Luke Bryan couldn't do it. He couldn't walk out on the stage in Rogers, Arkansas, with his voice in poor form and give the audience what they wanted. The country music icon was struggling to sing any of his songs, and the crowd knew it. He knew it too.
Instead of cutting his show short and walking off the stage, he played on all the while telling the audience that they would be getting a full refund for their tickets. They weren't getting their money's worth, but Bryan couldn't help it. He was either sick or had bad allergies.
The show will definitely not be one of the best the crowd will ever see. Bryan is a solid performer normally, but there is no way he could be on Thursday night. But what is more memorable for the audience is that a musical artist gave them the respect they were due.
Luke Bryan stops his concert and then does the best thing
Many musical artists will treat their concerts as things they are forced to do. In reality, their livelihood depends on people buying tickets and buying their singles and albums. While the listening public might be highly entertained by a musician, the musical act owes more to the fans than the fans owe the performer.
We are thankful for the songs they produce and the musical gifts they give, but they should also understand that most everything they have is because of their fans. Fans that could leave them behind easily.
Luke Bryan clearly understands the relationship, as do bands such as Slipknot and KISS. Each of those last two gives shout-outs to their fans many times during shows. They know a concert is a collaborative experience and not one in which the performer sees themselves as better than the people who showed up to watch them.
Bryan letting the audience know he was struggling, telling them that they would be getting a refund for their ticket, and then continuing the gig? That's classy.
Unfortunately, Bryan did have to postpone his next two shows, one in Dallas and one in Lafayette, Louisiana, but hopefully those ticket-buyers are understanding. They can see the posts on social media of Luke Bryan struggling the previous night and know he wasn't going to be at his best.