Hot off a run of headlining shows for his Las Vegas residency debut, Luke Bryan and his band along with openers Riley Green & Mitchell Tenpenny rolled into Virginia Beach, Virginia for the second show of the Raised Up Right Tour. Naturally, the sweltering heat, humidity, and threat of thunderstorms didn’t faze the diehard country crowd on July 7th at the sold-out Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (aka Virginia Beach Amphitheater). This five-time entertainer of the year just released the song, “Country On” on July 4th, and the fans couldn’t wait to hear it performed live for the first time.
To kick off the night, singer/songwriter Mitchell Tenpenny and his band delivered that smooth classic country sound with “Bucket List,” with lyrics offering hope in tragedy; “Say, “I love you” ‘fore the moment’s gone and never have to ask myself, “What if?”” The next song is what every woman wants to hear from her husband; that he will do “Anything She Says.” This 2019 ACM New Male Artist of the Year nominee is popular on Tik Tok and strives to write songs that appeal to country fans from every walk of life.
Mitchell Tenpenny Setlist
1. Bucket List
2. Anything She Says
3. At the End of a Bar
4. Alcohol You Later
5. Truth About You
6. Drunk Me
7. Bitches
RILEY GREEN
Riley “Duck Man” Green, the 2020 ACM Awards New Male Artist of the Year, brought that traditional country twang. This 33-year-old singer/songwriter from Alabama started with “Different Round Here” which had “all the feels” and was the title track of his first album. With his band and a neon cowboy riding a duck in the background, Riley set up at the mic with his guitar delivering more fan favorites as the crowd sang along. Check out the gallery below.
Riley Green Setlist
- 1.) Different Round Here
2.) Georgia Time
3.) In Color (Jamey Johnson cover)
4.) If It Wasn’t for Trucks
5.) Hell Of A Way To Go
6.) Where Corn Don’t Grow (Waylon Jennings cover)
7.) I Wish Grandpas Never Died
8.) There Was This Girl
LUKE BRYAN
Being the quintessential entertainer, Luke Bryan made a grand entrance when curtains flew up like batman’s cape, and he descended the platform stairs for his popular hit “I Don’t Want This Night to End.” Up next were “Kick the Dust Up” and “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” which were the two songs photographers was allowed to capture from the pit. Check out the photos below.
Luke performed his new feel-good song released July 1st, “Country On” for the first time, and dedicated it to hard-working men and women and the military. You can see the official lyric video below. Later in the set he pointed out that he got his first tattoo in Virginia Beach, then he picked up the pace performing hit after hit with beautiful graphics on a massive screen, lasers, and gorgeous lighting. Missing were some production elements, such as pyro/sparklers, seen at his Vegas shows. Nevertheless, throughout the night, Luke and his band brought incredible energy to the sold-out crowd with hit after hit. His newer band members include award-winning songwriter/producer/musician Scotty Wilbanks (formerly of Third Day) on keys, Tom Beaupre (formerly of Florida Georgia Line) on bass, and Travis Toy (formerly with Rascal Flatts) on pedal steel guitar, banjo, guitar. All are superstar musicians with impressive resumes.
After the threat of severe thunderstorms, thankfully the only rain that fell was in the gorgeous on-screen graphics for “Rain is a Good Thing.” Adding to the energy of the night, the popular American Idol judge couldn’t perform without his signature booty shake in Knockin’ Boots and Country Girl (Shake It for Me). As a singer, songwriter, entertainer, and musician, he definitely “poured the Country On” Virginia Beach.
Luke Bryan Band Members
Luke Bryan – lead vocals, guitar, piano
Michael Carter – lead guitar
Kevin Arrowsmith – fiddle, mandolin, guitar
Kent Slucher – drums
Scotty Wilbanks – keyboards
Tom Beaupre – bass
Travis Toy – pedal steel guitar, banjo, guitar
Luke Bryan Setlist
- 1.) I Don’t Want This Night to End
2.) Kick the Dust Up
3.) Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
4.) One Margarita
5.) Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset
6.) Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day
7.) Country On (Live debut)
8.) What Makes You Country
9.) Waves
10.) Most People Are Good
11.) Drunk on You
12.) Buy Dirt (Jordan Davis cover)
13.) Strip It Down
14.) (Medley of songs on Piano including “Neon Moon” cover by Brooks & Dunn and “Good Directions and Turnip Greens”)
15.) Drink a Beer
16.) Roller Coaster
17.) Crash My Party
18.) Knockin’ Boots
19.) Move
20.) Play It Again
21.) Rain Is a Good Thing
22.) That’s My Kind of Night
Encore:
23.) Country Girl (Shake It for Me)
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Annette Holloway is a music, promo, portrait, and event photographer. Live concert photography and band/artist photoshoots occupy much of her time. Her work has been published on numerous media outlets including Billboard, Pollstar, NBC News, Getty Images, Forbes, HM Magazine, ICON Sportswire, Loudwire, CCM Magazine, and many more. Before diving into photography full time, she was a NASA software engineer, webmaster, church youth leader, and robotics mentor. For more information about her photography, visit AnnetteHolloway.com.
