POP MUSIC REVIEW : Playing It Strait at the Greek Theatre

Standing on the Greek Theatre stage in a vibrant blue shirt and his trademark white hat, George Strait seemed to emit an unnatural glow, like a cowboy movie star photographed to look like a god while the sidekicks and scoundrels in the frame fade to gray.

Strait is the Ronald Reagan of country music: hugely, enduringly popular, despite giving the overriding impression that there’s really nothing there. He was so wooden at the Greek on Sunday that you wondered what would happen if he ever had to veer from the script.

It’s not that Strait is slick and glib--on the contrary, he seems almost shy, a stiff, smiling figure with nothing to say or share. Strait’s voice is like honey, with no texture or inflection. It’s convincing when called on to deliver a straightforward sincerity, but out of its league on anything emotionally complex or vocally demanding.

The Texan tried a couple of times to create some character by shading and stretching his vocals, but mainly he rode easily on his band’s razor-sharp, tradition-steeped Western swing and honky-tonk arrangements (even the purity of his traditionalism was compromised by a drum synthesizer whose echoing, overamplified click was as out of place as an elephant on the back 40).

How do you explain Strait’s decade-long domination in the country field? The voice goes down easy, he can claim authenticity (he actually works a farm), he attracts some pretty good, radio-friendly songs, and the country audience is as loyal as a hound once it’s taken to you.

But barring a midlife shot of inspiration, Strait figures to pass into country music history without leaving a ripple. The hits will be on the board, but he’s doing nothing to shape the nature or direction of the form.