Tag Archives: luke bryan

by | March 5, 2016 · 7:00 am

Saturday Morning Cartoons: The Country Urban Bridge

Photo: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v_dXpJvNyyA/maxresdefault.jpg

Photo: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v_dXpJvNyyA/maxresdefault.jpg

Ask most people in the United States what they did as kids between the hours of 7:00am and 11:00am on Saturday mornings, and they will answer you “I turned on the TV to watch Saturday morning cartoons.” No, not everyone enjoyed this blissful weekend activity, but for the (for everyone’s sake, hopefully) majority of Americans who did, the thought of Saturday morning cartoons brings a sense of nostalgia and happiness not easily replicated by many ideas. Whether they watched Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel, Kids WB, Fox, PBS, or local TV, most people think fondly of the times when they hurried to the couch at 6:58 and caught the end of a poorly-made infomercial. Though to most people, country music seems to evoke thoughts of trucks, beer, and romance, country music makes me think of the little things in life. I think of the commonalities people of different backgrounds share with each other, and of the things that can simplify our hectic lives. Is there anything that fits that description more than Saturday morning cartoons?

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Photo: http://image.blingee.com/images19/content/output/000/000/000/7cd/787180849_973534.gif

I ran down every Saturday at 6:58 to avoid missing the opening seconds of Scooby-Doo. After Scooby-Doo, and Yu-Gi-Oh!, I ran to my room to get dressed and brush my teeth. I was a Kids WB guy, but I made sure to watch Fox when Digimon came on. After one episode on Fox, I returned to WB to watch Jackie Chan’s Adventures and, of course, Pokemon. Breakfast usually came in between Digimon and Jackie Chan’s Adventures, but I made sure to sit in position to watch the show while eating.

Although my TV schedule changed several times (I’m not even sure if the one written above is 100% accurate), I always loved cartoon time. Other shows that I remember liking are Transformers, Saved by the Bell, and especially Batman Beyond, so somehow and at some point those shows made it into the Saturday morning lineup. In a world in which not everyone enjoys the taste of beer and more and more people choose to drive environmentally conscious vehicles, country music is going to have to choose whether it is the music of the people, or the music of a people. Historically, it made the switch from “hillbilly music” to “middle class music” to become something with which more people can identify. Luke Bryan even wrote a song about country music’s ruralization. Certain songs by Kenny Chesney and Kip Moore have shown the more rural side of country music, but I for one do not identify with many of their all of their ideals. I’m a die-hard patriot so I identify with Patriot songs, but even having grown up in Texas, never had to work on a farm or . George Strait once sang about passing notes in class and Darius Rucker’s “Alright” and Phil Vasser’s “Just Another Day in Paradise” very much talk about the day-to-day activities that make life worth living. A song about Saturday morning cartoons would fit right in.

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by | February 3, 2016 · 1:00 pm

Family Tradition

1525648_10201579462302350_1795968485_nCountry songs often speak of white sand beaches, but rarely ever white snowy mountains. In a less than likely way it was a snow covered mountain that brought me to become a fan of country music. This was always the longest two-hour drive of my young life, and the only thing that could make it manageable was music put onto CDs by my parents. My musical taste was completely based on exposer. A 2003 Toyota Sequoia with a rocket box full of skis on top and my family inside is where music lived for the Holter family. The musical taste of my family was clearly defined about once a month when a new CD was loaded in the player in the car to make the journey to the mountain seem a little shorter. To me each ski playlist was like looking into my parent’s billboard of great music. This small amount of ski music consisted mostly of bands similar to The Beatles, The Coasters, NSYNC, and Queen, but there was typically a country song or two sprinkled in. My Dad reluctantly insisted that “Mom just ended up liking these songs when we were living in Atlanta and Austin.” It was clear that these twangy songs held a special plate in his heart as well. When one of these southern songs would play the car would begin to accelerate as his foot begin to tap on the accelerator.  This left me in a strange place torn between what each parent liked. I didn’t know if I should enjoy Hank Williams’ “Family Tradition” and Garth Brook’s “Friends in Low Places,” like my Mom, or if I should just wait for yellow submarine to play like my Dad did. Choosing my father’s side, I decided that I had no real need for country music in my life. I continued to be indifferent to country music until one long car ride changed my opinion forever. I wasn’t even in the car.

My Dad was on his way back from a short work trip in Omaha, Nebraska, and drove all night with the hopes of being home for football Sunday. As I was trudging towards the bathroom more asleep than awake, he looked at me with wide and said “come watch this.” Brushing away the sleep from my eyes I sat down in his office as he pulled open YouTube and typed in “Luke Bryan- We Rode in Trucks.” Without saying anything he clicked on the music video that would change my opinion about country music forever.  As the smooth guitar chords began to be strummed, and Luke Bryan’s country voice started telling me a story about his upbringing, I was hooked and so was my Dad. Now my parent’s CDs were littered with country music that I came to love. Each time we drove up skiing I felt ready to go out and ride a horse or something, but instead I just rode my skis. Thanks to Nebraska’s radio selection I learned to walk the line, how the thunder rolls all because it was part of a new family tradition.

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by | March 28, 2015 · 8:00 am

Country Finds Its Beach

After spending the past week on a beautiful Bahamian beach listening to nothing but the waves on the shore and country music, it dawned on me that there may just be a new subgenre of country that, though small, is growing. Usually country contains themes of back roads and conservative ideals, but beach country has definitely changed that, evoking themes of sand, surf, and piña coladas.

This trend seemed to grow out of greats like Jimmy Buffett and his Margaritaville to Kenny Chesney and is now dominated by Luke Bryan and, to an extent, Zach Brown Band. Of course there are many others who have made music that sounds more beach-y than country, from Brad Paisley to Garth Brooks, everyone is hoping on the sandy bandwagon.

Luke Bryan in particular took advantage of this niche market by creating multiple spring break sets and performing in popular spring break locale Panama Beach. For the past seven years, Bryan has released a Spring Break EP to accompany his shows. Although the music isn’t his highest quality, it definitely is meant for the beach and the young adults that flock to it. This spring break marks his final shows and at 38 that’s probably an appropriate move as he’s two decades older than the average college freshman.

I think the expansion creates an interests from a wider fan base, one that might have traditionally listened to soulful and smooth Colbie Callait or Jason Mraz and wants to hear more sunny tunes. It definitely appeals to younger audiences and allows them an easy segue into more traditional country, particularly when such big names and well-known artists delve into the beachy trend.

However, I think the island tunes are become a lot more than a trend. Many have begun to incorporate more Caribbean sounds like the steel pan and mimic some defining characteristics of Calypso music with rhythmic and harmonic vocals.

Here are some of what I think are the most defining songs of the beach country movement:

Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett

This is probably the most iconic and well-known beach country song. First recorded in 1977, it eventually reached number 8 on the USA music charts and number 1 on the Easy Listening charts. It evokes images of the beach, margaritas, and women. What makes it country is mostly the guitar and the alcohol and women references.

https://youtu.be/J17sdUGOct0

Two Pina Coladas- Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks is largely celebrated as one of the best country artists of all time. When he released this song in 1998, it hit number 1 on the US and Canadian country charts. It, too, evokes the slower, harmonic vocals with some call-and-response tactics while using themes of alcohol, lovesickness and the beach.

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem – Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney is nearly unparalleled in his ability to capture the laid-back living that comes at the seaside. In this instant classic, there’s a clear mix of country and Calypso with steel guitars, acoustic guitars, drums, and tambourine. The island escapism so often seen in many of these songs is clearly evident here as he sings, “no boss, no clocks, no dress code.”

Suntan City – Luke Bryan

Like said, Luke Bryan’s spring break EPs aren’t his greatest works. While this song sounds different from the previous three, I think it still stands as beach country or a blend of bro-country and beach. It was released on Luke Bryan’s first spring break EP, “Spring Break… Here to Party.” It talks about a lot of similar themes as bro-country like women, beer, and kicking back with friends (in this case on the beach).

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by | September 24, 2014 · 11:25 am

My First Country Concert

Luke Bryan ConcertMusic is a big part of life and people who know me know that I enjoy many genres but country music has not always been one of my favorites. While growing up I did hear a couple country songs here and there but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I actually started to listen to it. Ever since, I have come to love the style of music and it’s definitely one of my favorites now. There are so many different artists that I like now and would love to see live but I never bought tickets to see them, until just recently. I wanted to wait to see Luke Bryan first.

Luke Bryan was definitely the first country artist that I liked. I would look up videos on YouTube of his concerts and I would think to myself that it would be amazing to see him live. Unfortunately, he doesn’t really come to Austin much so I hadn’t had the chance to see him. A couple of months ago, I went on his page and saw that he would be in Texas this month and I knew I had to go. I bought tickets to the Houston concert last Friday and let me say, it was the best concert I have ever been too.

So ever since buying my ticket I was way too excited to go. I even asked for Friday off and spent the entire day in Houston. The drive there felt so long. I just wanted to be there already and for it to be 7p.m. so I could see him. Once the time came, I made my way to the venue, which was one of the nicest I’ve been to (the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands) and I found a place in the lawn towards the back of the pavilion. Yes I had to sit farther back compared to others and the grassy area was muddy because it had rained there the past days and the day of the concert but I didn’t care. I finally got the chance to go see Luke.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

I was a bit nervous yet excited to be there. First of all, I was really looking forward to my first country concert. It would be a new experience for me. I had been listening to this great music for years now but I would finally get to hear it live. Now some people might think that country music is usually for Caucasian people but it was actually a diverse audience there. There were people of different ethnicities there all just to enjoy a night listening and singing country music. It made me happy to see so many different people there that all had one thing in common.

So first up was Cole Swindell and I enjoyed his performance. He definitely started the night well. Next came Lee Brice, one of my other favorite artists. He sang all my favorite songs by him like “Hard to Love”, “I Drive Your Truck”, and “I Don’t Dance”. But everyone couldn’t wait for the next person to come on stage. The lights went out, we heard Luke come on stage and the audience went wild including myself.

The concert was great, more than great. I knew every single song Luke would sing and I didn’t care if I did not have a great voice. I was singing my heart out. I loved how he sang his newer songs and also older ones, like “Do I” which is my favorite song by him. What I liked a lot was that everyone there were was singing and dancing to the songs that were sung and it was one of the best things that I have heard. It might sound like an exaggeration but to me it really was one of the best feelings ever. But out of all of the songs, there was one song that he sang that is very personal for me.

Once I heard him start singing “Country Girl”, I knew that it would be the last song of the night so I made sure to enjoy the last few minutes. Everyone went crazy during that song and I did as well. By then my boots were muddy and even though I had just recently bought them, I didn’t care if they got dirty. I felt like that was part of being there and the country life, which I grew up in. Then the concert ended and I was still in some sort of shock because I really couldn’t believe that I had actually been to a Luke Bryan concert. I guess that’s why I had post concert depression the next day.

http://www.vevo.com/watch/luke-bryan/drink-a-beer/USUV71302435

Out of all the concerts that I have been to, this one is definitely be the best I’ve gone to. Being with all those people there was amazing and I will never forget that night even though I was losing my voice. Now that I have been to a country concert, I plan on going to lots more and I have a feeling that they will all be great. Being in a class where we talk about country music will hopefully give me the chance to hear about concerts that other people have gone to. So if anyone would like to share his or her experience about a country concert, Luke Bryan or any other artist or band, I would love to hear about it. I need to start a list of other country concerts that I should attend.

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by | September 23, 2014 · 5:37 am

Up Close and Personal

Luke’s Opening Number

I think we can all agree that concerts are pretty awesome. I think everyone can also agree that the closer you are to the artist(s) during the concert, the better the experience.

Luke Bryan has been traveling and performing on his “That’s my Kind of Night” tour. He played in San Antonio at the AT&T Center on September 18th. My friend was so generous and asked me to go see him along with Lee Brice and Cole Swindell. Not only were these floor seats, but these were aisle seats. This meant that we did not have to worry about squishing through other people to get to our seats. This was the best concert of my life and I am very fortunate that I was able to see a few of the hottest country artists up closer than normal.

The first song he sang was “That’s My Kind of Night” which makes sense because this was the name of his tour. My friend and I were both pretty amazed that there was a giant truck in the middle of the stage. How they got it up there is still a mystery to us.

Luke Bryan on the pier

Luke Bryan on the Pier

It was amazing how many props they were able to bring out. For anyone who has not heard the song “Drink a Beer” by Luke Bryan, here are a few lines of the song to make sense of why they used this prop.

So I’m gonna sit right here

On the edge of this pier

Watch the sunset disappear

And drink a beer

And if you look really close he also has a Coors Light beer can next to him.

Dance Moves

Any up tempo song that Luke Bryan performed you best believe he got his groove on. Anyone that has seen him perform before knows that he loves to dance. I mean even though he has a song that says he wants a country girl to shake it for him, I’m pretty sure that he loves to shake it for those country girls more. I mean from all the screaming that was going on in the stadium it was clear that everyone enjoyed his dance moves. And just in case anyone was wondering; No there was no zoom used to take this picture.

One of the parts I enjoyed the most was when Luke Bryan and Lee Brice sang “Crazy Girl” that is originally performed by Eli Young Band. Everyone in the crowd was singing along and the two of them together sounded pretty amazing.

Luke Bryan and Myself

Luke Bryan and Myself

Now I know it seems pretty impossible to tell, but in this picture LUKE BRYAN IS POSING FOR MY CAMERA. Let me explain exactly what happened. Since we were so close to the stage, people were standing next to it and taking pictures with Luke Bryan in the background. I decided to take it upon myself and do the same. Well when I was walking toward the stage Luke Bryan saw me! He nodded his head at me and struck a pose. I turned around as quick as I could and this was the picture that came out. Because the lighting was so bright on him and dark on me, it is kind of hard to see. But I promise he did. This was the best part of my night. I will never forget this night. Being the huge country fan that I am, I feel that this concert will top any other country concert that I go to.

Comment below with your thoughts about my night or about your personal experiences!

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