I dare you to find a harder working country act then Lady Antebellum. It seems like every couple of months for the past three years they’ve played a big show in the Northeast, and they’ve sure come a long way since Country Fest 2009, where they were the first act up and only played a five-song set. The multiple Grammy award-winning trio played their biggest MA show yet with their “Own The Night” tour stop at the DCU Center last night.

The show, which featured three solid acts, for over four hours of music, signaled a sort of opening for the packed summer season, and although it was indoors, it had the festivity and excitement of an amphitheater. Darius Rucker and Thompson Square brought their best cuts out in support, and Lady A delivered just what the crowd of 15,000 wanted for their country night out.

Lady A cranked out 15 songs that drew from their three studio albums. The first two tracks, “We Owned the Night” and “Stars Tonight,” were upbeat highlights. I was shocked at how up-tempo the show was, given that Lady A mostly gets radio play with their ballads. When they threw out a ballad, it was great. “Just A Kiss” and “Dancing Away With My Heart” were crowd favorites, and “I Run To You” was one of the best songs of the night. My personal favorite was the lesser-known “Wanted You More,” which had a massive ending.

“Lookin’ For A Good Time” was the best song of the night. Lady A rounded out the main set with the upbeat party track from their debut album. Hillary Scott’s harmonies on the choruses where the highlight of the show. Scott and Charles Kelly were tight vocally for the duration of the set, and their harmonies are arguably the best in country music. Those harmonies are what sets Lady A apart. Having two great vocalists opens up a ton of opportunities that most bands simply don’t have, and that’s why they can pull off the songs they have, and perform them live at a high level.

For a one-song encore, Scott and Co. made the crowd erupt with their signature hit, “Need You Now.” The Kiss 108 crossover with a massive chorus was the best way to end the night, and the DCU crowd was thoroughly satisfied.

Darius Rucker, who has a headlining show coming up at the Cape Cod Melody tent, played 13 songs in what was virtually a co-headline. “Alright” and “Comeback Song” were the two highlights but he was the most consistently good performer of the night. A cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain” closed out his set and had the arena shaking by the end.

Thompson Square, one of the hottest new acts in country, also provided great support. “Getaway Car” was energetic and fantastic. “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” was equally great, as its constant play on country radio had every fan singing along.

This show is a classic example of how wrong someone can be. I was anxious going into this. I thought that it would be a little boring, sort of gray. It was the opposite. Lady A was energetic and fiery, and it made for a great show. It looks like summer’s here in MA, and this was a great way to start it off.  Lady A not only owned the night, but apparently owns New England as well.