It was a weekend of highs and lows for Luke Bryan. The singer-songwriter sold out Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday, August 11, for the sixth time in his career, as part of his Country On Tour. Unfortunately, Bryan is still being plagued by vocal problems, which had forced him to cancel shows earlier in the month, also forcing him to cancel a concert August 13 in Brandon, Mississippi, the Sunday night after his Nashville concert.
“Dear Brandon, MS I am regretfully going to have to cancel my show there tonight,” Bryan posted on social media. “Under doctor advisement after taking 6 days off to heal I attempted to sing at both shows Thursday and Saturday and it was a struggle. Every show I sing I’m setting my voice back. I will continue to do everything I can to get better. Please know how much you mean to me and how heartbreaking this is to do.
The 47-year-old was clearly struggling to sing at parts during his Nashville show, but his vocal issues didn’t deter him from putting on a performance that fans will never forget. Bryan powered through hits like “Kick the Dust Up, “What Makes You Country,” “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” and more, along with covers of Ronnie Milsap’s “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me,” Lionel Richie’s “My Love” and more, switching to an acoustic performance halfway through the show to create a more intimate experience, for him and his fans.
“I was not going to cancel Nashville under any circumstance,” Bryan said from the stage.
Courtesy of Schmidt Relations.Eder Acevdeo
Prior to his concert, the Georgia native sang the praises of Music City, reflecting on how far he has come since his early days in the city.
“It’s just such an amazing town,” Bryan said (via Music Mayhem). ”And to go from just driving around [Interstate] 440 and looking at the skyline and having looked back, and [i] have obviously played Bridgestone six times, I didn’t realize that was the number. I think we did a stadium show at Vandy through the years. And at one point,
“I played on a flatbed truck during CMA Fest out at the Sounds Stadium, and there were three people there, and I was having fun then too … Through all that, I’ll still be having fun and it’s still going to be fun up there tonight,” he added.
Courtesy of Schmidt Relations/Eder Acedevo
Bryan not only was awarded with fans singing along to his songs, but he was also honored with several new plaques, celebrating his recent successes. The “Southern and Slow” singer was presented with several multi-Platinum and Gold plaques for RIAA certifications. Bryan’s “Knockin’ Boots” was certified triple Platinum, while “One Margarita” was certified double Platinum. “What She Wants Tonight” and “Down To One” were both certified Platinum, and “Waves” was certified Gold.
The final dates for Bryan’s Las Vegas residency, Luke Bryan: VEGAS, will take place in December and January. He will also embark on his Farm Tour in September. Find all of Bryan’s music and upcoming shows at LukeBryan.com.