On Jul. 8, 2023, Luke Combs came to Tampa and performed in front of thousands of people at Raymond James Stadium. Combs made a stop in Tampa for his world tour that goes on until the middle of October. The concert was very hot because it was in the middle of summer, but Combs had loyal fans willing to brave the heat to watch him perform.
One thing about the concert I did not like was how Combs had four openers that took the stage before him. The artists were Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Brent Cobb, and Flatland Cavalry. The country artists took over two hours to sing their songs, leaving the stadium waiting for Combs to come out for a long time. One or two openers are plenty for a concert and do not take up too much of the audience’s time.
My favorite of the openers was Riley Green because I am a massive fan of the songs “There Was This Girl” and “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.” Green also announced the release of his new country album, “This Ain’t My Last Rodeo,” on Oct. 13.
Combs came out singing one of his hit songs, “Lovin’ On You,” and continued through his multiple albums as the concert continued. One of my favorite things about the performance was when he had a song that was featured on his album with other artists, he brought out previous openers Riley Green and Lainey Wilson to sing it with him. Combs even brought out Buccaneers football player Tristan Wirfs as a special guest during the song “1, 2 Many”.
My favorite song Combs performed was “When It Rains It Pours,” or his version of “Fast Car.” “When It Rains It Pours” has always been a special song to me because it reminds me of an important relationship in my life, and I enjoyed “Fast Car” because it felt as though the whole stadium was singing along with him during that song.
Combs kept the same high energy throughout the concert despite the brutal Florida heat. His performance blew me away, and I was fangirling over him from the nosebleed seats. I would go to another Luke Combs concert in a heartbeat if I could. Despite the hot weather and long openers, the show was terrific, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see him in person.