Luke Bryan Plays Marathon Set at Night Two of Crash My Playa 2017
Performing for nearly three hours, the singer had fans on their feet and dancing along to all of his hits as well as a few surprise covers.
Luke Bryan’s third annual Crash My Playa is well underway and the festival host played his first of two headlining sets on Friday night (Jan. 20). Performing for nearly three hours, the singer had fans on their feet and dancing along to all of his hits as well as a few surprise covers.
“What’s up Crash My Playa? Who’s ready to get funky with me?” he asked to screams as he took the stage to perform “Rain Is a Good Thing,” his first song of the evening. “I’ve been waiting all year for Crash My Playa.”
Country fans had been waiting, too. In his element, Bryan ran around the stage, often taking shots of tequila and giving a few swigs to fans. He also shared some advice on how to pace yourself at a festival.
“Who’s hungover out there tonight? Who made the fatal mistake about getting way too drunk the first night? Make sure you hydrate with plenty of tequila,” he advised.
Bryan’s high energy performance included hit after hit. “Kick the Dust Up,” “I See You” and Florida Georgia Line’s “This Is How We Roll” continued the party before he slowed things down with his new single “Fast,” “Drunk On You” and “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.” While singing the sentimental “Roller Coaster,” the music video for the song played in the background as his mom acted as videographer, walking on the stage filming fans and Bryan’s band.
Highlights throughout his set included a surprise appearance from Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild for their No. 1 duet “Home Alone Tonight,” where the two friends laughed and danced along to the song as well as “Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day” where Bryan showed off his new dance move. While singing the chorus, he mimicked a hunter shooting a bow and arrow, a fisherman casting his pole and then gyrating his hips to the appropriate words much to the audience’s approval. He and his banjo player then segued into a finger picking battle where he transported the beach crowd to a backwoods jam.
Nearing three hours on the stage, it was evident that Bryan really didn’t want the night to end as he segued into a mashup of Flo Rida’s “My House,” the Chainsmokers’ “Closer,” Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” Prince’s “1999,” Jason Derulo’s “Want To Want Me” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” He then closed his set with his signature hit, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” while moving his hips for the screaming crowd and inserting some of Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” as he looked side stage, where Blake Shelton and Stefani were watching from the wings. Perhaps a hint of what’s to come during Shelton’s set on Saturday, Bryan closed out night two with a memorable performance.
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Earlier in the evening, Old Dominion commanded the stage for an hour performance that included their two No. 1 hits “Break Up with Him” and “Song For Another Time” as well as previous No. 1 songs they wrote for Kenny Chesney and Sam Hunt including “Save It For a Rainy Day” and “Make You Miss Me.”
Before their set, the band told Sounds Like Nashville that they felt well prepared for their first time at Crash My Playa thanks to time on the road with Chesney. Their guitar-driven performance featured many songs from their debut album Meat and Candy as well as two new songs they’ve written for their upcoming sophomore album titled “There’s No Such Thing As a Broken Heart” and “Be with Me.”
“We’re going to stay here forever, I think. Drink tequila, sit on the beach, play guitar,” frontman Matthew Ramsey said at the close of their set.
Adam Craig also made his way to Crash My Playa 2017 for the first time. He kicked off the festival with the first pool party performance of the weekend and told Sounds Like Nashville that it was a crazy experience.
“In sound check people were already on the buzz of Mexico,” he said with a smile backstage before his main stage performance. “It was awesome. I cannot wait to play tonight. We got to watch all the shows, see how rowdy the crowd gets. We don’t usually have these views. I’m so excited for this opportunity.”
Craig’s 30-minute set Friday evening showcased his ability as a vocalist and songwriter. On stage with his acoustic guitar, a bassist and keyboard player, Craig’s voice was the focal point as he sang his first two country radio singles “Reckon,” about a girl who got away, and the sultry “Just a Phase,” which hits radio in February.
“This is unbelievable!” he said several songs in. “Mexico in January.”
The remainder of his set included a soulful cover of Gary Allan’s “Watching Airplanes” and his first Top 5 song recorded by Parmalee, “Close Your Eyes.”
Crash My Playa runs through Jan. 22. We’ll be providing daily recaps and interviews with the artists from Mexico so stay tuned!
