Friday was Luke Bryan's kind of night as the four-time Entertainer of the Year and American Idol judge turned up the heat on the first night of summer with another fun-loving, high-energy performance in Foxborough - his fourth show at the home of the six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots since 2014.
Luke's "Sunset Repeat Tour" show was a Friday night party from start to finish for a sold out crowd who came to celebrate country music, the first day of summer, the official kickoff of Gillette Stadium's 2019 Concert Series and the surprise return of Rob Gronkowski, who made a special appearance halfway through the nearly two-hour set.
Luke, wearing a Gronk Patriots jersey given to him by a fan, suggested to the crowd there was "someone who wanted to come out and say hello." Moments later the larger-than-life Gronk emerged to the deafening screams of the crowd.
Gronk, who announced his retirement in March, was visibly moved by the cheers, gesturing in thanks to Luke and his adoring fans. Luke led a "Hall of Fame" chant with the crowd to salute the three-time Super Bowl champion's legendary career. Shortly after, Luke, with a football in hand, sent Gronk on a fade route down the long side of the stage, but overthrew the big target.
"Oh man, I put too much juice on that one," Luke said of the errant pass. "I got excited."
Luke pleaded with the fan that got ahold of the football to return it for another attempt. Luke completed the second pass to Gronk, much to the delight of the crowd.
"I can now say I completed a pass to Gronk in Gillette Stadium," Luke said. "How cool is that?"
