Bryan’s show at rodeo is No. 1 for attendance
RodeoHouston saved the biggest for last.
Other acts have offered more traditional country (Turnpike Troubadours, Cody Jinks). More hip gyrations (NKOTB). More Jesus (Lauren Daigle). But none had more fans than Luke Bryan.
The part-time “American Idol” judge’s 10th performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo drew a paid attendance of 74,779. That’s the biggest number this year and just 122 people more than the Troubadours.
Bryan is as sure a rodeo bet as Ky Hamilton, this year’s bull riding champ. He has four shows in the overall top 25 for paid attendance, the most of any act.
His 15-song set was nonstop energy from the first strains of opener “I Don’t Want This Night to End.” He was in his signature ballcap and skinny jeans.
“No I don’t want this Houston Rodeo night to ever, ever end,” he teased.
Inserting the city into your lyrics is a guaranteed way to rile up the crowd, so of course he did it multiple times.
Bryan’s music teeters on the edges of bro-country and country-pop, from the cornfield party starter “Kick the Dust Up” to the electro flourishes of “Waves.” None of it is too serious, and he’s OK with that.
“Rain makes corn/Corn makes whiskey/Whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky,” he sings during “Rain is a Good Thing.” It’s still one of the alltime best worst lyrics.
“What Makes You Country” was a rebuke to critics who think he isn’t true to the genre. “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” was a terrific showcase for the entire band.
Bryan is at his best on slower songs — “Crash My Party,” “Play It Again” — that contrast his strapping persona with more thoughtful lyrics. (He left out “Drink a Beer,” his best one.)
The rodeo crowd, however, really just wanted to shake it. And Bryan gave them what they wanted.. He took to the rails during “Country Girl,” where fans gathered to snap photos and shake it for him, them and into next Rodeo season.