Country star offers up uneven standards

At this point, Blake Shelton doesn’t need much help selling out arenas.

He is the Sexiest Man Alive after all, according to People magazine. Not to mention he’s one of four judges on reality singing show “The Voice,” where most Americans probably know him best as that guy who rarely changes out of his black button-down.

Shelton donned the same shirt for his sold-out “Country Music Freaks” show Thursday at Nationwide Arena, along with blue jeans and brown snakeskin boots, playing along with the country, but not the TOO country persona he adopts on the show.

The 41-year-old Oklahoman bridges the gap between old-school guitar-led country and the watered-down pop crossover stuff that’s on the radio right now.

As such, his newer songs often fall into a vanilla middle ground, with love song “Doin’ What She Likes” the same tempo and style as tragic breakup number, “Every Time I Hear That Song.”

By the end of his first 15 songs, remembering any standouts proved difficult, even though the singer boasts six No. 1 country albums, including last year’s “Texoma Shore.”

He interspersed each song with nostalgic musings on his early days in Columbus, when he opened for Rascal Flatts and chowed greasy food at the Ohio State Fair.

And he urged enthusiastic fans to drink heartily, so much so that the whole place probably will have headaches in the morning.

Only when charming opener Carly Pearce joined the singer (and sometimes guitar player) for a soul-burning rendition of “Lonely Tonight,” did the snooze button turn off.

“Special guest” Trace Adkins wiggled his hips and elicited enormous cheers for a threesong tour of his hits, including “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” “You’re Gonna Miss This” and “Ladies Love Country Boys.”

Even sans guitar, the ponytailed artist out-charmed Shelton. When the two perched on stools at the end of the catwalk for a friendly “Song Off” competition, they seemed a more even match: Adkins teasing Shelton about his sexy man status, and the headliner returning the favor during upbeat duet “Asshole.”

Whether warmed up by the exchange or the mysterious liquid in his black cup, Shelton finally hit home with old hit “Austin,” but sounded strained during final encore “God Gave Me You.”

Good thing for him, then, that the crowd gave up their concert dollars before the show started.