Whether he deserves it or not, Toby Keith has a big “love me or hate me” sticker plastered on his well-worn flannel shirt. The country music superstar has been equally successful and controversial over the last five years — so much so that an opinion on Keith’s music is practically akin to a statement of political belief.

And while the argument could be made that the artist’s more inflammatory tunes aren’t representative of his body of work, Keith’s latest single does contain some of the rawest, let’s-draw-a-line-in-the-sand social commentary you’ll ever hear on the radio. The song, “Beer For My Horses,” is so graphic in its support of vigilante justice (e.g. “Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys/Hang them high in the street”), it might as well be called “Hooray for the Death Penalty!”

So as a first-time Keith concert-goer on Saturday night at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, I was intrigued to see which Toby Keith would show up— the reckless country provocateur or the toothy-grinned singer/songwriter out to show everyone a good time. Thankfully, the latter description was more accurate of Keith, and for that matter, his entire “Biggest and Baddest” tour. From the three-artist label showcase that kicked off the night, to a sweaty, energetic set from star duo Montgomery Gentry, not to mention Keith’s own rollicking performance, this was a party that had little to do with politics.

Of course, Keith’s set wasn’t bereft of statements about God and country — if Lee Greenwood gets your waterworks going, this would’ve probably had you cheering. But most of the time, the guy led his 10-piece band through fun-loving songs about love, sex and drinking, exhibiting a comfortable nonchalance that suits his everyman persona.

In fact, the most effective moments of Keith’s set were the silly party tunes, and there were more than a few. On numbers like “High Maintenance Woman,” which at one point featured an image of a spinning toilet bowl, and “I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight,” a roots rocker that echoed Tom Petty (except for all the blatant sexual innuendo), the vibe in the arena felt like a Jimmy Buffett show. Honestly.

It might seem like a stretch to compare Keith with the Great Parroted One, but like Buffett’s, these songs were charming in their utterly corny way, and the crowd drank up every one of them with glee. And if you still don’t believe me, check this — in between songs, Keith instructed his audience to “get drunk and make somebody tonight,” ripping into yet another so-dumb-it’s-sorta-fun tune, “Get Drunk and Be Somebody.”

When it comes to creating a party atmosphere, Keith is a pro. And when you compare his style to the pablum that passes for contemporary country music these days, it actually seems somewhat genuine. But musically, Keith is merely presentable, seemingly knowing only three kinds of songs — awful, syrupy ballads, the Buffett-with-twang party tunes and those hyper-patriotic anthems that made him a star.

As he closed his set with a string of those monster flag-wavers, all of Keith’s campy appeal went down the drain, giving way to his more serious, faction-forming sentiments. Judging by the din of approval that these songs received, this is undoubtedly the artist’s bread and butter. But I much preferred the feeling of being a barbecue cheeseburger in paradise.

Appeared in the August 25, 2008, issue of The Buffalo News.