Luke Bryan Cements His Entertainer of the Year Status with Sold-Out Bridgestone Arena Concert

“We’re making music in Music City tonight,” Bryan promised.

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

July 31, 2021

2:37 pm

Luke Bryan; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

Thousands of fans descended upon Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (July 30) for Luke Bryan’s sold-out Proud To Be Right Here Tour. The show marked Bridgestone’s first sold-out show of the year and Bryan’s eighth time performing for a sold-out or beyond capacity crowd at the venue.

The superstar more than lived up to his title of ACM Entertainer of the Year with a massive, career-spanning set that showcased his biggest hits amongst top notch production.

Immediately kicking it into high gear with “That’s My Kind Of Night,” Bryan entered the stage beneath an enormous disco ball. As colorful lasers and spotlights lit the path, Bryan immediately welcomed the capacity crowd as he took to the catwalk.

“Bridgestone, Nashville …What’s up? Let’s go!” he shouted.

Fans welcomed Bryan with a burst of cheers and applause, proving they were ready to party alongside the country hitmaker.

Without skipping a beat, Bryan grabbed his guitar and went on to perform his 2010 hit, “Rain Is A Good Thing,” prompting fans across the arena to sing along.

“I want ya’ll to understand something. At 11 ‘o’clock I’m supposed to be off the stage, but we’re closing the whole city down tonight, alright,” Bryan promised. “If anybody leaves, I’m calling your ass out, alright?”

Amid the roaring applause, Bryan went on to say, “It’s been over a year in a half and it’s time for some country music fans to get their damn money’s worth tonight. ‘Cause I don’t know if we gonna be doin this shit next weekend. Who knows? Y’all might be drinking beer through a mask in two weeks.”

As fans booed at the mention of masks, Bryan replied, “Who knows? Hey, it ain’t my damn rules!”

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He went on to perform hit after hit, only slowing it down for “Waves” and the romantic “Down To One” before transporting fans south of the border with the tropical vibes of “One Margarita” and a cover of Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down.”

That’s when the surprises began and kept coming.

“We’ve got some crazy ass people that come out to party with us tonight,” he teased. “I’m about to have the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

Bryan’s Proud To Be Right Here tour mates, Dylan Scott and Caylee Hammack, returned to the stage to join him for a rowdy rendition of his breakout release, “All My Friends Say.”

After that, Bryan welcomed Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard for a performance of their 2013 collaboration, “This Is How We Roll.”

Moments later, Jason Aldean appeared from backstage to join Bryan for “The Only Way I Know,” a chart-topping hit from Aldean’s Night Train album that features Bryan and fellow country superstar Eric Church.

That’s when the biggest surprise of the night came as the superstars welcomed their “good friend” Morgan Wallen to the stage for his first major performance since a controversial video surfaced earlier this year.

After Wallen performed his chart-topping hits, “More Than My Hometown” and “Whiskey Glasses,” Aldean, Bryan, Hubbard and Wallen joined forces for an all-star performance of “She’s Country.”

The cheers and applause were so loud that many fans left with their ears ringing for hours on end.

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Bryan continued his show with many of his greatest hits, aptly wrapping his set 30 minutes past curfew with “I Don’t Want This Night To End.”

Since his 2007 debut, Luke Bryan has steadily climbed the country music ladder and proved to be on top of his game time and time again. Friday’s Nashville showcase was yet another career-defining moment for the superstar as he proved to be one of the genre’s leading entertainers with no slowing down in sight. After a tumultuous 16 months, Bryan offered fans inside Bridgestone Arena some sense of normalcy, if only for a few hours.

Dylan Scott provided direct support and impressed with his unwavering confidence. Scott shared performances of fan favorite tracks such as “Hooked,” “My Girl,” and “Nothing To Do Town,” while also throwing it back to the 1990s with covers of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Tim McGraw, George Strait and more. He also performed his just-released breakup anthem, “New Truck.” This slot on the Proud To Be Right Here Tour will undoubtedly catapult his career to new heights.

Bryan’s labelmate, Caylee Hammack, opened the show with a charming set that featured tracks from her debut album, If It Wasn’t For You, and covers of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and Eric Church’s “Smoke A Little Smoke.”

The show marked both Scott and Hammack’s debut performances at Bridgestone Arena and it surely won’t be their last time playing the famed venue.

Luke Bryan’s Proud To Be Right Here Tour runs through October.

Luke Bryan

Dylan Scott

Caylee Hammack

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.