Luke Bryan
Article by Brittany Ormiston
Luke Bryan kicked the dust up during his stop in Noblesville on the Mind Of A Country Boy Tour. The crisp, fall weather brought a sold-out amphitheater crowd wearing flannels and boots galore. Thunderstorms cleared the area to allow for a night filled with country music, and quality family time. “What’s up Indiana? How we feeling?” shouted Luke as he took in the crowd before performing the first track ‘That’s My Kind of Night.’ While hugging her Dad, a younger fan was jumping up and down with excitement at the first glimpse of Luke to create a heartwarming moment for all.
As Luke made his way to the front of the stage, a little girl with a pink cowboy hat was placed on her Dad’s shoulders. She raised a sign into the air that read “This is my first concert!” inscribed in pink glittery letters to match her hat. Luke smiled and pointed at her as a smile instantly crept across her face. Talk about a core memory being created right then and there. The night was just beginning, and yet many were already thinking about how they wished it would never end. The setlist was perfectly created to include a variety of songs all across Luke’s discography. It ranged from his second album Doing My Thing released in 2009 to his most recent album Mind Of A Country Boy released in June. Everyone in attendance took a trip down memory lane during ‘Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye’ and ‘Drunk On You.’ The instrumentals cut out to reveal only the crowd singing, “The best buzz I’m ever gonna find.” The volume projected from the venue was so loud it sent chills down your spine.
Luke ran his hands through his hair, and adjusted his backwards baseball cap. The mandolin started playing the intro notes to ‘One Margarita.’ The crowd was taken to paradise with palm trees and tequila, and left all their worries at the door for a little while. A visual of old TVs transformed into a kaleidoscope as Luke sang ‘What Makes You Country,’ and suddenly we all wanted to join Luke on the farm. Halfway through the show, Luke broke it down and performed a number of songs acoustic style. Between the phone flashlights and stars on the screens, the room lit up like a galaxy during ‘Do I’ as Luke played the grand piano with such grace. The emotion in his voice made you feel every single word as if the experience was your own. The single spotlight revealed Luke and an acoustic guitar for a little campfire sing-a-long. “We got some party-crashers in here tonight!” said Luke after wrapping up ‘Crash My Party.’ He even paid a tribute to Toby Keith by performing a cover of his track ‘Courtesy of The Red, White, And Blue (The Angry American).’ This was a sentimental way to commemorate Toby, his impact on country music, and how his memory will live on.
The evening picked back up with oldies but goodies ‘Play It Again’ and ‘I Don’t Want The Night To End.’ The pure joy radiating from Luke as he jumped in sync with the crowd was irresistible, and you could not help but join in. The audience eagerly waited for Luke to come back on stage for the last song of the night. The words “shake it” appeared on screen accompanied with a compilation of several songs with that title by artists such as Metro Station and Jake Miller. With a sassy look on his face, Luke shook his hips a bit as he sang ‘Country Girl (Shake It For Me).’ The crowd certainly got a kick out of it, and wished for more as they exited Ruoff Music Center. With over 20 years under his belt, Luke has made a mark on country music as a singer, songwriter, and entertainer. His music and lovable personality will continue to bring families closer together to form everlasting bonds. Luke Bryan: love you, miss you, mean it.
Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, IN on September 7, 2024
Photos by Everly Ormiston
