Luke Bryan and His Bros Help Thousands Escape Simple-Life Doldrums at Vandy Stadium

The Spin spent its Saturday braving trench-foot levels of swamp ass and the real possibility of heat stroke to join the bro-country faithful for Luke Bryan’s Kick the Dust Up tour stop at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Bryan, the reigning king of country (so sayeth the ACM and CMA), brought along a roster of artists spanning contemporary country's ever-growing musical breadth, including Florida Georgia Line, Randy Houser, Thomas Rhett and Dustin Lynch, stretching the show to over six hours of mostly family-friendly escapism and totally genuine enthusiasm.

With a heat index hovering around 100 degrees, tailgating was an act of willpower, and so ended up being a pretty tame affair by Bryan/country-stadium standards. For those of weak fortitude there was a world-class medical center a very short ambulance ride away, but folks played it safe and mostly sought shade within the leafy confines of the Vandy complex, making sure to stay well lubricated. One group of enterprising dudes, however, converted the bed of their pickup into a makeshift swimming pool. Sadly, The Spin didn’t bring any trunks.

We were keen to see how actual country fans were reacting to the Confederate flag debate, but Bryan’s group seemed uninterested in the culture war. The most prominent display of the flag in question we saw was a tiny antenna attachment on top of a VW beetle, which is just weird. Displays of good ol’ stars and stripes proved far more popular, as were unifying T-shirt slogans like “Day Drunk for America.”

Speaking of clothes: In the hyper-competitive world of women’s concert fashion, it seems that sundresses and cowboy boots are on their way out, while rompers and sky-high wedges are in. And with a crowd that appeared to be about 70 percent female, daggers were absolutely stared. There’s plenty of Luke to go around, ladies.

Once the gates finally opened, fans caught sight of Bryan’s humongous … stage. Towering roughly 100 feet tall and spanning the entire width of the football field, it featured two gigantic video screens on either side and a wrap-around topper, plus a T-shaped runway extending out to the 50-yard line, complete with arching bridges connecting both ends back to the main structure.

Middle Tennessee native and classic-country lover Dustin Lynch kicked things off with a short, gracious set, and was followed quickly by shit-hot up-and-comer Thomas Rhett. Showing promise as a big-crowd entertainer and a sound that is totally new to country — a mix of funk, soul and pop that would feel right at home on a Bruno Mars album — Rhett jumped right in to the eclectic “Crash and Burn," full of tight snare pops, fat bass and whistled hooks. Rhett hurled himself around the runways, half moonwalking and injecting the crowd with their first burst of energy.

Taking things in a more vocal-based direction, Randy Houser was up next. The hulking, hunky Houser loosed his powerful, rough-hewn pipes on the stadium, singing working-man jams and small-town come-ons, but clearly Houser’s at his best on slower, emotionally complex tunes. He delivered a killer, aching cover of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” completely committed, while fans sang along and swayed with their eyes closed. Then he went out on the runway with just a guitar and absolutely belted the psuedo-Western ballad “Like a Cowboy.” It seemed entirely possible he could have filled the stadium without speakers, inspiring a few “holy shit” moments for The Spin.

Then as darkness fell, the natives started getting restless. Up next was Florida Georgia Line — heirs to the summer-stadium-tour throne, as people were just as pumped to see them as they were Bryan. Wave after wave of screaming approval greeted each line about lift kits, 4x4s and Bacardi, just blocks from where FGL's Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard first met at Belmont University.

“This piece of ground right here in Nashville,” Hubbard began bantering, “there are so many memories here for us. This is where we began, this is where we got our start, this is where we became husbands. It’s never been so special.”

PSA: Though the state of Tennessee now issues same-sex marriage licenses, T Hubb was talking about his recent marriage to Hayley Stommel.

“Dirt” brought a moment of reflection on legacy and family, and let the boys show off their obvious vocal connection. Say what you will about their style or lyrical content, but the bros can saaang.

After the bouncy antics of “Sun Daze”— with Kelley in particular enjoying the song’s weed references — the fist-bumping, high-fiving hick-hop anthem that spawned a brodacious subgenre, “Cruise,” brought the crowd to a fever pitch. Hubbard tore off his shirt Hulk Hogan-style and tossed it to the crowd, where two young ladies politely discussed who should take it home — or rather ripped it apart in a frenzy, it was tough to tell.

Finally, the bro of the hour made his entrance. A lighting rig lowered to stage level and began bucking as fireworks lit the stadium and Bryan rose from the center of the runway like a rock star. Singing at the 50-yard line most of the night, the Georgia native never missed an opportunity to bring the crowd into the show, tossing beers and even letting a little girl (in a tiny romper) share the mic when someone passed her up onstage. Fans everywhere were on their feet, giggling and screaming along with every one of Bryan’s hip shimmies and purrs, while the “Oh my God, this is my song” chorus of “Play It Again” hit home on so many levels.

Bryan's gotten progressively more real with stage banter over the last few years, now seeming like he feels free to let loose. “What in the hell is with this heat,” he joked. “This is the hottest shit I have ever felt. All the girls have got their hair up, and I gotta say, ladies, your hair has gone to shit.”

The openers returned for a cover of Maroon 5’s “Sugar” (thankfully the Journey cover never quite took off), and tequila shots were passed around, with everybody goofing around like a bunch of actual buddies. That feeling rubbed off on the crowd, and that may be one of the biggest reasons people love Luke Bryan shows to begin with. There were no harsh vibes, and folks were generally patient and good to each other.

Bryan crooned “Drink a Beer” while perched on a set piece made to look like a dock, and when the lights came down and phones went up, he capitalized on a chance to connect, calling all to toast those they've lost. The crowd fell silent, but not for long.

Full of fireworks, a flaming pickup truck rising from the stage (not even kidding) and megahits like “My Kind of Night” and “Country Girl Shake It for Me,” Bryan’s encore offered one last chance to escape from the real world, which for most of his audience — many sporting out-of-state plates, some from as far away as Michigan — may not happen all that often. Entertainer of the year, indeed.