Luke Bryan at Barclays Center

Luke Bryan turned Barclays Center into his own private honky-tonk on September 14th, when his My Kind of Night Tour came to visit Brooklyn.  The sold out show was an impressive feat, especially following so closely on the heels of his conquering of Madison Square Garden earlier in the week.  Barclays Center opened in 2012, and this was the first country show to play the venue.  Bryan initially made his name by penning hits for Travis Tritt, and Billy Cunningham.  With his fourth album under his belt in ‘Crash My Party’, the only star that Bryan has to write for now is himself. The hats Bryan wears include singer, songwriter, and producer. His numerous accolades include Billboard Music Awards, and a trophy for ACM Entertainer of the Year. 

The cavernous arena was filled mostly with members of girls night out parties.  The women howled, hooted, and danced, and documented their experience with endless selfies.  The set list opened with “That’s My Kind of Night,” with Bryan being elevated up onto the stage amidst a burning ring of fire next to a black pickup truck.

The singer was more reminiscent of a more talented Billy Ray Cyrus than Waylon Jennings. The high tech stage was highlighted by numerous video screens, and was a show unto itself.  The backward baseball cap, tee shirt, and jeans seemed straight out of the local Gap, and there certainly was a chasm between this and the original country masters warbling through a classic transistor radio.  This evening made you wonder if Hank Williams would last through the competition on one week of American Idol.

Songs continued with “Rain is a Good Thing,” “Roller Coaster,” “Country Man,” “Crazy Girl,” “Suntan City,”  “Shut It Down,” “Crash My Party,” “Dynamite,” and “Drunk On You.”  The zealous call for encores was met with “Play It Again,” and “Country Girl.”  Luke Bryan offered up 19 songs in all, after sets by Cole Swindell and Lee Brice opened the festivities.  All three artists seem to make a clear case that country has changed from the roots sprouted by Willie Nelson, Ray Price, or Charlie Rich.  By the time Luke Bryan had left the building his own highway did not seem so lonesome, and the son of a peanut farmer seemed to have embraced the commerical excess that would have mystified a Buck Owens.  It would be interesting to see if many in the crowd could even have named a single Buck Owens tune, or appreciate a freshly fallen Hank Snow.      

Change may well be inevitable, and the sheer number of filled seats is a strong argument for validation.  Still, part of the charm of country music has been it’s link to the common folk, and the way it has endured without being corporitized for so long.  Resistance may be futile, but there was a sadness in the assault of neon signs hawking car corporations, luxury boxes, and insurance companies.  Mama’s now don’t have to fear their babies going up to be cowboys, as now they endorse the pickup trucks that they used to drive.  We’ve come a long way from Junior Samples and the gang at Hee Haw, although change is not necessarily a trait of progress. That takes nothing away from Bryan’s obvious appeal, his talent, or his pop sensibilities. The writing on the wall seems ominous, though, for the pure form that has been American country music lasting far into the future beyond classic recordings. One of the last bastions to avoid mass commercialization in the music industry has been found on its island, and the songs won’t remain quite the same dragged from their niche. The tour is set to wrap up on October 10th, 2014 in Columbia, South Carolina. 

– Words by Bob Wilson     [Photographs by Wayne Herrschaft]