The Band Perry performs at the Ralph Engelstad Arena on Sunday night. Photo by Chester Beltowski/The Dakota Student.

What do you get when you cross a guitar, songs about heartbreak and unruly blonde hair? No,  it’s not Taylor Swift.

Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry — offered this and more in its performance at the Ralph Engelstad Arena on Sunday.

The Band Perry’s world tour “We Are Pioneers,” named after their latest album “Pioneer,” started back in November, trekked all over Europe and will continue making its way around the U.S. and Canada until late March. Grand Forks was fortunate to be one of the stops on the band’s first-ever headlining tour.

With two albums and eight hit singles under its belt, including the immensely popular “If I Die Young,” the trio has become one of the biggest acts in today’s country music. In hopes of spreading its success to other artists, the band selected up-and-coming country singers Lindsay Ell and Easton Corbin to accompany it on the U.S. portion of the tour.

Ell’s appearance and musical style struck me as a combination of Avril Lavigne and Kimberly Perry. With her hot pink pants and purple Les Paul guitar, Ell may have looked like just another pop singer, but her voice had country-infused twang and a lot of power. Ell’s lively stage presence and fancy guitar solos helped her win over the crowd.

Corbin, famous for songs “A Little More Country Than That” and “All Over the Road,” was the second opening act and built on the momentum that Ell started. While he admitted that some people think he’s a “George Strait wannabe,” the audience seemed to enjoy his performance.

Corbin’s full band included a fiddle and a steel guitar, creating a classic, Southern feel that the true country fans in the audience were craving. At times, I felt Corbin could have been a little more energized, but his chill vibe was the right fit for his style of music.

The Band Perry got everyone’s adrenaline pumping with an exciting stage entrance and the sweet-revenge song “DONE.” to kick off its portion of the concert. Lead singer Kim’s soaring vocals and high energy blew me away, even though it was the second time I had seen the band in concert. Younger brothers Neil (mandolin) and Reid (bass guitar) displayed harmony and enthusiasm that complimented Kim perfectly.

The band continued its upbeat performance with songs “Night Gone Wasted” and “You Lie.” Even when it slowed the pace a little for “All Your Life,” the audience remained captivated by the band’s stage presence.

The performers knew one of the biggest secrets to getting a crowd excited: playing covers of popular songs. Ell covered “American Woman” and Corbin cranked out some Bruno Mars and Alabama tunes, but The Band Perry’s covers earned the most excitement from the crowd.

Because the band Queen is one of its major musical influences, The Band Perry did a rocking cover of “Fat Bottomed Girls.” Judging by the way everyone was dancing, it seemed like the crowd’s favorite song of the night.

A country-fied version of Pitbull and Ke$ha’s song “Timber,” featuring the fiddle and Neil’s rapping, was also a highlight, but the crowd was truly won over with an unexpected song — “The Star Spangled Banner.” The band spoke about their love for the U.S. and then presented the American flag onstage for an honorable rendition of the national anthem. A smooth transition went right into the song “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone),” which was chilling and beautiful.

After a couple more songs and an encore featuring two of their biggest hits, “If I Die Young” and “Better Dig Two,” the show ended with the audience still chanting for one more song.

The show was a great value, as tickets were more affordable than similar concerts I have attended in other venues. The $40 floor tickets, which my friend and I purchased, were priced the highest but provided a close-up view that made for an incredible deal. Lower-bowl seats still gave a good view of the stage and cost $30, and the special upper-bowl tickets available exclusively to UND students were only $15 — which was a great way to give more students an opportunity to attend the show.

For The Band Perry’s intriguing performance, talented opening acts and good value, I would rate the experience five out of five stars. I highly recommend The Band Perry to anyone, especially those who like country music.

Emmy Erbes is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected].