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.