Review: Zach Bryan turned the Kia Center into a ‘Great American Bar’ dream

We walked into Zach Bryan's Kia Center show knowing next to nothing about his music but, damn, Bryan put on one of the better shows we’ve seen in a while.

While his powerful, rugged vocals are faithful to the country genre, Bryan's music dips into folk, pop and other genres that have allowed him to cross the border into the mainstream in recent years. It's garnered Bryan millions of listeners across streaming platforms and secured him a place as Billboard’s top artist of 2023.

For his Orlando performance at the Kia Center, Bryan was joined by supporting acts Levi Turner and The War & Treaty, the latter of which joined Bryan on stage during his set for one of the most moving performances of the night: “Hey Driver.”

The set-up for the night was simple, a stage in the round adorned with minimally decorative lighting, with Bryan and his band dividing up the set by rotating around to face each section of the audience. Bryan, guitar in hand, commanded the energy of the arena with an ease and grace that more theatrical performers have struggled to capture.

The lack of spectacle onstage — no backup dancers, pyrotechnics, elaborate sets — set Bryan apart from a lot of other shows we’ve recently experienced at the Kia Center. To perform in such a large space without any of those extra ingredients can be a recipe for disaster, but Bryan held the audience in the palm of his hand for a full 23-song set, their voices echoing alongside his for the entirety of the show.

Bryan kicked off his set with “Overtime,” a song off his 2023 self-titled album and a clear crowd favorite that captured the sheer passion of his discography with a booming intro from his band.

Bryan’s connection to Florida is unique, with him mentioning that his music career began in the Sunshine State, referring to his song “God Speed,” which he recorded here. In a state that is typically lost or forgotten along tour routes, is it heartwarming to hear from an artist who has such a fondness for the same Floridians who have been missing out on other artists’ live performances for years.

The “Great American Bar Scene” (or “Great Orlando Bar Scene,” as he referred to it in song, to a chorus of hoots and hollers) is one of Bryan’s newest songs off his newest album of the same name. Accompanying this song were visuals of just that — great American bars. Fittingly, Bryan has the type of voice that can carry an arena, yet it is still one familiar enough that it would fit right in at your local dive bar, performing for a couple dozen locals and tourists.

Highlights of his set included “East Side of Sorrow,” “Something in the Orange” and “Pink Skies.” The arena buzzed with energy throughout the evening, something that only enhanced Bryan’s performance and interactions with the crowd through sing-a-long sections. He is sentimental and vulnerable in his writing, which was well-received and reciprocated by the audience through both hard-charging and mellow tracks.

Bryan’s encore was one to remember, with an extended performance of “Revival” that included a complete introduction to his band, including Read Connolly, who ‘passed out’ as his solo was about to begin, leading to his eventual ‘revival’ and subsequent shredding on his banjo that set the crowd into a frenzy. Although his set ran almost two hours, the audience was longing for more.

Especially in the unnerving, strange times we face as Americans, Bryan’s music was a spirited, much-needed reminder of the kind of things that can bring us together in the first place — community, belonging and good music.

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