Luke Bryan performs at the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview. dennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com

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• Chris Cresswell | Contributing Writer

Rain is a good thing, but warm, hazy sunsets over Onondaga Lake are better.

Although they had to dodge raindrops on their way in, the sold-out crowd was ready to get high on summertime as they filtered into the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview for Thursday night’s concert featuring country superstar, Luke Bryan. The spirit, and the spirits, were overflowing in a night that featured warm temperatures, cold drinks, and great country songs.

‘Höre nie auf zu schreiben!’ John Lydon bestätigt, neues Public Image Ltd-Album in Arbeit’Höre nie auf zu schreiben!’ John Lydon bestätigt, neues Public Image Ltd-Album in Arbeit

The evening began with Adrien Nunez, a TikTok influencer-turned-country music artist. Nunez’s set was filled with smooth pop country sounds that went down easy, but the reliance on backing tracks was disappointing.

It was a delightful change of pace to see a banjo, mandolin and pedal steel guitar set up on stage for opener Ashland Craft’s short set.

Despite it being their first night opening for Luke Bryan, the band was tight and Craft’s raspy, but strong voice–reminiscent of country legend Tanya Tucker—brought the honky tonk to the amphitheater. Her performance was a highlight of the night and I’m looking forward to checking out her albums.

Ashland Craft opens for Luke Bryan concert at the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview. dennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com

A return to the polished pop country sounds, influenced by Drake and Post Malone, George Birge’s set featured moody atmospherics and lyrics that celebrated three-chord songs and small towns that stay small forever.

In between songs, Birge spoke of the role the city of Syracuse has played in his career, reflecting on how he used to play acoustic sets at the Limp Lizard.

While Adrien Nunez, Ashland Craft, and George Birge each offered their own particular flavor of country, they were musical hors d’oeuvres. Luke Bryan was the main course.

Before he fully made it onstage, Bryan announced that tonight was going to be a party. The crowd roared, singing along to 2011’s Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye. The seamless musical transition to I Don’t Want This Night to End, also from 2011’s Tailgates and Tanlines, set the tone for the night.

Tailgaters arrive early and start the fun before the start of the Luke Bryan concert at the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.comdennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, Bryan’s casual appearance belied the polish of the performance on stage. Luke Bryan has been writing and recording music for two decades and his band knows how to play.

Songs like 2015’s Kick the Dust Up, 2017’s Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset, and 2020’s One Margarita, performed with Luke Bryan holding a margarita in his hand, kept the party atmosphere going, but the sentimental moments were most effective.

A personal highlight was Bryan’s 2015 song, Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day. Starting with an acoustic guitar and a slow four on the floor drum beat, it eventually built into the musical highlight with all the instrumentalists taking their turn soloing.

Bryan traded solos with the other guitarists before keyboardist Scotty Wilbanks traded solos with himself, switching between honky-tonk piano and ’70s synthesizers. The song concluded with Bryan once again trading solos, this time with banjo player Travis Toy.

351/35Luke Bryan in Concert at the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview

The entire band sounded fantastic throughout the night and they deserved more appreciation and attention from Bryan.

Later on, a beautiful pedal steel guitar intro gave way to 2013’s Drink a Beer. While the tempo slowed, the energy remained high as the crowd waved their cell phone flashlights in time with Bryan’s soft, crooning voice.

After a quick stage reset, Bryan appeared on stage by himself a baby grand piano. Performing his 2015 number one hit, Strip It Down, the solo acoustic performance acting as a clever play on the lyrics.

For all the beer drinking anthems that came before, the solo set seemed to be where Luke Bryan himself was having the most fun. It also served to highlight two underappreciated elements of Bryan’s career: having started out in Nashville as a songwriter, there is a strong songcraft undergirding his pop country hits.

Second, and I say this endearingly, Luke Bryan is kind of a ham. There’s a goofiness to Bryan’s personality and he’s at his best when he lets that come out on stage.

Luke Bryan concert at the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview. Bryan was preceded by Adrien Nunez, Ashland Craft, and George Birge . Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.comdennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Part way through 2021’s Buy Dirt, the second song in the acoustic set, Bryan played a wrong chord, laughed at himself and kept going. The acoustic set concluded with a cover of Elton John’s Rocket Man. Only remembering bits and pieces of the song, it was reminiscent of a kid trying to remember how to play a song in front of his friends. It was silly. It was fun. The audience ate it up.

Moments like this brought a human element to an otherwise almost-too-polished show.

As the band returned to the stage, Bryan announced that “we’re partying the rest of the night,” and everyone raised their beers in celebration.

Cycling through Bryan’s greatest hits, six out of seven were top 5 singles, the crowd sang along to every word.

An evening of the real good, feel good stuff, Luke Bryan showed why he remains a perennial country favorite. He’s a frequent flier in Syracuse, who previously filled New York State Fair’s grandstand in 2013, packed the Carrier Dome in 2015, and drew huge crowds at the Syracuse Amp in 2017, 2021 and 2023.

It has been a long, rainy spring here in Syracuse, but between the warmer temperatures and the return of country music to our amphitheater, it feels like summer has started. That too is a good thing.

Luke Bryan performs at the Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview. dennis nett | dnett@syracuse.com