Luke Bryan’s “Most Powerful Moment” During Las Vegas Residency

Author Lauren Hoffman

December 5th, 2023 4:47 PM

Luke Bryan kicked off his Las Vegas residency at Resorts World Theatre in February 2022. Now, almost two years later, the country superstar has played a lot of craps and blackjack, golf in Vegas. And of course, he’s played a lot of shows in between.

RELATED: Luke Bryan Details Working With Jordan Davis On ‘Buy Dirt’

Bryan has won Entertainer of the Year a total of five times. (He’s won it at both the ACMs and the CMAs). He has 30 No. 1 hits to date and continues to sell out arenas and amphitheaters all across the country.

Bryan revealed on Shawn Parr’s Backstage Country this week that he loves the intimacy of the crowd. Most of all, he loves talking with the crowd and having the chance to tell them stories.

The country hitmaker also noted that contractually he only has to play 90 minutes. But he has so much fun doing it that he always ends up playing over 2 hours. One song that has stood out to Bryan during his time in Vegas is “Waves.” The song, which was written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd, and Chase McGill is featured on the deluxe edition of his album, Born Here Live Here Die Here.

“‘Waves’ was a song that, the second I heard it, it just felt like something that people would relate to. And what’s interesting about ‘Waves’ is during my Las Vegas residency, it’s probably the most powerful moment during the show,” Bryan told Shawn Parr. “The visuals on stage are just amazing. It’s just been an amazing song to have out there performing in Vegas. I think it’s kind of a different song for me production-wise. And I really had to dig in and put some crazy vocals on that thing. But I really, really love the song and it’s been a big song to be able to do live every night.”

As his time in Vegas comes to an end next month, he took a few moments to reflect on the opportunity to perform at Resorts World Theatre. “I think when you when you look at your career, I think everybody kind of puts a little check by having a Vegas residency one day. And when I got asked to be a part of kind of the rollout and the grand opening of Resorts World, yeah, it was something that sounded really, really cool and interesting and did two years where almost at the end of it and had an amazing time out there.”

Click here to find out where to listen to Shawn Parr’s Backstage Country.

Bryan’s final shows for Luke Bryan: Vegas will take place Friday, December 29, Saturday, December 30, Sunday, December 31, Wednesday, January 3, Friday, January 5, and Saturday, January 6.

Click below to watch Luke Bryan’s “Waves” music video or visit lukebryan.com for ticket information.

17 Songs That Made Luke Bryan A True Superstar

• 17. “Rain Is a Good Thing” (2010)

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  Okay, the lyrics to this song are quite simple and give a simple recipe for making whiskey, but it’s a catchy tune and infectious. Luke also released the song during Nashville’s huge 2010 flood. At the flood relief concert Bryan told the press, “Okay, rain is a good thing but maybe not 17 inches of it.”

• 16. “Drink a Beer” (2013)

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  Written by Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton, the song tells the story of a character who honors the recent passing of a loved one by watching the sunset on the edge of a pier; he drinks a beer, which is something they would have done together. Luke lost two siblings, who each passed away at a tragically young age. So Luke brings a lot of gravitas to this song.

• 15. “Kick the Dust Up” (2015)

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  Another party song for Bryan and it is also his thirteenth number-one single and his tenth consecutive chart-topper.
• 14. “What She Wants Tonight” (2019)

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  Luke was a co-writer on this song, which he felt would appeal to female listeners because the girl in the song “controls the dynamic of the situation." He added, "I've been wanting to get a big, rocking tempo out for some time, and this is certainly it."

• 13. “The Only Way I Know” with Jason Aldean and Eric Church (2012)

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  This collaborative song is about hard work, loyalty, small-town values, and southern work ethic. The singers explain that they were raised in a small-town southern atmosphere and were taught to work hard to earn a living.

• 12. “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” (2015)

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  This song reached number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, giving Bryan his fourteenth number-one hit on that chart. Thematically, the song is about a rural lifestyle in Luke's home state of Georgia.
• 11. “This Is How We Roll” (2014)

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  A great collaboration. The final single from Florida Georgia Line's debut album. The video of the song shows a biker named Kenny losing a bet and having to jump a tree. He fails, resulting in his dirt bike being stuck in the tree. When he, Travis Pastrana (a professional motorsports competitor), and some other guys are found stranded by Hubbard, Kelley, and Bryan as a result of the failed dirt bike trick, Kelley invites them to a party in the back of their semi-truck, which is revealed throughout the video to consist of dancing women and beer.

• 10. “Crash My Party” (2013)

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  Luke debuted the song at the Academy of Country Music Awards in April 2013, which he hosted with Blake Shelton. It was released the same month as the first single and title track from Bryan's fourth studio album of the same name.

• 9. “All My Friends Say” (2007)

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  Our introduction to Luke when it was released in January 2007 as his debut single and the first for his 2007 debut album ‘I'll Stay Me.’ The song became Bryan's first chart entry, spending more than 30 weeks on US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, where it reached number 5.
• 8. “Someone Else Calling You Baby” (2010)

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  In the song, the male narrator sees his lover in someone else's truck and wonders if she has left him for someone else. The song became Bryan's second number one hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in February 2011.

• 7. “Drunk on You” (2012)

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  It was released in February 2012 as the third single from his album ‘Tailgates & Tanlines.’ It was also his first single that Luke did not have a hand in writing.

• 6. “Most People Are Good” (2017)

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  In the song, Bryan sings about making "uplifting" statements about positive things in the world. At the time, Luke said that he was "captivated" the first time he heard the song, and that "It was something that I felt like that people always need to be reassured that there's way more good going on than negative."
• 5. “One Margarita” (2020)

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  The song we all needed to hear during quarantine and what fun it brought to so many. Bryan’s wife Caroline and mother appeared with him in the video.

• 4. “Home Alone Tonight” with Karen Fairchild (2015)

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  Bryan and Karen Fairchild performed the song live at the 2015 American Music Awards. The song was a groovy kind of ballad in which a man and woman meet in a bar and plot revenge on their former lovers together.

• 3. “That’s My Kind of Night” (2013)

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  This tune is all about the beat and has a great one talking about catfish dinners, the Flint River, and where the corn rows grow. Oh, and love.
• 2. “Play It Again” (2014)

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  In the song, Luke sings about approaching a girl at a tailgate party. Suddenly, the girl's favorite song comes on, causing her to ask the protagonist to dance with her, and they both exclaim "play it again" when the song is finished. He drives her home that night, when the song comes on the radio, triggering a similar reaction."

• 1.”Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” (2011)

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  Roy Acuff (Grand Ole Opry star and considered one of the fathers of country music) had a saying, “Dance with the one who brought ya.” Acuff told many artists on the Grand Ole Opry to do just that when they performed. And like it or hate this catchy song is the one that brought Luke to the country music dance.

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Author Lauren Hoffman

Category:

• Music
• Music News

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Luke Bryan