Stadium of Fire incorporates comedy, continues country theme with Little Big Town
The Rockwell Airtime Skydivers make their entrance over the crowd and into the stadium during Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
A firefighter stands with his hand over his heart as the national anthem plays during Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Henley Hamelin, 16 months, of Spanish Fork, pokes her head through the midfield fence as Hunter Hayes performs during Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Hunter Hayes performs during Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
Brian Regan performs stand-up comedy during Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
The Rockwell Airtime Skydivers ignite flares as they make their entrance into the stadium during Stadium of Fire on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. ISAAC HALE, Daily Herald
The Stadium of Fire is always the highlight of Provo’s annual Freedom Festival, celebrated over July Fourth weekend.
It typically draws around 40,000 visitors to LaVell Edwards Stadium at Brigham Young University for festivities including a fireworks show, F-15 flyover, recognition of military members and musical performances. In recent years, the event has featured big names in country music like Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood to headline the show.
The 2017 event Saturday still wowed the audience with its fireworks show, musical talent from country artists Hunter Hayes and Little Big Town, as well as an appearance by the Rockwell Airtime skydivers and the Stadium of Fire dancers. But this year’s Stadium of Fire was set apart by its addition of the event’s first-ever comedic act featuring Brian Regan.
Apparently the show was also a departure from the norm for Regan.
“There are some rules in comedy,” Regan said. “One is never do comedy outdoors. Another is never do comedy in front of kids. And a third is never do comedy certainly in a stadium. So let’s do this.”
If the audience reaction was any indication, the crowd approved of mixing up the show a little.
Regan, who has sold out shows in Utah before, particularly appeals to a Utah crowd with his act, which tends to steer clear of foul language and raunchy humor.
Instead, he stuck primarily to sports humor and poking fun at various topics — like whether directions are really necessary for Pop-Tarts?
One of his best-received jokes of the night was impromptu, when he joked about how hard it was to get timing right on his jokes while fireworks were going off outside the stadium.
“I’ve never enjoyed the Fourth of July during my show,” Regan quipped, and continued to insert fireworks jokes into the rest of the routine.
Regan was preceded in his performance by Hunter Hayes, a 25-year-old musician who was named New Artist of the Year at the 2012 Country Music Awards.
Hayes’ performance included some of his standbys like “I Want Crazy” and “Storm Warning,” but also sang one new song, “Rescue,” which deals with the topic of relationships helping pull someone out of a dark time.
Hayes of course ended on his first No. 1 hit, “Wanted,” encouraging the audience to sing-along to the familiar lyrics — which they did enthusiastically.
The talent ended with headliner Little Big Town, the reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year. The four-person country music group recently won its second Grammy award in 2016 for its hit, “Girl Crush.”
The crowd was treated to that song, as well as other hit songs including “Day Drinking,” as well as new songs like “Happy People” and “Better Man” which were just released in 2017.