I don’t know what you were up to this weekend, but "My Kinda Saturday Night" was seeing Luke Combs live at Notre Dame Stadium. Although the sky was gray, the Golden Dome was shining above about 77,000 fans below in merchandise lines, parking lot tailgates and the roaringly country stadium for one night only.
Celebrations before the show resembled those of football gamedays, and so did the traffic. Combs released specialized Notre Dame memorabilia that fans sold out on both Friday and Saturday at merchandise stands around campus, so those partaking in gearing up with the Notre Dame LC look had to wait in growing lines before the noon opening. Once goods were secured, fans got "Back in the Saddle" and line danced the day away with friends and family at tailgates; the Luke Combs Camp ran a whiskey tailgate in front of campus’s Legends restaurant at 3 o’clock with many in attendance. Whether they were attending the show or listening from their dorm rooms, students flooded Stadium and Joyce Lots for a long day of Irish shenanigans.
Stadium doors opened at 5 o’clock, so “Bootleggers” and those just there for a good time alike headed to the stadium to catch the appetizing four opening acts before the main course. The show began with artists Thelma & James at 5:20, shortly followed by Jake Worthington, Ty Myers and Dierks Bentley bringing enough “yee” for the “haw” that was to come later that night. Having not listened to these artists or their setlists previously, I certainly found some great talents that will circulate into my Spotify rotation whenever I need some “5150” or “Two Trains”.
After my friend and I collected guitar picks and met some other fans in the General Admission pit in between the opening acts, cowboy boot stomps rumbled around the stadium in excitement for Combs’ arrival. A classic sing-along to Neil Diamond’s "Sweet Caroline" fiercely transitioned to "Shipping Up to Boston," and at that moment the rest of the world drifted away. The lights went down, and from then on, it was only us and that stage for the rest of the night.
Eventually Combs showed up in the stadium, and he also made sure to show out when it came to representing the Irish; with a green Notre Dame hat, Notre Dame sweatshirt and his iconic leprechaun-like beard, he was ready to “cheer cheer for Old Notre Dame” as God intended. Him and his band brought the Irish spirit to an all-time high when they took a shot on the floor near the barricade and headed to the stage for an electric performance.
Overall, the setlist was “Beautiful Crazy,” as it neatly packed in songs of a brokenhearted cowboy with fiery hits perfect for you to shake some denim. Songs “My Kinda Saturday Night,” “Lovin’ on You,” “Hurricane” and “She Got the Best of Me” turned up the volume here in South Bend as crowds thundered almost as much as the Indiana skies. That was then followed up by “Tell ’Em About Tonight”—a song perfectly encapsulating the memorable mark that shows like this one leave on someone’s life. “One Number Away” and “Going, Going, Gone” then brought the show to a slower pace but not for long.
After fans gave their all to “Back in the Saddle,” Combs sent us his love with hits “Sleepless in a Hotel Room,” “Better Together,” “Be By You” and “Beautiful Crazy,” among many others. Afterwards, the classic country spirit was reignited with performances of “Alcohol of Fame,” “1, 2 Many” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart” featuring killer light shows and fire effects that warmed crowds on a night as “Cold as You.” During this beer-loving bit of the show, the Irish saw some familiar faces up onstage when former football players Sam Hartman, Joe Alt, Riley Leonard and Jerome Bettis joined the singer to shotgun a beer mid “1, 2 Many.”
As the stadium went dark, and Combs waved his “goodbyes,” excitement climbed just in time for a spirited three-song encore. Before jumping headfirst into the last songs of the night, Combs took a sincere moment to appreciate the opportunities his success has brought him. With a lifetime love for music, Combs was grateful to be standing on a stage, covering songs he’d been hearing since he was young. This heartfelt admiration transitioned into a remarkable Tracy Chapman cover of “Fast Car” that gave you the feeling that you “could be someone.”
Combs couldn’t leave the stage without one last rodeo. He revved up the fans with “Where the Wild Things Are” and, lastly, “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma.” The “Twisters” single was the perfect way to end the night in South Bend after the 1 a.m. tornado warning that rang around campus earlier that day. Fans were ‘riding in on the wind and rain’ that day, but Combs left us with lots of love in Indiana.
Whether you are a die-hard fan or someone who simply tagged along to the nosebleeds, you sallied out of that stadium with love for Luke Combs’ charm. Fans flooded the South Bend streets playing Combs loud enough to hear across Saint Mary’s Lake as they waited in stop-and-go traffic, reminding me just how special our community really is. Notre Dame is home to fans of every niche, but it’s also home to family. Anyone under the Golden Dome that night “rode that rocket as far as it could fly,” and they did so together.
