Luke Combs welcomed his fans, known as The Bootleggers, to his Nashville bar, Category 10, for the official grand opening celebration with “The Big Kickoff” concert on Tuesday evening (April 15) at Hurricane Hall inside the Music City establishment.
The country superstar delivered an electrifying, 60+ minute set for fans and music industry personnel lucky enough to score tickets to the private event. The exclusive show offered a rare, intimate experience with the North Carolina native — far smaller than Combs’ usual sold-out stadium performances for over 70,000 people, as Category 10 holds just a few thousand.
Ty Gregory took to the stage first to open the show at 6:30 with an hour-long concert that was a mix of originals and cover songs. After Ty Gregory, Luke Combs stormed the Category 10 stage at 8PM, kicking off the show with a captivating light show to his fan-favorite track, “1, 2 Many,” sans Brooks & Dunn, who are usually featured on the song.
“Y’all feeling good out there? Welcome to Category 10! We’re just going to take it wire to wire tonight. I told the boys that we want nothing but home runs tonight. So that’s what we’re going to do,” Combs, wearing his signature Columbia PFG, jeans and a camouflage Mossy Oak hat, told the crowd.
With limited banter, Luke Combs powered through an energy-filled set packed with hits and fan-favorite anthems that have become the soundtrack to their lives, including “When It Rains It Pours,” “Must’ve Never Met You,” “Cold As You,” “Where The Wild Things Are,” “Houston, We Got A Problem,” “Forever After All,” “Beautiful Crazy,” “Lovin’ On You,” “She Got The Best Of Me,” “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma,” “The Kind Of Love We Make” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart” as well as his chart-topping rendition of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” and “Hurricane,” the track that inspired the bar’s name. Each and every song was met with a massive sing-along from the capacity crowd.
The 35-year-old father of two also took a moment during the show to reflect on his success and how far he’s come. “Thank you all for coming out on a Tuesday night. I know you probably got work in the morning or something better you could be doing, but I appreciate you guys being here [and] I never thought in a million lifetimes thought that I would end up doing something like what’s going on in front of you guys tonight,” Combs said. “I will forever be so thankful to each and every one of you guys for believing in me and these guys on stage and so many of us of who get to live our dreams every single day because of folks like yourselves, and I’ll never forget that. It means a whole whole lot to me.”
Combs later opened up about having his establishment in Music City. “You know, I was getting asked a lot today, I was doing some interviews and stuff for the bar, and I was asked ‘what’s it feel like having your own place?’ Man, it’s hard to believe to be completely honest with you,” the North Carolina native, who moved to Nashville 11 years ago, recalled. “Chase your dreams, man. If I can do, anybody can do it. I promise you that much.”
Throughout his electrifying set, Combs also shotgunned a beer, interacted with the fans and even debuted two unreleased new songs, “Rethink Some Things” and “Half Broke Heart.”
Combs concert was also livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook for millions of other fans to watch in real time online.
The week-long grand opening festivities continue with one-of-a-kind giveaways, prizes, and Luke Combs-themed activations, including Luke trivia and a ‘Luke-a-Like’ contest and a special performance by Luke Combs UK, a premier Luke Combs tribute band.
Throughout the rest of “The Big Kickoff” week, Category 10 welcomes fans to explore all of the venue’s unique entertainment spaces, including The Honky-Tonk, Hurricane Hall, The Still, 5 Leaf Clover Sports, and the brand-new 10,000-square-foot rooftop bar, The Eye. Guests can also enjoy free line dancing lessons and catch “The Light Show” in Hurricane Hall.
Located at 120 Second Avenue North in Downtown Nashville, Category 10 is now officially open for business.
