a moment to thank the US military and uniformed service members. Lynch went even further, bringing out an ecstatic older man decked out entirely in denim and the American flag, ending the song with a USA chant. FGL debates set aside, one could not mistake the night as anything else but a country music concert — and for my first — I found FGL to be an enjoyable show.