An absolute scorcher of a day, the second longest day of the year and a sweltering 28*C sitting in Phoenix Park.
An unusual venue, it has fallen out of use for one reason or another, only holding a few concerts over the last decade, with the most recent being all the way back in 2018, so to re-christen the venue as it were, Zach Bryan was put on the task, and I’d say he delivered alright.
One of, if not the greatest songwriters of this current generation, Zach Bryan delivers down from soft soothing Melodies all the way to throat-tearing, gut wrenching singing, very reminiscent of his own friend and collaborator, Bruce Springsteen.
A massive crowd of around 60,000 people descended upon the park and did not leave disappointed, from opening with “Overtime” straight into the blood-pumping “Open the Gate”, a song crafted from pure adrenaline.
All throughout the show we were treated to songs that make you wanna sing, scream, cry and raise your fists in anger, or in determination. The true spirit of proper country music.
Country’s leading superstar, and when I say country, I mean country, not the stadium country music that has been polished and shaved down by the industry, but the raw and powerful country this world needs.
Songs like “Something in the Orange”, “Burn, Burn, Burn” and “East Side of Sorrow” had the entire park in a mixture of screaming and dancing.
Stage Setup: 6/10, nothing major to comment on here, very standard stage setup and layout for a concert this size.
Band performance: 10/10, the rest of the band performed perfectly, very tight players who play off eachother very well, and the main man himself has a voice that could tear down rooves and tear apart your heart.
Support: 7/10, Noelinne Hoffman and The Turnpike Troubadors provided support for us, they did an admirable job, they both delivered solid sets and got the crowd warmed up for the main act, as a support band should.
Merchandise: 8/10, a nice, if expensive, selection of merch, including a Zach Bryan Irish Jersey, concert specific t-shirts and all the other bits and bobs you find at any other concert.
Crowd: 4/10, I hate to talk bad about a crowd of people trying to enjoy themselves, but the standard concert etiquette I have observed and that I have acted with seemed absent at this concert, people getting up on eachother shoulders directly infront of people, blocking their view and eventually quite a few of them causing major falls, a lot of people experiencing adverse effects from the heat but nobody around offered any help.
Overall: 7/10, a very good concert from Zach Bryan, an absolute generational talent in music today, but a concert let down by things outside of his control.
Next up: Iron Maiden 25/6/25
Jays Concert Blog 