Nashville Superstar & Trio of Openers Bring Tour To a Close at Credit One Stadium

Jeff Walker, Entertainment Writer

He's an American Idol judge and a bona-fide American country music idol. Saturday night (Oct 28th) Nashville superstar Luke Bryan performed before a near sell-out crowd, as five time CMA 'Entertainer of the Year' with 30 number one hits to his credit, brought his 'Country On Tour' show to an epic finish at Credit One Stadium in Charleston SC. 

While a few of Bryan's tour reviews have been mixed of late, especially over the summer after he was recovering from an illness, the 47 year old entertainer appeared to be in rare form under a moonlit night on Daniel Island. With so many country radio favorites Bryan's set was much like a non-stop greatest hits parade, with the Georgia native addressing the audience on multiple occasions, providing back stories and humorous anecdotes between numbers.

Bryan rolled into the low country with three opening acts all beginning their respective country music careers, and all embracing different sides to the genre. Chayce Beckham is more akin to alternative country, incorporating soul and R&B into his songs, with Hailey Whitters revisiting classic 90's country, and Ashley Cooke leaning more towards country pop with a rock n' roll edge.

Bryan who's been a force in Music City for over 16 years wowed concert goers for nearly two hours, offering up 28 songs from his arsenal including a countrified snippet of Aerosmith's 'Sweet Emotion' and a lively rendition of Dolly Parton's '9 to 5' with help from Cooke and Whitters on inflatable horses.

DJ Rock kept the crowd movin' between set changes mixing country, rock, hip-hop, and pop blasting mash-ups from Luke Combs, Brooks & Dunn, Def Leppard, and The Eurythmics. He had 'Swifties' be-bopping to Taylor Swift, and energized the capacity crowd in a massive and thunderous sing-along to Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On a Prayer'. With DJ Rock spinning tunes Credit One Stadium was buzzing the entire time.

2021 American Idol winner Beckham cracked the evening wide open, keeping the crowd thoroughly entertained, offering up a half dozen soulful country numbers beginning with 'Where the River Goes'. An accomplished singer and guitar-man, Beckham worked the crowd on his latest releases 'Little Less Lonely' and 'Whiskey On the Wall', sandwiching the two originals around two familiar covers, Brooks & Dunn's 'Red Dirt Road' and 'Whitehouse Road' by Tyler Childers. 

Winding down, Beckham encouraged fans to urge country radio to give his latest single which dropped Friday 'Whiskey On the Wall' airplay, saving his lone chart topper (iTunes) '23' for his farewell. The only Idol contestant to win using an original number, '23' is an autobiographical song about the trials and tribulations we all face even at a young age. Beckham thanked the crowd for their support and for making '23' his first number one, adding that being part of Bryan's tour has been a blast.

Whitters was happy to spend Saturday night with an appreciative country music audience. At 34, the Iowa native spent more than a decade trying to make her mark in Nashville, upping her game opening for Luke Combs and Midland over the past couple of years.

Dressed delicately in a flowing red dress and white thigh high boots, Whitters bonded with the ladies on 'Countryside Chick' before admitting she has a girl crush on Trisha Yearwood, blending her own number 'How Far Can I Go' with Yearwood's 1991 chart topper 'She's in Love with the Boy'. A refreshing and retro medley.

Whitters closed out her mini set with her most recent single 'I'm in Love' before wrapping up with 'Everything She Ain't', the latter her debut single off 2022's 'Raised' album, and a song that put her on the map, cracking the Top 20 on Billboard's US Country Airplay chart. Her star is on the rise.

Ashley Cooke who is easily on her biggest concert tour to date brought her infectious pop country style to appreciative Charleston fans. Since winning Belmont University's 'Country Showcase' in 2019 Cooke forged her career online during the pandemic, garnering millions of views on Spotify and YouTube.

Although she's been delivering songs on the digital highway for the past three years including the self generated album 'Already Drank That Beer', her first full-fledged record label release 'Shot In the Dark' came out in the summer of 2023, receiving rave reviews for an unheard of 24 tracks.

CMT's Next Woman to Watch ripped joyously through a half dozen plus songs diehard followers were familiar with, opening with 'Getting Into' off the debut release. 'Moving On With Grace' and 'Back In the Saddle' prove Cooke can rock with the best of them, as she strutted the stage like a veteran performer. Her duet 'Never Til Now' with Brett Young was well received as was her closer 'Your Place', currently positioned among several Top 10 country music formats. 

The stage was set for the marquee attraction with Bryan wasting little time kicking it up country style with 'Kick the Dust Up' followed by 'Knockin' Boots'. Much like Brad Paisley, Bryan is known for his lighthearted and party friendly songs, with 'But I Got a Beer in My Hand' and an extended revved up version of 'Huntin', Fishin' & Lovin' Every Day' striking a chord with the redneck friendly Charleston crowd.

Swithching gears Bryan's mid-tempo medley of 'Games' and 'What She Wants Tonight' played nicely to the heavy complement of females in the crowd. Nearing the midway point Bryan rallied the troops sending up 'Country On', his patriotic number off 2022's 'Prayin' For a Deer Stand'. His 30th chart topping single was well received in a blue collar community with a strong military history.  

'Light It Up' is Bryan's new-wave, yet moody nod to unrequited love using a modern day cell-phone as a means to rally an unresponsive lover. Concert goers got the message as cell-phones were buzzing like fireflies in the night.

Bryan appears to connect with songs that have a different meaning than the title suggests. The melodic 'Crash My Party' off the album of the same name seems to move the needle for lovers, however it is 'Drink a Beer' that is perhaps Bryan's most sentimental number, a somber salute to losing loved ones. Faith, family, and friends came to the forefront as Bryan was joined onstage by Beckham for 'Buy Dirt' a 2021 duet Bryan recorded with Jordan Davis.

After the salute to Dolly and Aerosmith, Bryan went full throttle to the finale, sending out a half dozen familiar radio ditties including 'One Margarita', 'Rain Is a Good Thing', and 'I Don't Want This Night To End' which 10K plus fans agreed with. 'Country Girl (Shake it for Me)' was met with a raucous sing-along, as was 'Play It Again', as fans sensed the party bus was coming to a full stop.

All good things must come to an end, with Bryan winding down the tour with 'That's My Kind of Night'. The double platinum track off 'Crash My Party' has been a fan favorite since its 2013 debut and seemed a fitting way to wrap up a four hour rockin' country music dance party.

Much like Charleston's favorite son Darius Rucker, Bryan is a laid back country boy at heart, more comfortable wearing a ball cap rather than cowboy hat. While his stage came adorned with an oversized video screen backdrop, neon lights, and smoke, with enough chart toppers to fill three greatest hits compilations Bryan let his songs (28 in all) take the spotlight, much to the delight of his adoring fans.

Bryan knows his audience, singing songs about the great outdoors, blue-collar lifestyles, cold beer, patriotism, and freedom, as well as offering up the occasional simple love song. Fans, especially the ladies and a few men came dressed to garner attention, with almost all wearing western boots, ready to 'shake it up'.

2023's 'Country On Tour' may have come to a halt on Daniel Island, but no doubt Luke Bryan will head out on tour next year when his American Idol duties are fulfilled. Hopefully Luke will make a return visit to greater Charleston on somewhere near by. As for Chayce Beckham, Hailey Whitters, and Ashley Cooke, with their careers blossoming they will easily be tabbed as openers for another country music superstar, when they're not showcasing their talents playing solo gigs.