Luke Combs On Incredibly Special Homecoming Show At Alma Mater: “I Will Never Forget This Day As Long As I Live”

Luke Combs country music

Luke Combs saw a dream come true this past weekend.

He played a homecoming show in his college town of Boone, North Carolina, to a massive crowd of 34,114 people at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

It was his very first headlining show at a stadium, and he wanted the milestone moment to be at the place that means the most to him. Specifically, in the hills of western North Carolina on the campus of his alma mater, Appalachian State University.

He even brought some of his best friends with him to open the show, including Drew Parker, Ray Fulcher, and one of his best friends who started playing music in Boone with him back in college, Adam Church.

He posted a video with some of the highlights of the night, and his caption echoes the sentiments in the video that it was a full-circle moment he’ll never forget:

“This show was a long time in the making for me. I attended college at Appalachian State University.

I taught myself to play guitar 10 years ago in Boone, NC. I wrote the first song that I ever wrote here. And on September 4, 2021, I played my first stadium show in that same town.

It’s hard to believe. Thank you, Boone, NC! I will never forget this day as long as I live.”

Not to be dramatic or anything, but that video just about brings tears to my eyes.

Really, it was a storybook night for him in his relatively short career in country music thus far. After a few postponements and date changes due to COVID over the last year and a half or so, that made it all the more exciting to finally get to have the concert.

As an Appalachian State alum myself, I have to say, it was one of the coolest shows I’ve ever been to. Luke is a humble guy, and he really is one of the best people in the business. Getting to see such a huge dream come true for a fellow Mountaineer who has given so much back to the school and town was special.

I remember when I started school there as a freshman years ago and everybody would always talk about this Luke Combs guy. At the time, he was still playing local bars around town, and I don’t think any of us ever imagined he’d be where is now in a pretty short time span.

I mean, he’s probably the superstar in mainstream country at the moment… and he’s just getting started.

I think it honestly meant as much to all of us as it did to him. Boone is a small town, and there was way more people at the show than what the population actually is in Boone that night. Everybody was there for our hometown boy, and it’s just another reason I love country music… nothing brings people together quite like it can.

Of course, there were tons of highlights and noteworthy moments from the night, but one of my favorite’s was when he sang Eric Church’s “Carolina”.

Eric is the artist who inspired him to play country music in the first place, and he’s one of my favorites of all time, too, so I can’t exactly put all of that into words but suffice to say, it was pretty amazing to experience in person.

And, as a school who takes a hell of a lot of pride in our football program (did y’all know we beat Michigan one time?), it was time Luke had his own home game at The Rock, too:

Just for comparisons sake, the amount of people in the stadium here is literally more than the entire town.

It was easily the biggest event in Boone’s history and I don’t know if anything else is all that close:

One of the other highlights was the opening song.

After the obligatory “LUUUUKE” chants (a take off of an old Panthers tradition when Luke Kuechly still played football in Carolina), there was an epic video narrated by Eric welcoming Luke home.

Then, Luke came on stage singing Alabama’s “Mountain Music” and it about felt like all the boots stomping on the bleachers to the sounds of the opening chords and drum were gonna bring down the whole damn stadium.

It was significant because “Mountain Music” is a song we’ve sang at football games for years, so having Luke pay homage to the team and tradition like that was just icing on the cake:

And, if ya wanna get really fired up, check him out singing his #1 hit “Beer Never Broke My Heart” towards the end of the show:

“Appalachian State, everybody in the crowd, my name is Luke Combs. This show is the number one show that I have ever played in my entire life.

Thank you so much. There are a lot of things that have broken my heart. This kick ass crowd tonight sure as hell ain’t ever broke my heart.

And a long neck ice cold beer ain’t ever broke my heart. If y’all know this song, I want them to hear us five fuckin’ states away!”

Lastly, here’s the song that started it all. His first #1 single, “Hurricane.”

A huge congrats to Luke on this accomplishment and here’s to many more.

It’s a day I don’t think any of us will ever forget, and I’m glad to have someone like him representing us so well… it’s always great to be a Mountaineer.

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