Noise

Luke Bryan, Dustin Lynch and Little Big Town close the hit-filled Route 91

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Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival at Las Vegas Village.
Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau

More than 15,000 fans danced, shouted and raised their hands for the final day of Las Vegas’ Route 91 Harvest Festival inside the Las Vegas Village across from the Luxor on Sunday, featuring nearly nine hours of music from country acts, from up-and-coming artists to the genre’s top names.

Wearing a khaki-colored cowboy hat and matching boots, a tucked-in maroon shirt and jeans complemented by a large silver belt buckle, Nashville-based Dustin Lynch opened Sunday’s night session with 2014 hit "Hell of a Night," followed by a rowdy, heavily drummed edition of "She Cranks My Tractor," one of two songs that thrust the 31-year-old into the mainstream country spotlight in 2012.

The seven-time Billboard Hot Country charting artist held a blue Solo cup in the air for a rousing cover of Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places," to the cheers, screams and loud applause of some 15,000 on hand. "This has been the best time of my life, Vegas," Lynch said, describing his last two years on tour with Luke Bryan.

Lynch's hour-long performance also featured 2015 hit "Mind Reader" and 2013's "Wild in Your Smile." He earned his loudest ovation of the night for 2012 hit "Cowboys and Angels" midway through his setlist.

Less than 15 minutes after Lynch walked offstage, veteran quartet Little Big Town jammed out "Little White Church” to open a 15-song, 80-minute set just after 8 p.m. Dressed in a black top and leggings of the same color, singer Kimberly Schlapman offered a rallying cry for weekend ticket holders. "Let's keep this thing rolling Las Vegas!” Schlapman shouted as her signature curly blonde locks flowed in the Vegas night breeze.

The 18-time Billboard Hot Country charting group followed with "Pontoon," a former No. 1 song and 2014 hit “Day Drinking,” which also cracked the top five.

Little Big Town’s performance ventured into the mainstream when the quartet of Schlapman, Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet performed a cover of Alicia Keys’ “Fallen.” Shrieks and shouts erupted from the crowd as the slow picking of Westbrook’s guitar introduced the instrumentals of "Girl Crush," the group’s best-known song. The band finished with “Boondocks,” just after 9:30 p.m.

After about a half-hour pause, Sunday headliner Luke Bryan stormed onto the stage, opening with 2009 hit “Rain Is a Good Thing,” to the loudest cheers of the night. As cell phone cameras rolled, Bryan cruised through “Kick the Dust Up,” and “All My Friends Say,” smiling and laughing while feeding off the mostly female crowd that stuck around late to see the headliner.

Bryan pointed to signs held high by festival-goers from Alaska and England after grabbing a can of Miller Lite onstage and lobbing it deep into the crowd. “I know you’re ready to party with us, Vegas!” he shouted.

Bryan’s 23-song setlist lasted nearly two hours and featured latest radio single “Move,” plus one-time Billboard Hot Country hits “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” “Drunk on You,” “Crash My Party” and 2012’s “This is How We Roll” collaboration with Florida Georgia Line.

Dustin Lynch later joined Bryan for a rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud.” The two also performed Bryan’s 2015 hit “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day.”

As Lynch exited, Little Big Town found its way back to the stage for another cover, Alabama’s “Mountain Music,” followed by Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night.” As the midnight hour neared, Bryan and Little Big Town showed no signs of stopping. “C’mon Vegas, let’s go,” Bryan bellowed “I don’t want this night to end!”

He followed, appropriately, with former Billboard Hot Country No. 1 hit “I Don’t Want This Night to End,” improvised to include lines from Taio Cruz’ “Dynamite.”

Route 91 Harvest’s third annual festival did eventually end, with Bryan urging the women on hand to “shake it one last time,” before playing his 2011 chart-topper “Country Girls” just before midnight.

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