Luke Bryan C2C Festival
Venue: 3-Arena, Dublin, Ireland
Date: Sunday 8 March, 2015
By Paul Nicholson
Luke Bryan won the 2014 CMA Entertainer of the Year award. If anyone was dubious about how, then they haven’t seen him perform. His show is definitely not just about the singing. His stage presence, interaction, charm, and wit are all readily served up in abundance to an audience full of swooning chicks, and envious, admiring guys.
Headlining the night was never going to be an easy task for the 38-year-old Georgian. The level of talent was of such a standard that any of them could have headlined similar events. In fact, Florida Georgia Line were so good, that they seemed like an impossible act to follow. Not that this phased him. He arrived on stage with his Skinny Black Jeans, Black and brown suede and leather boots, blue T-shirt and, of course, his trademark black cap, which was turned back and forth throughout.
He arrived on stage to a tumultuous welcome, wearing skinny black jeans, black and brown suede and leather boots, blue T-shirt and, of course, his trademark black cap, which was turned back and forth throughout. He launched straight into the opening track of his massive Crash My Party album, “That’s My Kind Of Night”, quickly followed by his earlier cult hits “All My Friends Say” and “Rain Is A Good Thing”.
He looked genuinely happy to be here, and seemed immensely proud that audiences outside of the usual Country catchment area were so enthusiastic and knew all the words to his songs.
The crowd were cheering when he stood on stage and proclaimed: “You know who else’s ass is Irish?” pointing to his chest, he yelled, “This ass is Irish! So y’all can call me Luke O’Bryan for tonight!”
As well as all his hits, he also brought out his keyboard, draped it in an Irish tricolour, taken from an excited girl in the crowd, and announced that as it was the last night, he was going to have a Luke Bryan Karaoke session, and invited the fans to just shout out a band’s name and he and the band would play and sing, which he duly did, including Garth Brooks’ “Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old”; Brooks and Dunn’s “She Used To Be Mine”, Alabama’s “Mountain Music”, and Alan Jackson’s “Hoochie Coohie” – which he said afterwards: “I can honestly say that’s the first time me and the band have EVER played and sang that song together.” – He rounded the impromptu session with a chorus of Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” to much cheering.
Other highlights for me were “Roller Coaster”, “Drunk On You” and “Drink A Beer” – which always has a poignant edge to anyone who know his personal story behind the lyrics.
He gyrated through the rest of his set, which had the women purring for more, and he didn’t disappoint.
He rounded the night off with an elongated version of his massive hit “Country Girls (Shake It For Me)”, before spraying the audience with cans of Coors Light before exiting the stage with everyone in awe of what they’d just seen.
“I can tell y’all I’ll definitely back,” he said before leaving the stage. I can tell him…I’ll be there when he does”
Star-Rating: 5 out of 5 (If it could get any higher than that…it would!!)
Full Set-List:
That’s My Kind of Night
All My Friends Say
Rain is a Good Thing
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Roller Coaster
Play It Again
Someone Else Calling You Baby
Shut It Down
Much Too Young (Too Feel This Damn Old) [Garth Brooks]
Mountain Music [Alabama]
She Used To Be Mine [Brooks and Dunn]
Hoochie Coochie [Alan Jackson]
Cruise (Chorus) [Florida Georgia Line]
Do I
Crash My Party
Drink a Beer
Drunk on You
I Don’t Want This Night To End/Dynamite
I See You
Country Girl (Shake It For Me)
