Country music star Marty Stuart and his band, the Fabulous Superlatives, will unplug when they play in Middletown on May 8, 2010. That’s because Miami University Middletown is one of the smaller venues Stuart plays, so an acoustic show is the best fit, he said.

“At an intimate theater, that’s one of the things me and my band do. It gives a new life and a new energy to the songs,” Stuart said.

Since Stuart tends to custom-build his shows, he hadn’t created the set list for the Middletown show as of late April. However, he said, “I’m sure we’ll do some old favorites.”

Having cut his musical teeth playing with legends like Lester Flatt and Johnny Cash, Stuart scored his own hits including “Hillbilly Rock,” “The Whisky Ain’t Workin’,” and “Tempted.”

His latest album is Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions) recorded in the Nashville studio where Elvis taped several of his hits.

“What a wonderful atmosphere that was. It was like recording in a cathedral,” Stuart said.

Ghost Train will be out around Labor Day, Stuart said, and the Middletown show will include some selections from it.

Just as Stuart enjoyed recording in a classic studio, he’s a strong advocate of a more classic country sound, which doesn’t seem prevalent on the radio now, he said.

“I not only want to keep it alive, but further it. That particular type of sound is endangered. It just needs to be nurtured,” Stuart said. “If you listen to current country radio, it doesn’t have a lot to do with tradition. I like what I hear in a lot of cases, but it’s about balance.”

By Eric Robinette