LUKE BRYAN IS STILL LOVIN EVERY DAY

HE HAD A LONG ROAD TO COUNTRY SUPERSTARDOM. NOW THE SINGER-BALANCING HIS JAM-PACKED TOURING SCHEDULE AND AMERICAN IDOL-SAVORS THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE

- RACHEL DESANTIS

Bryan has a certain effect on his fans. It’s a breezy July evening at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., and hours before his show the country superstar has signed a cowboy hat for longtime follower Kayla Curran at a meet and greet. “I’m just in shock. I love him. He’s my favorite person,” the 20-year-old, who began attending Bryan’s shows at age 10 with her parents, tells People. Reeling, she turns to her boyfriend beside her and warns him, deadpan: “If Luke Bryan comes along, you’re a goner.”

Later that night Bryan evokes a similar frenzy as he performs for a sold-out crowd of 20,000 like he’s hosting a house party. He poses for selfies, offers fist bumps and pours shots for the crowd throughout his set. After spending the duration of a song trying to capture Bryan’s attention, a pair of friends near the front row dissolve into a fit of squeals, giggles and “Oh my God”s when he waves at them. “When I had 100 people in the room, I had a blast, and tonight it’ll be the same thing,” he told People backstage before the show. “The day you quit loving it, it’s time to move on. Thankfully I’ve never had those feelings. It’s pretty hard for being in front of 20,000 people to get old.”