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Whitey Bulger’s old stomping grounds? The home of Romneycare? A resented sports capital?

Last night in front of 800,000-plus — and, really, every July 4th — CBS, Liberty Mutual and the Boston Pops painted Boston as both the birthplace of revolutionary America and a mainstream, apple-pie celebration during the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

Lionel Richie would have done the trick had he not canceled due to throat trouble, but step-in guest singer Martina McBride probably had more middle-of-the-road appeal, being that she’s a Celine Dion-like country belter. And no musical genre is more middle America than arena country.

Lowell native and actor Michael Chiklis was the host, taking over Craig Ferguson’s role, and he didn’t have Ferguson’s wit. But he was the first host to sing a tune himself. He’s a bonafide singer/songwriter and he uncorked the power ballad “’Til I Get Home,” a soldier-in-a-foxhole song about wanting to get home and the families that miss him or her.

Patriotism and hats-off-to-the-military, that’s what it was all about. A flyover from the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard to start. Sixteen canon shots during “The 1812 Overture” to close the local (as in non-nationally broadcast) part of the show. Frequent contributions from the U.S. Army Soldiers Chorus and the U.S. Army Field Band.

And, of course, more patriotic medleys than you can shake a stick at, including a “rocking” bit that began with Neil Diamond’s triumphant immigrant song, “Coming to America,” and ended with a line from Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” Just the “Born in the USA!” part, nothing about being “born down in a dead man’s town.”

Truly, the most rocking segments were Keith Lockhart and the Pops’ rendition of Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston,” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a wonderfully rapturous roller-coaster about the futility and finality of life. Not that the lyrics were sung, but in your head you could hear Freddie Mercury: “Nothing really matters to me.”

McBride sang “America the Beautiful” and two of her own, “Independence Day” and “This One’s For the Girls.” And while there was a disturbing announcement during the show — a 12-year-old girl had gone missing --— she was later found unharmed. Gorgeous fireworks closed the night as songs by Katy Perry, Owl City and Taio Cruz played. The climax? “The Star Spangled Banner,” of course.