Concert review: Luke Combs lacked in stage presence, but delivered the hits at U.S. Bank Stadium | CPT PPP Coverage

Cryptopolytech (CPT) Public Press Pass (PPP)
News of the Day COVERAGE

200000048 – World Newser
•| #People |•| #World |•| #Online |•| #Media |•| #Outlet |

View more Headlines & Breaking News here, as covered by cryptopolytech.com

No one is more surprised by Luke Combs’ rapid rise to the top of country music than Combs himself.

The 33-year-old from North Carolina filled U.S. Bank Stadium Saturday night and turned in what’s likely the least assuming performance the Vikings stadium has ever seen.

Before Combs took the stage with “Lovin’ on You,” the large screens showed a brief video of Combs, his friends and family all earnestly explaining the many reasons Combs shouldn’t have made it and marveling at the fact he did.

Combs introduced “Houston, We Got a Problem” with a story about growing up in a poor family. He took an airplane for the first time in 2015 and, the following year, a visit to Texas inspired the song. “Here we are eight years later,” he said, gesturing out to the stadium crowd. “This is unbelievable.”

I’m sure he tells a variation of that tale every night, but he sure sounded like he meant it. Combs repeatedly thanked the audience and seemed overwhelmed by the adoration.

For nearly two hours, Combs didn’t so much own the stage as he did rent it. His beefy, growling voice sounded great, but Combs didn’t have much presence. Clad in a Vikings cap, black button-down work shirt and jeans, Combs looked like plenty of guys in the audience, which he could easily get lost in if he wasn’t Luke Combs.

During most songs, Combs casually wandered around the massive stage, with either an acoustic guitar strapped to his chest or a Solo cup in his hand. (Each one of his mic stands had a cup holder.) When he did speak to the crowd, he stroked his famously unkempt beard.

So what, exactly, is Combs’ appeal? It’s his songs. Every one of 17 singles — from his 2016 debut “Hurricane” to his current cover version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” — has hit the Top 5 in the country charts, with five making it all the way to the top. Combs makes ’90s-style country and he’s a strong writer and collaborator who largely steers clear of gimmicks and novelty.

By all rights, the crowd should have been rowdy. The party started with live music outside the stadium in the afternoon. Inside, a whopping four opening acts meant Combs didn’t take the stage until 9. It’s fair to say wide swaths of the audience were well lubricated.

Yet once Combs started singing, a hush fell over the room and all eyes turned to him. Some folks swayed or sang along, but everyone was listening to Combs’ every word, a rarity at a country show of this size.

The aforementioned “Fast Car” was a clear highlight. Combs called it one of his favorite songs and shared fond memories of listening to it as a kid with his dad in his truck. (He recently posted a photo of the actual Tracy Chapman cassette to social media.) He kept the arrangement simple and sang with the deepest emotion of the entire show.

Really, though, Combs delivered on every song with an impressive consistency. He introduced “She Got the Best of Me” with yet another “I can’t believe this!” story and the claim there were 60,000 people in the crowd, which may have been a bit of an exaggeration, as other concerts with the same stage setup have topped out around 50,000. Whatever the actual number was, you can be sure every last one of them held on Combs’ every last word.