Luke Bryan

Luke Bryan’s “Raised up Right Tour” featuring Riley Green and Mitchell Tenpenny played the Coastal Union Music Park at Walnut Creek.

It was a stormy night. I was a little worried about the weather, so I got there early so I could claim my spot under the roof in the VIP bar. And due to the weather, I think the show was pushed to open a bit later, but it wasn’t too bad. There were concerns about lightening, but everything worked out just fine, and mysteriously, after an initial downpour the weather held… at least while the photographers were there, for the first three songs for each artist.

Mitchell Tenpenny did a masterful opening for the night. Making good use of the catwalk, his presentation full of antics, connecting to the crowd, making the long wait feeling like it was worth it, and getting the crowd all excited now that the show had started.

Mitchell Tenpenny

Riley Green’s set was a lot more subtle, at least for the first three tunes us photographers were allowed to shoot. A warmth and concern radiated from within him, pulling the fans in closer, identifying with a kind of complexity he brought forth in his performance.

Riley Green

Then Luke Bryan hit the stage. I’m always amazed how a headliner masters the stage, the amount of charisma an artist exudes with every twist and turn while singing, and playing their instruments. The fans were ecstatic, and Luke poured more gas on the fire. We were photographing in an open pit sharing the space with the fans and it’s just so wild to see (and feel), how the fans erupt when ever Luke turned his attention to our direction. Super fun!

Luke Bryan