Country superstar Luke Bryan's southern swagger rocks the dome

A parade of plaid descended upon the Carrier Dome. Beers in hands, fans hurriedly shuffled their cowboy boots to their seats just in time to catch opener Dustin Lynch appear on the stage. “Syracuse, are you ready to party like never before?" Lynch boomed. The crowd erupted, signaling the beginning of Luke Bryan’s 12^th show of the “Kill The Lights” tour on April 9.

Lynch kicked off the concert with some of his hits: “Cowboys and Angels” and “To The Sky.” The crowd swayed back and forth as his country twang reverberated off the concrete walls. Lynch’s love for performing could be felt from the audience. He ended his set with gratitude, saying, “Thanks for changing our lives and making our dreams come true.”

After a short break, the lights dimmed once more and the next supporting act Little Big Town sauntered on to the stage. The crowd was back on their feet in seconds. Little Big Town's powerful voices filled the Dome all the way to the roof as they belted out their newest single “Painkiller.” They also sang “Girl Crush,” for which they won a Grammy this year. Seeing how the four musicians with very different styles melded together live onstage was truly a sight to behold.

By this time, the crowd grew restless. They were ready for the main act. As the band made their way to their places, fans hooted and hollered for Bryan to take the stage. Soon, green strobe lights covered the dome and Luke Bryan emerged from under the stage on a platform. He immediately jumped from the platform singing, “Rain is a Good Thing.” The crowd went wild as Bryan’s energy electrified the stage.

“I’ve seen Luke Bryan three times. One of them I saw him from five feet away, but the spirit in the dome tonight was something I had never seen before,” said Paola Suro, a long time fan of Bryan. “He always has the energy and love for the music that all country fans want to see, which is why I always enjoy seeing him in concert.”

One of the most memorable moments of the show was also one of the least energetic. Bryan stopped jumping around and instead took a seat at the end of the stage with his acoustic guitar. He sang his hit song “Drink a Beer” as a beautiful tribute to the late country legend Merle Haggard. Bryan’s voice was filled with a type of sorrow that only someone who had suffered great loss could achieve. It was in this segment of his show that his vocal range was really put on display, and it was abundantly clear what a natural talent he is. Even in the Carrier Dome, he made his country ballads feel intimate.

“This was by far the biggest crowd I’ve seen him in and the most diverse array of songs showing his talents across the vocal spectrum,” said die-hard country fan Andrew Miller.

But in typical Luke Bryan fashion, he couldn’t keep from partying very long. He was soon back on his feet belting out tunes that make you want to move your feet. There is no doubt that he earned his title of CMA Entertainer of the year as he knelt down and took selfies with eager fans in between passing out beers to the crowd. He even invited Little Big Town back on to the stage to sing a couple songs and take tequila shots with him, admitting that they were all a little hung-over from the night before. The audience loved every second of it and one woman even threw her bra onstage with the message “I Love Luke” scribbled across it with sharpie.

As the show started to come to a close, Bryan crooned crowd favorites like “Country Girl (Shake it for Me)” and “Drunk On You.” The dome exploded with applause as he took his final bow after a two-hour powerhouse performance. It’s safe to say Luke Bryan’s "Kill The Lights" show was one honky-tonk of a party that Syracuse won’t easily forget.