Country artists Brett Young and Brett Eldredge served as his opening acts, both of which were able to warm up the stage for him.
“What’s up Madison Square Garden?” he asked, prior to opening his set with the upbeat “Move.” It was followed by two spitfire performances of “That’s My Kind of Night and “Kick the Dust Up.” “This is my kind of night New York City. Country has come to town,” he said.
“Let’s make it rain,” Bryan said, and he immediately broke into “Rain Is a Good Thing.” “Madison Square Garden. How y’all feeling?” he inquired, prior to asking “who’s getting frisky tonight?”
Bryan continued with the infectious “Crash My Party” and the unapologetic but fun “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.” The country superstar played electric guitar on “I See You,” and switched over to acoustic guitar for the ballad “Fast,” where he showed his soft side.
After yet another ballad, “Do I,” which was his first No. 1 single on the country charts, he immediately broke into “Drunk on You,” which had strong melodies and hooks.
When he sang “Roller Coaster,” neat cinematography projected on the giant televised screens, which went along well with the song. He continued with the fiddle-driven “Country Man,” and asked again if the audience was having fun. The answer was a resounding yes, and he went on to sing “Play It Again,” and the sultry ballad “Strip It Down,” where he accompanied himself on piano.
“For once in my life, I felt like Billy Joel for two minutes. That was one hell of a feeling,” Bryan admitted. He brought Brett Eldredge back on stage for a duet of Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.” Brett Young also joined Eldredge and Bryan for another collaboration, where they sang a medley of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and “Let’s Get It On.” All three artists had a shot of tequila together as a libation to celebrate the tour.
Bryan performed a poignant version of the melancholic ballad, “Drink a Beer” as he sat on the piano, strumming his acoustic guitar, and he had the audience sing the chorus with him, in memory of somebody they lost (that they would normally share a beer with).
He continued with “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” and “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” prior to closing with his signature song “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” where every female fan in the audience went nuts.
The Verdict
Overall, Luke Bryan did an amazing job headlining Madison Square Garden in New York City, and he sold it out for a Wednesday night. His energy level was exceptional and he commanded the stage the entire time. If the upcoming Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards have any doubts on who deserves to be named “Entertainer of the Year,” all they need to see is a highlight reel of Bryan’s sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. His show garnered five out of five stars.
