Luke Bryan brought his headlining “Country Song Came On” tour to the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Long Island.
Avery Anna, Drake Milligan, and George Birge warmed up the stage for Luke Bryan as his opening acts. All of these openers were gifted and noteworthy in their own right, and they helped elevate this tour to a higher level.
Luke Bryan’s show
“Jones Beach, how are we feeling, New York? Let’s go,” Bryan exclaimed, and kicked off his set with the unapologetic “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” as yellow lights dimmed from the stage. “Let’s go, Jones Beach,” he said.
It was followed by the mid-tempo “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” which had a banjo intro, as red lights dimmed from the stage. “New York, it’s good to see you,” Bryan said.
After a sip of water, he belted out the spitfire “Kick the Dust Up” and “What Makes You Country,” where he expressed his pride to be country in New York.
He had the Long Island audience singing along with him on “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset.” “Let me hear you, New York,” he said midway through the song.
During “One Margarita,” he passed a huge margarita glass in the crowd, while he took a shot of tequila on stage.
“We are grateful to play real country,” Bryan acknowledged and performed “Country Song Came On.”
He was able to make rock and roll country style with “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” as video montages played in the background with him doing these pastoral activities in nature.
A neat moment was when he brought up DJ Rock on stage to sing him “Happy Birthday,” and the audience joined in.
With the assistance of laser lights, he performed “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” which was the fan favorite from the first half of the show.
“Let’s go on a little roller coaster,” he told the fans, and serenaded them to “Roller Coaster,” which was quite fitting.
“How are we feeling New York? Jones Beach, we feeling good? Are y’all excited about the New York Knicks? Finally, they won. Thank you so much for selling this place out. We love Jones Beach,” Bryan said effusively.
“Anybody drinking cold beers tonight”? Bryan asked, and segued into “But I Got a Beer in My Hand.”
“Where are my party crashers at?” he asked, and broke into the infectious “Crash My Party,” as everybody was reciting the chorus verbatim.
“Are we ready to have some fun with some old school country?” Bryan asked, and brought back his opening acts on stage for him for a memorable performance of Diamond Rio’s “Meet in the Middle.”
Bryan subsequently sat down on the piano and accompanied himself on such songs as “Strip It Down,” “Buy Dirt” (which he performed sans Jordan Davis), and his first chart-topping ballad “Do I.”
While he forgot some of the words to Elton John’s “Rocketman,” it didn’t matter because the Long Island crowd had him covered.
He also paid homage to his fellow “American Idol” judge Lionel Ritchie by covering “Sail On” by The Commodores, and he ended his piano medley with Journey’s “Faithfully.”
Bryan had the audience swaying from side to side with “Knockin’ Boots” but the true highlight was the tear-jerking ballad “Drink a Beer,” which captivated.
During “Drink a Beer,” he was able to silence the entire venue with his moving performance, and he had them light up the amphitheater with their cell phone lights; it was quite a beautiful sight.
“Drunk on You” was pure ear candy, especially its vivacious chorus, and equally fun was “Rain is a Good Thing.”
After “Play It Again,” he closed with “That’s My Kind of Night,” as well as his autobiographical tune “Country Man” and his country line dance anthem “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).”
“Luke Bryan never disappoints but tonight, he was truly spectacular,” said Dawn Andrew, fan and attendee. “I have been attending Luke’s shows for quite a while now and his talent and personality are unmatched. The sold-out crowd was equally as enthusiastic about his performance! High praise all around.”
The Verdict
Overall, Luke Bryan was sensational at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh on Long Island. He was able to get the country party started in the best way possible. There was a feeling of nostalgia and euphoria in the amphitheater.
Despite it being a chilly and windy evening at the beach, Luke Bryan’s high-energy and entertaining show was more than worth it.
Luke Bryan and his talented band members earned an A rating for a job well done. Bravo.
To learn more about country superstar Luke Bryan, check out his official website, and follow him on Instagram.
