Country music has its die hard fans that have turned this basic genre into a lifestyle. On the flip side, people who don’t appreciate the art of country music would rather poke their eyes out than listen. Luke Combs’ “What You See Is What You Get” tour brings excitement and unity that country music is in need of.

Combs’ performance literally lit up the United Center in Chicago on Nov. 4 and 5. From the vocals to the instrumentals, this night took country music to the next level. The concert defeated the typical repetitiveness and sappy sound that country delivers.

The environment was very effective for the show displaying important features: The lighting, circular stage and center screens. The arena was very open and spacious making Combs the centerpiece. The audience was surrounding the stage seated up and down the sides of the walls.

The lights had a strong influence on the audience’s night because the colors changed with the tone of each song. During the upbeat songs the lights were fluent with the beat flashing with each note.
Combs’ vocals also made the performance one to remember. The audience could feel the emotion when he sang everything from his upbeat to heart touching music. In person Combs has a very strong voice and listening to his music on the radio does not justify his pure talent.

While the performance was on point, there was a slight glitch that made this concert less appealing to the ear. Combs would tell a backstory behind some of his top songs and connect his life with the audience; however, when Combs was speaking into the microphone, a problem occurred — his voice was hard to hear. Having the microphone not work correctly was like a flight being delayed: disappointing and annoying.

Another portion of the concert that could have been modified was the opening artists. The two opening artists prior to Combs did not set up the right mood for his concert. Many people remained seated during the opening acts compared to when Combs took the stage.

For the amount of hype that Combs has in the country music world his openers should come out with more confidence and represent him. This was not a strong start to the concert but as the night progressed so did the show.

One of Combs’ final songs was his popular hit “Beautiful Crazy.” Combs sat alone center stage with only the use of his voice and guitar. During this slower song the audience turned on their phone flashlights which united the whole arena and captured the soft side of Combs.

In the dead center of the stadium laid a large square stage tilted on its side exposing the four corners, country artist Luke Combs glides around the stage singing to his audience. Red solo cup in hand, Combs belts out the lyrics to “1,2 Many,” causing the stadium to erupt in volume, unanimously singing with Combs. Combs pauses from singing to complete an iconic act, shotgunning a beer, the roar of cheers are as loud as a train passing by, you can’t hear the person next to you.

Country artist Luke Combs’ “What You See Is What You Get” tour came to Chicago, Illinois on November 4 and 5 at the United Center. Performing songs from his latest album, “What You See Is What You Get,” Combs had opening singers such as Ray Fulcher and Ashley McBryde performing from 7 to about 8:30 p.m. Combs started at 8:55 and didn’t end until almost 11 due to the 24 songs he performed.

The square shaped stage, that was placed on it’s side exposing the four corners to each section of the stadium, was a real masterpiece. The interesting concept of being able to travel from the different corners singing to the roaring crowd was a very smart move. To make the stage even more appealing, a replica of a guitar pick was placed in the center with the drummer, keyboard player, and guitar players as well, and it would slowly spin around on stage.

The lighting in the stadium fit perfectly with this concert, the different colored lights would shine for slower or more fast paced songs, as well as coordinating the lights to hit different beats. One thing that could’ve been changed was how overbearing the instruments could be at some point of different songs. It would make it extremely difficult to hear Combs perform or even talk.

Even with the small issues, Combs’ voice was absolutely breathtaking. He has a deep rich sound with a southern accent that was very distinguishable, but meshed so well with the music. He also has an insane range making you question how he does it.

Combs did some “iconic” acts that he has done a lot in his past performances such as throwing drinks in the air to get crowds hyped, shotgunning a beer to one of his songs, and performing one of his most popular songs, “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” Combs completed the shotgun towards the beginning of the concert during the song “1, 2, Many.” This got the audience so excited, the roars of screams were overwhelming.

Throughout the night, Combs would carry a red solo cup, and when he was finished with the drink he would chuck it into the air and let it fall wherever to create more hype. Combs performed many songs from his most recently released album, but he also performed some from a later album, “This One’s for You.” He sang songs such as “Hurricane,” “One Number Away,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “Houston, We Got a Problem,” “She Got the Best of Me,” and “Beautiful Crazy.”

During the song “Beautiful Crazy,” the entire stadium was filled with flashlights shining on the stage. It was moving to see thousands of people from different backgrounds come together to celebrate and sing with one artist. Combs has a way of writing lyrics with such emotion, and it was shown greatly when a full community gathered together.

He also surprised his audience by singing a couple covers such as “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw which then transitioned into “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive” by Travis Tritt. He also sang a song he recorded with Brooks & Dunn called “Brand New Man,” as well as a cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Dive.”

Combs tricked the entire audience into thinking he wasn’t going to sing “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” causing people to cheer for an encore and even boo for him to come back on stage. After about five minutes, Combs came onto the stage and performed not one but two of his most popular songs, “Forever After All” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” He expressed to the crowd how he wasn’t let down either night he performed in Chicago.

After singing “Forever After All,” the song immediately led into “Beer Never Broke My Heart” by turning off the lights, leaving a single spotlight on a bandmate playing the banjo. He then leads the audience into the song, the stadium was filled with the sound of thousands of people belting the lyrics.

This concert was coordinated really well and had so many interesting aspects, from the lights to the music, this concert was executed very successfully. On top of having a successful concert, Combs also won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award, which shows how well this concert was executed. Combs still has ten more shows to perform in eight different states to finally end his “What You See Is What You Get” tour.