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By Mark Huard
BANGOR — Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion hosted its first concert in 708 days on Aug. 5, when country star Luke Bryan and several other artists took the stage.
Concertgoers crowded into the newly renovated space to enjoy performances from Bryan as well as Caylee Hammack and Dylan Scott.
Alyssa Flye, of Fairfield, said, “Nothing beats a live show, especially after the madness of the past year and a half. It was nice to finally have a piece of normalcy and see everyone out enjoying themselves.”
Bryan fans know that his goal in life is often to find the silver lining and move forward in the face of tragedy. In 1996, his brother died in a car accident just as Bryan was planning to go to Nashville. Instead, he stayed at home for two years until he was encouraged by his father to go get his dream. In 2007, Bryan’s sister died, and seven years after that her husband died, leaving their three children without parents. Bryan and his wife have raised the children and continue to work through the tragedy by focusing on the positive and how to move forward as a family.
There were close to 14,000 people in attendance at the “Proud to be Right Here 2021.” After all, aren’t we all proud to be here still standing after such an enormous life-altering situation in the world? Despite rain, the stands filled early and stayed filled.
Hammack, the opening act, thanked the audience for “showing up.” She said that her job is to warm the audience up for the main event, and she did just that as she belted out the songs of Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton along with her biggest hit, “Redhead.”
Scott was the second to take the stage. He quickly made friends with the audience and started off with some games to get everyone cheering and engaged. He played guitar and piano, and sang his favorite songs from his favorite artist, Keith Whitley. Scott said that he is a “90s baby” and played a montage from his era, which got the crowd on their feet. He also played his newest song “New Truck” which was due to be released the following day.
The transitions between acts was smooth and flawless, as staff created a fantastic moment for Bryan to make his entrance on stage. He came out with an energy like none other and the 14,000 fans were all on their feet. He sang and he danced every move including the sprinkler right along with his fans. Bryan, 45, didn’t slow down from the moment he entered the stage.
Two young first-time concert goers, Jaylenn Cugno and Brooklyn Johnson, both of Skowhegan, excitedly reported “this is the greatest night of our entire lives.” They watched in awe as Bryan effortlessly transitioned from song to song, engaging the band and the audience to create an amazingly energetic performance.
Hammack and Scott joined Bryan in a finale that did not disappoint. They laughed, danced, and sang together all while enjoying some adult beverages on the stage. The audience stayed on their feet, and it was evident that the fans were happy and satisfied with their first concert in 708 days. The general consensus was a positive vibe supporting togetherness and moving forward.
PHOTOS: Luke Bryan performs in Bangor. (Mark Huard/Central Maine Photography photo)
