Zach Bryan’s Quittin’ Time Tour is a loud song

On December 5, 2024By Littum

It’s only been five years since “Heading South,” a story song about “a boy who was a dreamer” in “a world full of people who wanted to cut his young ass,” put a young man who suited this description, on the fast track. to become one of country music’s fast-rising stars, earning millions of views for a sharp, acoustic reading of the song on YouTube.

These days, Zach Bryan needs two nights to meet demand to see him perform at the 18,000-capacity Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

On Tuesday, Nov. 3 — night 1 of his two-night Quittin’ Time Tour stop in metro Phoenix — Bryan led his devoted fan base in a rousing rendition of the breakthrough hit that, he noted, “changed my life forever for a long time , a long time ago”, pausing to allow the crowd to shout the line about how certain people will “never understand that boy and his kind” because “all they understand is a (expletive) dollar sign.”

“Heading South” was one of many songs in Bryan’s set list that had fans screaming every lyric back at him with full intensity, from “God Speed,” a highlight of his self-produced debut, to “I Remember Everything,” his Grammy-winning duet with Kacey Musgraves, who did not appear in person or via vocals on that song.

Somehow Bryan doesn’t really strike me as the kind of guy we’ll soon see working video duets into his live performances.

How Zach Bryan went from ‘Heading South’ to today

Watching Bryan work his special brand of magic on the crowd at the front of a seven-piece arena band, it was easy to see how the kid in the “Heading South” video has grown into the future he envisioned in the lyrics to that song “when the masses screamed the lyrics of a messy child.”

There’s an authenticity to Bryan’s words and music that can’t help but resonate with those who see themselves, their friends and family, or whoever they’d like to be in his mainstream everyman songs, which draw equally on folk and country – flavored rock ‘n’ roll as straight-up country.

His delivery only strengthens that connection, a conversational approach that puts the focus squarely on the lyrics, from the vulnerability of the quieter moments to a raspy shout that at times recalls the furious shout of another generation everyman, Bruce Springsteen, appearing on Bryan’s latest album “The Great American Bar Scene”, and has been known to join Bryan on stage.

He has also covered Bob Dylan on this tour. Not on Night 1 in Glendale, but it wouldn’t be surprising if “Girl From the North Country” makes its way into the set list Wednesday.

Zach Bryan calls out Arizona on his Quittin Time Tour

The Quittin’ Time Tour is in support of “The Great American Bar Scene,” Bryan’s third consecutive release to top the Billboard folk and country charts.

And Bryan dutifully dusted off a handful of the album’s strongest cuts, from “Pink Skies,” an unlikely hit single whose opening line is a somber “The kids are in town for a funeral/ So pack the car and dry your eyes,” to the title track, whose title text was temporarily adjusted for this concert to “the great Arizona bar scene.”

Several songs actually contained newly minted references to Arizona. If a state was mentioned in a lyric, and his lyrics often mention states, that state was more than likely Arizona Tuesday night in Glendale.

Speaking of Glendale, Bryan talked about Glendale every chance he got. “I’ll tell you what, Glendale is a beautiful, beautiful town,” he said while introducing “The Great American Bar Scene.” And almost every time he was about to throw a line to the audience to sing, he said “I trust you, Glendale.”

It was cute. And because he’s such a true performer, it didn’t feel like bothering. It felt like he was legit being there with his fans that night in that city.

From ‘Overtime’ to ‘Revival’, Zach Bryan delivered the hits

Strolling through the crowd to the stage located in the center of the venue, Bryan and his bandmates opened with a rousing trumpet-driven “Overtime,” with Bryan moving between four microphones located on either side of the stage as they came through a 25-song set, before getting the crowd working for the encore they knew was coming, “Revival.”

Highlights included a lively “Oklahoma Smokeshow” (which I’m pretty sure he sang as “Arizona Smokeshow”), “Dawns”, “Pink Skies”, “Heading South”, “Something in the Orange”, “Hey Driver” “Burn, Burn Burn”, “I Remember Everything”, the first live performance of “Towers” and of course “Revival”.

When he returned to the stage for “Revival,” it felt like his next swing through the Valley might include a stop at State Farm Stadium.

Zach Bryan Setlist 2024: Quittin Time Tour in Phoenix

Here’s every song Zach Bryan played during the Quittin’ Time Tour at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale on Tuesday, December 3rd:

“Overtime”
“Open the Gate”
“God speed”
“The Great American Bar Scene”
“Fifth of May”
“Tishomingo”
“Nine Ball”
“Condemned”
“Pain, Sweet, Pain”
“68 Fastback”
“East Side of Sorrow”
“28”
“Oklahoma Smoke Show”
“Downs”
“Oak Island”
“Pink Skies”
“Tourniquet”
“Heavy Eyes”
“Heading South”
“Something in orange”
“Hello driver”
“Burn, Burn, Burn”
“I remember everything”
“Towers”
“Quittin’ Time” (with “Speak Softly, Love” intro)

Encore:

Ed has been covering pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at [email protected].