Zach Bryan at BST Hyde Park
In the midst of a scorching heatwave, thousands of fans geared up in western boots and hats, descended onto London’s Hyde Park for another day of country music. Just over two and a half years ago, former US Navy member Zach Bryan was playing at an Islington venue with a capacity of 1,000. Now, a sold-out second night at BST Hyde Park signals how the Oklahoma native has become one of the biggest and hottest trailblazing names in country; this 25-track strong evening is a far cry from uploading iPhone-recorded music whilst serving in the navy less than a mere decade ago. The packed-out weekend is also a powerful milestone and testament to the mighty force of the genre of late, and who better to headline than one of the most interesting, rocketing artists around?
The supporting lineup features names such as up-and-coming Noeline Hoffman and established entertainers Turnpike Troubadours, but perhaps the biggest name is Ireland’s Dermot Kennedy, whose gravelly tones and anthemic but introspective repertoire fits the bill finely. The singer-songwriter returns to his roots, performing much of his debut album Without Fear. It’s collectively a collaborative one-festival spirit, with support in more ways than one as Hoffman later returns to stage to duet Purple Gas with Bryan, as well as Kennedy returning to sing the popular Hey Driver.
Bryan kicks off his final night in Europe with a rendition of Overtime and triumphant crowd-favourite Open the Gate. There’s literal fanfare with a six-piece brass band, as well as a string quartet that’s a genius addition to the set and experience; this staging setup is laidback and purposely packed with live instruments left, right and centre. They’re additions that work well, bringing to life one great big Americana party and surely evoking the singer’s Great American Bar Scene as featured in his fifth studio album. The energy flows effortlessly through the likes of Oklahoma Smokeshow, Dawns and Motorcycle Drive By, significantly more dynamic with the full band live on stage versus their recording counterparts (if anyone was ever sceptical).
After generally frontloading with upbeat anthems, the performance then mellows with a mid-tempo section. It brings about a slight lull as cover of “favourite song” Lawyers, Guns and Money doesn’t quite hit with the London crowd, but conversely there is a run of notable, signature tracks such as East Side of Sorrow, Pink Skies and Something in the Orange that feel like a perfect breath of fresh air as the sun sets over Hyde Park. There’s even a spontaneous fan duet for Tourquinet: here is an artist who is a natural crowd-pleaser and willing to try anything. Bryan saves the slick, wild and energetic rendition of Revival for the spectacular finale; it’s a party with enough space for everyone, spotlighting each talented musician as the catchy chorus goes on repeat again and again. Somehow, it just works, and it’s a joy to close.
Most of the singer’s crowd interaction is an earnest (and repeated) declaration of love for the city, interchanging the lyrics “London” and “Hyde Park” wherever grammatically possible. There are endless superlatives: it’s the “best” night, he’s the “luckiest man”, the musicians are the “greatest alive”. It’s hard not to smile along with this infectious positivity. As fireworks conclude one of Zach Bryan’s biggest shows to date, it really is the best night that country fans in London will surely remember for a while.
Bev Lung
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events, visit Zach Bryan’s website here.
Watch the video for 28 here:
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