Luke Bryan‘s July 16 show in Hartford, Connecticut was a life-changing night for one family, helping out a stepdad who wanted to ask his stepson if he could adopt him. In a video shared by fans, Bryan held up a t-shirt with writing on it that he’d just been handed, telling the crowd, “It says, ‘Hey Luke, I want to adopt my stepson Michael. Can you help me ask him?’”
Amid cheers from the crowd, Bryan handed his microphone to the duo as the camera panned to them in time to see the young boy respond “Yes” to his stepdad’s request before putting his head down on his arms, which were resting on the metal barrier in front of the stage. “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever watched right there, y’all,” Bryan told the crowd. “Michael, you got a good dude right there standing behind you, buddy. That’s awesome. Congratulations, y’all,” he added before joking, “Do I get to keep the shirt?”
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The following night, Bryan made another special moment when he invited a 7-year-old fan named Darci Claire up on stage to help him sing his recent hit “Down to One.” The country star is currently on his Proud to Be Right Here Tour, one of the first major country music tours to resume since the pandemic began. During a recent interview with Kelleigh Bannen on Essentials Radio on Apple Music Country, Bryan discussed the importance of live shows to his career, explaining that he always wants to make sure his performances live up to what people are hearing on his albums.
“Here’s what you got to prove, and this is a big deal. This is a big deal,” he said. “When you come to a concert and the person actually sings better than you anticipate, then you cooked the best filet mignon on the planet, right? When people go to a show and somebodyโฆ They’re out there going, ‘Yeah, they don’t sound good at all,’ then you probably just lost that fan.”
The American Idol judge also noted that his live show is a major focus when he’s working on new music. “I write for the live show period, and I pick songs for the live show,” he said. “And then, I think that’s just the way I’ve always been. I envision everything I’ve ever done on, my first envision is what will the crowd do? Period. I feel like if the crowd is doing, if they’re crying on ‘Drink a Beer,’ they’re going to be crying in their car on the radio.”