Zach Bryan review – colossal US country star converts the UK to his inclusive take on the rodeo

Anfield stadium, LiverpoolBryan challenges country’s macho messaging in emotional songs of breakups, addiction and pain, lapped up by a charmed stadium-filled fanbaseZach Bryan knows how to endear himself to an English crowd. The country superstar casually strolls on stage with his guitar in an Ozzy Osbourne T-shirt while his band plays Come Together, greeted by tens of thousands ready to sing back every word in between sips of beer and two-steps.Early on in the show, Bryan pauses to say: “I hope you know whoever you are, we accept you here,” before launching into his debut single, God Speed. The sentiment captures how his With Heaven on Tour proposes a more inclusive, expansive take on how country music sounds and looks: Bryan invites everyone to the rodeo, which makes him stand out in a genre that can feel hostile to outsiders. This helps explain how, in seven years, the 30-year-old Oklahoman has gone from being a US navy officer who self-released his debut album to one of country music’s biggest names, now with six studio albums under his belt – and who has helped the genre to become a stadium-filling, festival-spawning phenomenon in the once-resistant UK. Continue reading...