Luke Bryan At Summerfest Again… Yawn

Summerfest made another headliner stage announcement yesterday, and drum roll please… Luke Bryan! Another year, another year of Luke Bryan. How exciting! Can we talk about for a second how Summerfest has their 50th anniversary coming up, and their headliners are falling flatter than flat. There’s no energy at all with anyone so far who’s coming to the Big Gig minus maybe Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s a group of people who’ve seen the Summerfest stage, and there’s no casual interest left.
Bryan might sell out because country fans are psychos and don’t realize the concert is basically the same almost every time out. Bryan is the captain of bro country, and he’s not really gotten better through the years. He’s mailed it in more than a disgruntled NBA player (When is the last time country music and NBA worked together? Spencer Hawes? Gregg Ostertag?). His big song for 2016 and the name of his tour is ‘Hunting, Fishing and Loving Every Minute.’ The song is bad. He does have some really fun drinking music that screams summer, but Bryan’s star appeal to the Milwaukee isn’t there. Maybe some country stars don’t like the build of Summerfest and would rather play the countless festivals around the area, and that’s why Bryan keeps returning.
Summerfest needs a win with their audience. Right now, there’s nothing that is a ‘must-buy.’ Unless, they’re changing the model and going with a packed free shows on a nightly basis, they need to come big next time around. They have four main stages left, and let’s hope it’s a breath of fresh air.