For Luke Bryan fans, all dirt roads lead to the Strip this month (Feb. 11-12,16, 18-20, 23 & 25-26) for the kickoff of the reigning king of country’s new residency, Luke Bryan: Vegas. Bryan joins a roster of A-list headliners with extended engagements at The Resorts World Theatre including Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood and Michael Bublé, placing him in the pantheon of popular music’s top entertainers. His ascension comes without compromise, and Bryan seems to be handling it with customary ease.
The son of a Leesburg, Ga., peanut farmer who became an American Idol judge has become an American idol in his own right, with a 2021 five-part IMDb docuseries My Dirt Road Diary giving him even more exposure. Bryan has “it” like Elvis Presley had “it,” and is poised to rule in Las Vegas much like Presley did in his prime. Bryan’s only problem is having more No. 1 hits than time to perform them all in one night. Still, his setlists will be career-spanning, from his first major single, 2007’s “All My Friends Say,” to his latest No. 1 Country Airplay hit, “Waves,” from last year’s Born Here Live Here Die Here album.
Bryan found his direction in life early, segueing from sports to singing by his mid-teens. His voice comfortably wrapped around songs by George Strait, Alan Jackson and Clint Black, whose 1989 hit “Killin’ Time” stoked his desire to become a musician. His older brother Chris Bryan’s breathless description of the audience’s enthusiastic response at a Garth Brooks concert cemented his desire to perform and similarly stir arenas full of fans.
Bryan began performing publicly backed by karaoke machines before he began meeting musicians such as current lead guitarist and bandleader Michael Carter. A decision to take drama in his senior year of high school and performing in Annie Get Your Gun increased his performing confidence and made him stage savvy. His family was super supportive, but just as Bryan was ready to hit Nashville, Chris was killed in a car accident. Bryan decided to stay home and attend college until his father told him to pack his bags and get to Music City before it was too late.
Seasoned and serious, Bryan established himself as a songwriter before penning his own hits. He scored his first No. 1 in 2010 with “Rain Is a Good Thing,” one of his personal favorites. The chart-toppers kept coming, with songs from current set closer “I Don’t Want This Night to End” from 2011 to 2020’s “One Margarita” and “Down to One,” each spending more than six months on the charts. He has a knack for painting vivid scenes lyrically as well as pumping out party anthems par excellence, and his creative well seems inexhaustible.
Luke Bryan: Vegas positions Bryan to take his career to the next level, expanding well beyond his huge country audience and firming up his stature as a mainstream star. Expect most every seat in the house at Resorts World Theatre to be filled with the possible exception of one. That would be reserved for Bryan’s late brother, the inspiration behind his latest single, “Songs You Never Heard.”
Resorts World Las Vegas, 8 p.m., call for performance dates, starting at $58 plus tax and fee. 866.740.7111 or axs.com
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