A Luke Combs paradox at Lincoln Financial Field: A concert that both happened and didn’t happen
Thanks to a thunderstorm warning, Luke Combs didn't take to the stage until 11 p.m., two hours after the scheduled time. Much to the dismay and joy of fans.
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Country-pop singer Luke Combs’ weekend stopover in Philadelphia got off to a rocky start Friday night, the result of inclement weather and a massive breakdown of communication between the organizers and ticket holders.
Combs, who recently shot up the country charts with a cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car,” was scheduled to take the stage at Lincoln Financial Field at 9 p.m., following sets by openers Brent Cobb, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Turnpike Troubadours. In the heady hours before the headlining set, fans tailgated, splashed bean bags across slanted cornhole boards, and consumed heroic quantities of light beer. Spirits were high.
The mood was soured considerably by a passing storm and a warning handed down by the National Weather Service, minutes before Combs was to take the stage. Thousands of de-sleeved, cowboy-hatted concertgoers filed toward the main concourse, seeking shelter as per an announcement blasted over the public address system. Others chose to stay put.
For an hour, and then 90 minutes, and then nearly two hours, no official word came down.
The singer issued his own branded, faux-autographed statements on the stadium’s screens, stating that he’d take the stage when the weather had cleared. Many fans headed for the exits, while venue staff offered mixed reports on whether the show would indeed go on. Conflicting reports also spread around social media. At one point, a fight broke out.
Combs finally took the stage about 11:20 p.m., minutes before an 11:30 p.m. city curfew that some in attendance had been whispering about. He was donning an Eagles cap, perhaps in a bid to win back a waterlogged audience that stuck it out. (This reporter didn’t.)
The “Beer Never Broke My Heart” singer played a full set, lasting till about 1 am, hours after the assumed curfew.
Many Combs fans took to social media demanding refunds, and griping about the lack of communication. Others speculated that Combs took the stage two hours late so that promoters would not have to issue a refund, as the concert was never officially canceled. A mood of annoyance and confusion prevailed, both at the Linc and online.
Combs returned to the Linc on Saturday night, going on at 9 p.m.