Luke Bryan Triumphs in Las Vegas Residency Opening Night [Pics]

If Luke Bryan knows how to do one thing well, it’s how to put on a good time for his fans. Bryan brought his high-energy, rump-shaking and personable approach to the Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas for his brand-new residency, and pictures show what a memorable experience it was for the fans in attendance.

During Friday night’s (Feb. 11) debut, Bryan showed the audience that he’s capable of navigating more technical elements than his fans are used to. One main focus of the show is a series of risers that smoothly go up and down to match the music. Throughout the show, Bryan climbs to different levels of the risers, which are fitted with screens offering the audience different views and perspectives of the country superstar.

During “Waves,” the stage risers rolled like the current of the ocean, with Bryan and his band securely along for the ride. In addition to the rhythmic movement of the stage, the set design relied heavily on visuals of crashing waves.

Matching the performance to the title of the song, Bryan went with a more intimate approach for “Strip It Down.” Leaning away from the explosive pyrotechnics found throughout the rest of his show, Bryan sat down at a piano in front of simple, yet impactful lights.

Explosive pyrotechnics were center stage for 2015’s “Kick the Dust Up.” During the high-energy hit, Bryan was flanked not only by his band, but also by columns of fire that shot from both the ceiling and the floor of the stage. The temperature in the theater noticeably rose as the song progressed, but dissipated shortly after.

Bryan was all smiles throughout the show, partially because Nevada lifted its mask mandate the day before his residency kicked off.

“I’d like to take some personal credit in getting rid of the mask mandate,” Bryan joked with the crowd in between songs. “I feel like the governor saw that we were all coming here and just said f–k it. It happened on my weekend, and now you can knock boots without a mask on.”

Bryan’s remarks were met with huge cheers from the crowd that propelled the singer into his 2019 hit, “Knockin’ Boots.”

The show closed out with what might have been Bryan’s biggest set design element: an elevated catwalk. The catwalk brought fans sitting in the mezzanine and balcony levels almost eye-to-eye with the singer as he rose 45 feet into the air. It also proved to be the perfect place for Bryan to show the crowd his dance moves as he delivered one of his best-known songs, “Country Girl (Shake It for Me).”

Bryan’s residency continues throughout February and the summer of 2022; tickets are available now. The Resorts World Theatre is part of Resorts World Las Vegas, a newly opened Hilton partnership on the Las Vegas strip. Katy Perry, Celine Dion and Carrie Underwood also have residencies scheduled into 2022.

Taste of Country was brought to witness Luke Bryan Vegas as a guest of Resorts World Las Vegas.