More than 60,000 country music enthusiasts gathered at Scott Stadium Saturday evening for one of Charlottesville’s largest concerts ever. Country superstar Luke Combs' latest album “The Way I Am” reached number two on the Billboard 200 list, attesting to the artist's popularity. The North Carolina native’s songs blend southern spirit with a distinctive heartfelt croon that helped him quickly rise to fame nearly a decade ago.
The Charlottesville date was the only show of his “My Kinda Saturday Night” tour held on the East Coast, and the first concert held at Scott Stadium since “A Concert for Charlottesville” in 2017. Fans enthusiastically crowded the 61,500-seat venue for the production after doors opened at 5 p.m.
The show featured four opening acts — Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, Jake Worthington and Thelma & James. Myers pandered to University students with his cover of “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse, a popular song among student bands on Grounds. The 18-year-old star has a massive social media following and is especially popular among young adults, according to Hana Sageer, audience member and first-year College student.
“I was there for Ty Myers,” Sageer said. “I was geeking out because he's very popular amongst our age group.”
Combs came on stage at 9 p.m., with an almost two hour long setlist. He immediately jumped into the title track "My Kinda Saturday Night," featuring snappy fast-paced lyrics and a rowdy electric guitar. Soon after, he transitioned into "She Got the Best of Me," a tender breakup song that had almost the entire arena out of their seats and singing along. After a few slower tracks, Combs started to transition into his more lively songs, accompanied by colorful light shows, towering flames and rousing fireworks.
Towards the middle of the set, Combs accidentally mixed up his setlist, humoring the crowd with his authenticity. Another concert attendee, first-year Education student Ellie Williams, said that Combs’ personality and humble beginnings helps many people feel connected to him.
"I love him as an artist,” Williams said. “I feel like he's super relatable. And I liked the part when he messed up. [It] was kind of funny."
During a similarly vulnerable love song “Better Together,” a crowd member proposed, shocking attendees and eliciting excited cheers. Combs' songs about family, love, heartbreak and nostalgia provided a fitting environment for the special moment.
Many of Combs' tracks on “The Way I Am” talk about his devotion to his family. The singer expressed love for his three sons in the middle of his set Saturday, which captivated the heart of Bridget Noonan, audience member and first-year College Student.
“I thought it was really sweet when he was talking about the songs that he based off of his wife, or his three sons who are under 4 years old,” Noonan said.
Combs’ popularity created crowd singalongs on every track. According to Sageer, students at the University, faculty and staff made up just a fraction of the crowd, as people traveled all across the East Coast to attend the event. Noonan echoed that Grounds was crowded with Combs’ supporters, with many listening to his music outside in the sun prior to the performance.
“I felt like [people came] from all over,” Sageer said. “People that listen to Luke Combs and older country music, rather than pop country music, [come from] more rural areas so they drive up. It was a good thing to have in Charlottesville because Virginia has a lot of rural areas.”
Towards the end of the show, Combs’ band put together a medley of cover songs like Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” adding mainstream popularity in other genres to the setlist.
Combs’ encore featured two of his most beloved songs — a cover of "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman and "Ain't No Love In Oklahoma" from the movie "Twisters." The cover of "Fast Car" is one of Combs’ most well-known numbers — which he performed with Chapman at the Grammy's in 2024. Before playing the song Saturday, he offered a piece of motivation to the crowd.
“If you believe you can do something, you can do it,” Combs said.
The musical spectacle brought the University community together and animated Grounds with its impressive number of excited attendees. Scott Stadium’s packed seats were a testament to Charlottesville’s love of country music, and many said they hoped for more concerts at the venue to come.
Read More
Hoo’s Watching: Spring cleaning in cinema
By Julia Prevost | YesterdayIn the spirit of spring cleaning, these four movies explore transformation, reinvention and the small, hopeful steps that lead characters toward fresh beginnings.
Audiences gave a stand-up ovation for ‘Step Comedy Jam’
By Zachary Geller | 2 days agoThe show brought together comedians from across the University community, united by a love of laughter
Upcoming Daigakon convention hopes to attract anime and gaming fans from all over Virginia
By Adrian Weakley | 2 days agoThe event is committed to offering an accessible alternative to the typical convention scene
