What a homecoming for Luke Combs.
This past weekend, Luke played his first-ever headlining stadium concert, and he did it at Kidd Brewer Stadium on the campus of his alma mater, Appalachian State University.
Playing to a sold-out crowd of over 32,000 at his alma mater in his home state, Luke told the crowd about the moment at Appalachian State that led to him becoming one of the biggest names in country music – and it all started with a friend walking into his dorm room and inviting him to an Eric Church concert.
“After me and my parents moved from Charlotte to Asheville, I stopped listening to country music for a good while. There was something about it that didn’t make me feel something in here.
And then my second semester at Appalachian State they transferred me to Dalton residence hall on the other side of campus.
And I remember sitting in my dorm room and a friend of mine who I’m sure is here tonight – I actually gave him tickets so I know he’s here tonight – his name’s Andy Stoker, he’s from Newton-Conover, North Carolina.
He walked into my room and he said ‘Hey, I got this guy that I think you would like. He’s playing a show at Legends tonight and his name is Eric Church.’
If Andy Stoker doesn’t walk into my room on the third floor of Dalton residence hall in 2009, this show doesn’t happen tonight.”
Luke has said many times that his fellow Appalachian State alum Eric Church is his “hero” and the reason that he got back into country music, and after Church won Entertainer of the Year at last year’s CMA Awards Luke even said that “without him there is no me.”
So it’s only fitting that Luke had to throw a little tribute to both his hero and his home state during a sold out stadium show at his alma mater, right?
Well that’s just what Luke did, breaking out Church’s “Carolina” for the first song of his encore in front of a sold-out crowd that joined in at the top of their lungs.
Man, that had to have been a pretty special night for Luke.
