Luke Bryan’s tour began on June 15th in Syracuse, NY, and will run until his later dates in October. I attended one of these shows on October 27th in Charlottesville, VA. Despite being in such a small area, Bryan’s tour brought in thousands upon thousands of people who filled the stadium and brought a lively energy with them. Upon entry, the arena was filled with Luke Bryan inspired attire: belt buckles, cowboy hats, boots, and spurs. Every opener carried an incredible energy and stage presence when delivering their performance to the crowd. These performers included Hailey Whitters, Ashley Cooke, and Chayce Beckham, who each brought a unique style of music, including throwback covers of other country artists.
The crowd went wild for each performer, building anticipation for Luke Bryan’s arrival onstage. The anticipation came to a welcome end when Bryan came out, singing his hit song “What Makes You Country.” The official start time of the show was at 7:00 pm, with Bryan coming out around 9:30 pm, and the show concluding by 11:15pm. Throughout his performance, Bryan catered to every section of the audience, calling up to the nosebleeds and all the way down to the floor seats. He sang songs from each of his albums, in no particular order, building excitement to see which song he would play next.
As the show came to a close, the artist brought out his openers again for several final cover songs and an encore. Upon conclusion, the crowd went wild. Though the stadium was packed full of country music fans, getting into and out of the stadium was a breeze. Transportation was easy to arrange, and attendants were posted everywhere to assist people in departing. The UVA location drew in people of all ages, including alumni of the college, as well as current students. Overall, the concert kept fans engaged from start to finish, with openers and a DJ holding fans over until Bryan took the stage. While on stage, Bryan took no breaks and consistently performed for over 2 hours. The show absolutely lived up to the hype it gained on social media, and I would undoubtedly see it again.
