It was a evening for the books in Ames as Luke Combs brought his “My Kinda Saturday Night Tour” to Jack Trice Stadium on April 11th. For over two hours, the eight-time Grammy nominee rocked Iowa State as remnants of a rainy day laid upon the circular stage. With support from Thelma and James, Jake Worthington, Ty Meyers, and Dierks Bentley, it was an electric evening of country music that will not be forgotten soon by over 60,000 fans.
Marked on folks calendars for the past six months, Luke Combs announced his “My Kinda Saturday Night Tour” in October spreading across North America and Europe over the span of 23 nights. These shows have been selling out quickly, becoming one of the hottest tickets of the year, and for good reason. The country star has showcased his iconic sound across the worlds biggest stages, introducing countless audiences to the genre. Coming off the heels of a busy year with headlining slots at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, and more, there’s never been a bigger time for Combs. Three weeks removed from his sixth record’s release, The Way I Am, this wave has been high for the singer/songwriter.
Appearing from the tunnels in the north end zone of Jack Trice Stadium came Luke and his band underneath the deluge of cheers as “Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked” played. Making a pit stop for a quick drink before his entrance to the stage, Luke and his Wild Cards all stepped up to their stations. Shaking the stadium from the start, Combs began with the song sharing the titular honors with the tour “My Kinda Saturday Night” as the crowd jumped to their feet. There was no slowing down in Ames, hitting qiuck with “Lovin’ on You” and “Hurricane” following it up. After, Combs dialed back the speed but not the hits, “She Got the Best of Me” brought all 60,000+ voices into one.
Coming in at #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this past week is “Sleepless in a Hotel Room“. Combs’ 20th song to reach that milestone proves he still has the secret recipe for a hit after a dozen years in the industry. “Sleepless in a Hotel Room” was one of ten songs performed from his latest record The Way I Am, holding over a third of what was played that evening. Tapping into other tunes from the record like “Back in the Saddle” and “Be By You“, these were some of the most entertaining numbers in the show. For the third night on the tour, the band made these weeks old songs sound like staples in the set.
Although there was a heavy dose on the new album, Combs didn’t forget what songs got him to stadiums. Sweetheart’s favorite jam “Better Together” was a catalyst for fans holding each other close and swaying as the temperature dipped into the 50’s. In the middle of the set, Combs and his band took to some barstools on stage as they sang some more heartfelt ballads. Speaking about the range of emotions it takes to write a song, these introspections were a welcomed addition to the set. Whether tapping into the love in his heart for his wife, or a sadness that sometimes feels paralyzing, this honest chapter in the night was a nice breath. “I Ain’t No Cowboy” and “Wish Upon A Whiskey” were absorbed into the crowd at Iowa State during this breakdown.
The lovey-dovey and sadness eventually scampered off and Luke was back to his rocking chart-toppers like “1,2 Many” and “When It Rains It Pours” . During the former, a Luke Combs tradition is following the lyrics of the song to a ‘T’ and shotgunning a beer. Joining the 2019 Country Artist of the Year was Iowa State Cyclones men’s basketball legend Georges Niang to blaring applause. The Indiana Pacers draftee of a decade ago was an eager participant and it was delightful to see him back on home turf. While there was no competition on loudest song throughout the night, closer “Beer Never Broke My Heart” would have taken the gold medal. A killer end to the main set, Combs had the audience in the palm of his hand.
The encore was a trio of arguably Combs biggest songs. Beginning with his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car“, bringing the crowd back down to earth after that bombastic finale. Chapman’s tune was first covered by Combs in 2023 for his record Gettin’ Old. Tracy came out for her first live performance since 2015 to accompany the North Carolina native on stage at the 2024 Grammy’s, where Chapman has walked away victorious four prior times.
Luke Combs finished the extensive evening with “Where the Wild Things Are” and his song for Twisters, “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma“. The finale was grand and included all the jostling a song about tornados in the home of the Cyclones should cause. Despite the threat of rain, all 5 performers put on a knockdown show at Jack Trice Stadium.
Dierks Bentley
This was very much a country concert. Every musician was country, everyone was dressed country, but if I had to put Dierks Bentley into a genre, it would be ‘Dude Rock’. The definition of ‘Dude Rock’ is very vague, but the main idea is that its just a dude who rocks. And let me tell you, Dierks rocks. Hitting 14 songs spanning his 23-year career, there was everything a super fan, casual fan, and soon-to-be fan could want in the set. Classics like “Drunk On a Plane” and “Free and Easy” got the crowd going by the fourth and final opener of the evening. There was a invigorating and joyful energy put into the air by Dierks and his band as their banter and bits kept the smiles coming in between songs. Dierks Bentley will be on the road this year for his “Off the Map Tour“.
Ty Meyers
The youngest performer on the docket was Texas’ own Ty Meyers. At 18 years of age, there is a long and exciting road ahead of the “Thought It Was Love” singer. With a beat up stratocaster in hand, Meyers pulls on bluesy influence for the lead licks in his songs. His 2026 record Heavy on the Soul made up almost half of his setlist. Other notable plays included two covers, “Valerie” and Tyler Childers’ “Feathered Indians“. A busy year awaits Ty Meyers as he will continue a mix of opening sets and headlining dates across Europe and North America.
Jake Worthington
A little honky tonk never hurt anyone, and Jake Worthington is a prime example. Another Texas native was the second to hit the stage on Saturday, bringing his southern charm to Iowa. We heard four tracks from his 2025 record When I Write The Song including his closer “It Ain’t The Whiskey“. Worthington has already created an extensive collaboration list, including Miranda Lambert and Marty Stuart. This brief look into the the musicians young career was catchy. You can take a much deeper dive into Jake Worthington as his headlining “Intent to Tonk Tour” takes flight later this spring.
Thelma and James
The first band of the busy evening was faced with a slight rain delay, although that didn’t shake Thelma and James. Their hit “Happy Ever After You” spurred them into the spotlight as the two songwriters looked into their own careers on the stage much more seriously. The duo has one album out, Starting Over, released in 2025 and are just over a week removed from their latest single “Alternate Ending” dropping. A fun and sweet sound that welcomed folks as they filed into Jack Trice Stadium. Thelma and James will continue opening for Luke Combs on the rest of his North American dates throughout his “My Kinda Saturday Night Tour”.
Throughout all 5 artists, big and small, there was an energy pulsing in the stadium that was a joy to be apart of. I hope more artists will take advantage of the massive stadiums on college campuses, along with their passionate fan bases. Artists like Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, and Coldplay are paving the way for more collegiate stadium shows in a time when high capacity venues are selling out in minutes. Luke Combs will continue on his “My Kind of Saturday Night Tour” for the remainder of the spring. Jack Trice Stadium will host Post Malone in July.
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