Luke Bryan, Georgia Theatre, 4/24

by Kelli Hilderbrand
04/29/2008

Rising country-music sensation Luke Bryan performed to a sold out crowd at the Georgia Theatre last Thursday night.

His fan base began to grow while he attended Georgia Southern University and played in bars and clubs on the weekends. The fame he has achieved has taken him from his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia (population 2,633), to performing at sold-out stadiums across the country as an opening act for country superstar, Kenny Chesney.

After numerous appearances at the Georgia Theatre, Bryan's popularity has grown here in Athens. The video for the first single, “All My Friends Say,” off of his debut album was filmed at the Theta Chi fraternity house on Milledge Avenue.

Bryan is not only a dynamic performer but also a talented songwriter. Perhaps the most famous song he wrote was Billy Currington’s smash hit, “Good Directions,” the second most played song on all of country radio in 2007.

At the start of the show, the audience knew they were in for a memorable performance. Bryan burst out from behind the stage and sang his new single, "Country Man," followed by the title track of his album, “I’ll Stay Me,” and an acoustic version of potential future single “Baby’s on the Way.”

Bryan and his band covered numerous songs from country artists such as Sammy Kershaw, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Brooks & Dunn. A favorite selection of the night, "Lay You Down," by Conway Twitty, had the crowd singing in unison. One other memorable song was "Family Tradition," by Hank Williams, Jr.

Throughout the entire show you could feel the chemistry Bryan has with his band members, many of whom have been with him throughout his journey to stardom. Each member jumped and danced around the stage while listening to a chorus of 1000 people sing along with them.

Bryan concluded the show with his first single, "All My Friends Say," which left the crowd wanting more. For his encore performance he sang, “Honky Tonk Women,” a hit by The Rolling Stones.

With his southern accent, good looks and talented voice it is obvious to all country fans that Luke Bryan is going to continue to achieve tremendous success in the music industry in the forthcoming years.

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