Amidst a sea of excitement, a palpable buzz fills the air as I join the flock of enthusiastic punters migrating toward the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Tonight (11 August) marks a momentous occasion – Luke Combs' inaugural sold-out performance on the Australian leg of his world tour. The path is lined with an eclectic array of punters adorned in their finest Western attire – a symphony of western boots, tasselled jackets, skirts, and shorts.The venue is also awash with the rich tapestry of flannel and blue denim, while Stetsons and Akubras crown the heads of children, teens, and adults alike, defying the night sky with their presence.
The multitude of fans are forming serpentine lines at the merchandise stands, food kiosks, and bars. Curiously, the atmosphere is devoid of impatience; instead, spirited conversations flourish from the pre-show excitement as the din of voices gets louder.
Finally with a couple of bevvies in hand I enter the sprawling main arena to see that it is jam packed like the Roma Cattle Sale Yard at 5am on a Tuesday morning – how is the rest of the herd going to squeeze in here.
I catch the end of the set of 17-year-old Lane Pittman. I can't help but feel excitement for Pittman. This is truly the stuff teenage dreams are made of, right?
From covering his music idol's song on 'The Voice' to opening for that very same artist, Luke Combs, in front of a sold-out audience. This is going to be a hard one to top as this young star gets more and more of his own shine on.
'My Way Over You' gets a great reception and Pittman's eyes are lit with an inner glow on the big screen that I interpret as pure joy and pride.
While this Aussie artist from outback Queensland, now living in Tamworth, has a solid fan base in the country scene, tonight he is defs taking away a bunch of new fans, a major career highlight in his back pocket and more streams of his new single 'Love In A Country Town' that is leaving an indelible mark on punters and fans. He's definitely one to watch.
A brief intermission ushers in a collective chorus of ZZ Top's 'Sharp Dressed Man' that is interrupted by an exuberant emcee's inquiry: "Australia, are you ready?" The response is a cacophony of booming "Yeahs," at the introduction of Cody Johnson, from Texas.
The mere mention of his name is triggering an eruption of cheers, whistles, and enthusiastic whoops from the crowd – and he hasn't even hit the stage!
The stage is enveloped in darkness. A medley of fire-themed songs flows from the speakers, featuring Johnny Cash's 'Burning Ring Of Fire', Jimi Hendrix's 'Fire' and 'Fire On The Mountain' by Marshall Tucker Band.
A five-piece band is poised for action as Johnson is making his entrance, traversing the drum and key risers to bask in the multiple spotlights slicing through the shadows. As the streams of light illuminate him, he extends his arm, inciting cheers from both sides of the stage.
He then journeys down the runway and his presence unfolds as a spectacle of energy that now mingles with crowd anticipation. Adding to the preliminary fire-themed medley, Johnson opens his first Australian performance with 'Build A Fire' and fans start bopping to its chugging intro.
Johnson instantly ignites a fiery welcome from punters and is "cranking it up". Fans are going wild for this song and roar some more when the fiddle kicks right in.
Johnson then asks us: "Are you ready to party, Australia, tonight?" Amidst the performance of "'Y'all People' make a stranger feel right at home," a genuine connection materialises with fans and is bridging the gap between artist and newly spawned fans.
Backed by an accomplished band, Johnson exudes an effortless confidence. His song 'With You I Am' evokes chuckles within me as he lyrically denies being a Patrick Swayze, a notion promptly debunked by the fervent crowd response.
Johnson tells us he has a new album 'Leather' coming out before commandeering our collective energy towards a heartfelt rendition of 'Dear Rodeo', usually sung with Reba McEntire.
Johnson addresses those seated behind the stage, acknowledging their surprising premium vantage point. The journey continues, with Johnson guiding fans again from the front of the stage through a captivating performance of 'Nothin' On You' and a spirited cover of Brooks & Dunn's 'Red Dirt Road'.
Johnson is taking time to introduce his band members and while the funky bass, deft fiddle player and hard-hitting drummer gave great solos during their introductions, it is the steel slide guitar to Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' that is sending me ballistic.
'Human', a song that Johnson has quoted to be his "most autobiographical", gets into our ears after a short introduction. Johnson does this one perched on a stool, strumming at his guitar while singing his apologies.
Reminding us we made 'Til You Can't' go platinum here in Australia, we are again invited to sing along his final number. The crowd bleat out the words with voices loud and clear. When the song ends, Johnson is leaning into the crowd standing in the pit and signs hats, posters and whatever else is thrown his way.
He then hands out what look like some picks and a stack of CDs to fans on the floor around the runway. How charming – I think he cast his spell on fans and the punters new to his music.
Interval has some punters glued to their seats while others are wrangling the exits like sheep in corrals to get to the bars and restrooms. Amidst the exit commotion, a captivating spectacle unfolds – the shoey.
A solitary enthusiast becomes an unwitting instructor, captivating the crowd with a display of shoey skills (three times on my count). An infectious trend emerges, with others joining in, showcasing their own expertise to the resounding cheers of the audience. A lively tapestry of shared shoey camaraderie is born! I am all but gagging as these can't all be new boots and shoes, right?
As the arena bathes in red light, the unmistakable strains of ACDC's 'Thunderstruck' reverberate through the PA system. Voices unite in a resounding chorus, setting the stage for Luke Combs' grand entrance.
Clad in attire befitting the crowd, Combs embodies an unassuming demeanour, immediately forging a connection with his fans as he gets straight amongst the shoey action himself! The first notes of 'Lovin' On You' resonate and the crowd reciprocates with affectionate enthusiasm.
Now in full frenzy mode, fans are out of their seats rocking out hard to 'Hannah Ford Road'. Heads are nodding and we are relishing the guitar and banjo solos. 'Cold As You', with its own twangy tones but reminiscent of Steve Earle's 'Copperhead Road', receives a roaring reception.
Fans get more excitable when their big, bold, bearded country balladeer sings 'One Number Away'. Combs gently serenades us with 'Love You Anyway'.
The Combs Choir are singing along so sweetly to this beautiful ballad and before Combs can sing "If it took one look to turn my days to night, at least I'd have the stars that sparkle in your eyes," phone torches are on and held high creating a sea of shining-like stars a full 360 degrees around him. What an atmosphere.
The intense fan interaction does not let up. The drinking Combs Choir are now singing in their best alcohol lubricated ballad-y voices to 'Going, Going, Gone'. Excitement continues to build with its unmistakable riff and fans are belting it out louder and with a southern inflection.
Heartbreaker and country cracker 'Must've Never Met You' is lapped up by fans in a state of euphoria, holding their hands on their heart. For the untrained pipes there'll be some hoarse punters after the show.
Combs pauses to share that he is missing his wife and son 6,000km away. He serenades the crowd with 'Beautiful Crazy' that was written for his wife. The crowd's fervent participation is turning the arena into a shared chorus of love and longing.
Combs' band members take centre stage as Combs introduces them. They do this while treating the crowd to a medley from 'Dust On The Bottle', 'Meet In The Middle' and 'When I Was Your Man'. Like during most of his set, Combs swaggers around the stage to engage with fans on all sides and has his mic, and either a cup in his hand or slinging a guitar.
'Forever After All' has the lovelorn and lovers praying it can be while 'Does To Me' is making us think about what is meaningful in own our lives. Combs reminds us: "It might not mean much to you, but it does to me."
'Where The Wild Things Are' unleashes a wave of '90s country nostalgia, with fans on their feet, swept up in the jubilant frenzy only to go nuts for his cover of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car', evoking a thunderous response that is transforming the arena into an aural masterpiece.
Another poignant moment arrives as Combs reflects on his backstory behind 'She Got The Best of Me'. The ballad's emotive resonance touches hearts, uniting the audience in shared experiences.
The heartfelt performance of 'Hurricane' yields seamlessly to the upbeat anthem '1, 2 Many', a fitting tribute as singing fans hold glasses and cans high in the air. It's bumping the party up!
A medley of emotions swells within as Combs delves into 'When It Rains It Pours' soon transitioning to possibly the last song, 'Beer Never Broke My Heart'. The audience holds as a strong harmonious choir going hard at it, right to the end.
Deafening cries beckon Combs back for an encore, and he obliges, accepting a black balloon from the crowd for a heartwarming gender reveal. "I never done a balloon one before. . . I dunno know how tha hell I'm goin' ta pop this thang."
"What do we think – boy or girl? What do you want it to be?" Punters shout their predictions. Combs leans forward to get the parents' response: One says a boy and Combs asks, "But you're goin' ta be happy either way?" and gets a nod. He pops it and announces: "It's a girl! Congrats!" The crowd gives a cheer.
'Better Together' sweeps through the arena, evoking a profound sense of unity and togetherness. Combs' melodic baritone losing no power, is cascading around us, punctuating the crowd's euphoric response as we are lost in his enchanting strains of 'The Kind Of Love We Make'.
Literally wherever I am looking, everyone is on their feet singing loudly with all their heart. There is no such word as pretentious at a Luke Combs show: not the man himself, not his band, not the crowd – it's been a merry hoe-down with the vibe of a country love in.
Keeping the stage show simple and ensuring he delivered his songs to us with deep emotion in his southern rock baritone, Combs proved he has an innate knack of taking a cliché storyline and vocalising it into a resoundingly relatable force of feeling.
The musicians that have supported their frontmen tonight have been impeccable in their timing and made the music jerk at our heartstrings in all the right places bringing teary eyes and smiles to the faces of fans.
The aura of authenticity radiates, painting a vivid portrait of a performance untainted by pretence that is over way too soon. I guess it's time to swap spit and hit the road. That's all she wrote.
