An old soul with lyrics that bleed. That’s how I know best to describe Zach Bryan. His songwriting hits and everyone in the crowd can feel it. If I had a dollar for every time someone in the sold-out crowd at Red Hat Amphitheater sang those lyrics back at Zach, well I’d be swimming in them.
The venue was packed to the gills and people were outside looking for tickets to get in. One guy even scaled the fence for a chance to see the show. Stopped by security I must say, but it was a valiant effort. The rail riders came in strong and were singing every word, like most of the crowd, there wasn’t a bad seat in that house among friends. Speaking of friends, Bryan brings his with him on this American Heartbreak Tour. His childhood buddies from back home in Oklahoma play in the band and the friendship is palpable on stage. The familiarity and respect they share as they perform cannot be missed. It’s as if he said, ‘hey let’s go tour the country and play in front of sold-out crowds’ and they were in. It seems surreal really. A surreal experience for all who share this experience. There’s something spiritual about it.
I’ve heard his name up and down these roads for the past several months, and once I listened to his songs, I could certainly understand why. The thing about Bryan is how raw, real and relatable he is. So, it’s easy to see why he has a cult following. This 26-year-old Oklahoma native has lived and you can hear it in his raspy, weathered vocals and deep cutting lyrics.
While serving in the United States Navy he shot the video for “Heading South” on a phone. Sweating and pouring out words he had just written, the video gained momentum and has been seen by millions of fans without any sort of industry assistance.
Don't stop goin', goin' South
'Cause they'll let you play your music real damn loud
Don't stop headin', headin' South
'Cause they will understand the words
That are pouring from your mouth
And that boy, he called his daddy to tell him what he did
As the masses screamed the lyrics of a messed up kid
And then he told that old man he was never coming back
To be cut down again in a town like that
Then he surely came to learn people come to watch you fall
But he's out to make a name and a fool out of 'em all
They'll never understand that boy and his kind
All they comprehend is a fucking dollar sign
Don't stop goin', goin' South
'Cause they'll let you play your music real damn loud
Don't stop headin', headin' South
'Cause they will understand the words
That are pouring from your mouth
The organic-reach is accredited to the brutal authenticity of a man who is nothing short of vulnerable in the way he shares his experiences. It’s that kind of connection that people are longing for in a world of masks. People want to feel something and are latching on to the hope and realness delivered in every song he plays.
He played all the favorites as fans held their phones to record, take pictures and FaceTime the show to friends. They danced to Heavy Eyes, sang to Something in the Orange, and swayed to Oklahoma Smokeshow and his latest single Burn, Burn, Burn.
So let me go down the line
Let me feel it all
Joy, pain, and sky
So let me go down the line
We all burn, burn, burn and die
By the end of the evening it was an all night Revival. Every band-member was introduced by name, playing their solo, as the song played on and on. A collective halleluyah vibrating into the Raleigh night sky.
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