Colby Acuff Reflects On His Opry Debut And Getting The Call To Play Stadiums With Luke Combs
“The only thing more unbelievable than an Idaho kid going to play at the Opry is a kid going to play stadiums that’s only played one arena,” Acuff laughed.
Colby Acuff; Photo by Matthew Berinato
2023 is shaping up to be Colby Acuff’s breakthrough year, making him a rising country sensation worth keeping a close eye on as he gears up for some exciting developments.
Aside from releasing his fourth studio album, Western White Pines, this past June (as well as the deluxe version earlier this month), the 26-year-old also hit the Grand Ole Opry stage for the very first time, putting on a debut performance that was truly unforgettable.
“Truly cannot believe that this Idaho boy will be stepping into the legendary circle tomorrow at the @opry. Dreams are worth dreaming and the impossible is just improbable,” the talented singer-songwriter shared to his Instagram profile, just 24 hours prior to the big show.
In an exclusive interview with Country Now, Acuff gushed about the once-in-a-lifetime experience, sharing that the whole night felt like a dream.
“It was funny, because I feel like I was in a total state of disbelief until I actually got on stage. Like, I really just didn’t think it was happening,” he shared with a giggle. “I’m from 1,800 miles away from the Opry, you know, like I couldn’t believe that they let me on the stage. Even when I was backstage, right before I went on, I was just kind of thinking like ‘Okay, when are they gonna tell me to go home?’”
“I never get nervous for a show ever, and in theory, it’s just two songs. You play two hours every night, you know, it’s two songs. It’s like the easiest gig you’ll ever have, but I was so nervous getting on stage. Obviously, the Opry is such an honor and such an amazing stage to play on, [but] I think it went well,” the soon-to-be country star continued.
While performing at the Grand Ole Opry is an impressive feat for any aspiring country artist, Colby Acuff is gearing up to embark on an adventure that some may argue is even more spectacular.
The rising star will be hitting stadiums all across the country as a supporting act on Luke Combs’ 2024 Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour.
“The only thing more unbelievable than an Idaho kid going to play at the Opry is a kid going to play stadiums that’s only played one arena,” Acuff gushed. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for Luke and his team to bring us along to those stadium shows next year. I wasn’t expecting it at all.”
“I feel like I don’t deserve it necessarily, you know? I think it’s a little bit of like an undeserving feeling, not in a bad way, just in a feeling of like holy s**t. This is happening fast,” he dished.
With a new album out for the world to hear, the country crooner shared which tracks from Western White Pines he has loved playing on the road so far, as well as which of the six deluxe tracks he is most excited to perform in the future.
“I feel like right now, playing ‘Western White Pines’ has been my favorite,” a song that he has also considered to be one of his favorites on the project itself. “When you go into the chorus, you know, there’s all those high notes. If you’re singing along, you have to scream that, you know, and so when we hit the chorus of ‘Western White Pines,” it’s usually like really, really loud, and it’s really fun to play and hear everybody sing that back.”
In addition to “Western White Pines,” Acuff shared that he and his band love to play “Boy and Bird Dog,” and they look forward to performing “Ain’t No Time To Die” and “River Runs Through It” from the deluxe version of Western White Pines.
Fans hoping to catch one of Colby Acuff’s legendary performances will have plenty of opportunities to do so.
See below for a complete list of upcoming tour dates.
September 25 — Kansas City, MO — Uptown Theater^
September 26 — Omaha, NE — The Admiral^
September 27 — St. Louis, MO — The Hawthorn^
September 29 — Des Moines, IA — The Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park^
October 13 — Tuscaloosa, AL — Druid City Music Hall^
October 14 — Huntsville, AL — Von Braun Center^
October 17 — St. Petersburg, FL — Jannus Live^
October 18 — Sanford, FL — Tuffy’s Music Box
October 20 — Charleston, SC — The Riviera Theater^
October 21 — Richmond Hill, GA — The 24th Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival
October 22 — Simpsonville, SC — Greenville Country Music Fest
November 11 — Columbia, MO — The Blue Note^
November 16 — Austin, TX — Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater^
November 17 — San Antonio, TX — Paper Tiger^
November 18 — Dallas, TX — The Factory in Deep Ellum^
December 16 — Las Vegas, NV — The Theater at Virgin Hotels~
April 13, 2024 — Milwaukee, WI — American Family Field+
April 20, 2024 — Buffalo, NY — Highmark Stadium+
April 27, 2024 — University Park, PA — Beaver Stadium+
May 4, 2024 — Jacksonville, FL — EverBank Stadium+
May 11, 2024 — San Antonio, TX — Alamodome+
May 18, 2024 — Santa Clara, CA — Levi’s Stadium+
June 1, 2024 — Phoenix, AZ — State Farm Stadium+
June 8, 2024 — Salt Lake City, UT — Rice-Eccles Stadium+
June 15, 2024 — Los Angeles, CA — SoFi Stadium+
July 20, 2024 — East Rutherford, NJ — MefLife Stadium+
July 27, 2024 — Landover, MD — FedEx Field+
August 3, 2024 — Cincinnati, OH — Paycor Stadium+
August 10, 2024 — Houston, TX — NRG Stadium+
* supporting Charles Wesley Godwin
# supporting Flatland Cavalry
^ supporting Paul Cauthen
~ supporting Lainey Wilson
+ supporting Luke Combs
Originally from Southern California and currently residing in Music City, Melanie graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Journalism before beginning her career as a music and entertainment journalist. Beginning to write for Country Now in August of 2023, she has also contributed to Holler, Music Mayhem, Country Chord, Celeb Secrets, Celeb Secrets Country, We Got This Covered and Decider throughout her career thus far. When she is not writing, Melanie enjoys going to concerts and music festivals, binging her favorite television shows, spending time with her friends and family and cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners (of course).
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