Luke Bryan's goal on tour: 'Sing good and make the folks happy'
Luke Bryan named his new tour after his hit song “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day" — and on stage and off he practices what he preaches.
"I literally try to do a little huntin’ or a little fishin’ and I always try to do a little lovin’ every day that I can," Bryan said. "I think when you name the tour that, people can come out knowing that it’s going to be a fun vibe."
Bryan, who has celebrated 18 No. 1 country singles and headlined five arena tours in the past decade, launched his “Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day Tour” in early May with two sold-out nights at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Because of the added pressure of playing a hometown show, most artists save Nashville for at least the middle, if not the end, of the tour. Bryan is the exception — the added nerves makes it more fun.
“Heck, we don’t really overthink it,” he said. “We just get up there and make it happen. It adds a little mystery to the deal. It’s crazy, super exciting. I wouldn’t go out and tour as much as I do if I didn’t truly have a big-time love for it.”
Brett Eldredge is the second artist on the bill, and Bryan plans to rotate new opening acts over the course of the six-month tour including Lauren Alaina, Craig Campbell, Seth Ennis and Granger Smith. Eldredge, who has already played a few shows with Bryan, will be at every stop on the tour.
“He’s simply a down-to-earth, good ol' classic country boy that can put on one hell of a show,” Eldredge said of Bryan. “His fans are maniacs. I wanted to get a taste of that energy because it's addicting. Everything is a surprise on this tour ... every day is different and always entertaining.”
Before coming to Nashville and charting No. 1 hits, including the tour’s namesake song, his recent Fast, Kick the Dust Up and Drink a Beer, the Georgia native learned to entertain playing in bars. He surveyed the crowd, tried a few songs and quickly figured out what his audience wanted to hear, which isn’t unlike how he runs his show each night. The singer kicks off the show with a set list, but if he needs to shake things up mid-show, he isn’t afraid to do that, either. He often incorporates contemporary pop covers, classic rock songs, classic country favorites, plenty of dance moves and maybe a new song or two to keep the audience on its feet.
“The main thing with me is make the show feel not overly planned,” said Bryan, who by most measures is the top country music singer in the format. “I think when people see I may have tried something new that’s on the fly and me not being afraid to make a mistake out there, sometimes it works. It’s always about letting the tour get going and finding out what fans like. We’re just trying to get out there and hopefully sing good and make the folks happy.”