-I want to talk about Grand Ole Opry.
-Wow. -This is a big deal.
Just to be able to perform there is a big deal and an honor.
-So, yeah, we got on the Opry stage,
and we were doing a breast-cancer awareness night.
We were turning the Grand Ole Opry,
the backdrop, turning it pink for breast-cancer awareness.
And the ACMs come out and surprised me with
the Album of the Decade for "Crash My Party."
It was bananas. -I mean, that's --
[ Cheers and applause ]
That's amazing. How fun is that?
-You know, 'cause I've got all these people backstage
from my record label.
You know, I thought they were just there
to come watch me perform, and then I'm like, "Oh."
-"Oh, that's why you're all there."
-"You're coming to watch me win an award and a photo op."
-Yeah, exactly, right? Yeah.
Thanks for coming on our show.
Football night's a big night for us.
-I know. -I know you're a football fan.
-Been watching -- Been watching a little bit today.
-Yeah, oh. I know you're Atlanta Falcons --
-Well, I'm a Falcons fan. Grew up in Georgia.
[ Cheers ]
That's -- That's right.
-Oh, my gosh. [ Laughter ]
What do you mean, "That's right?"
-See, that's how we brag when we're 1-6.
[ Laughter ]
-I know. -Could you imagine
if we're like .500? -Yeah, no.
-Yeah, no. Be like, "That's right!"
-Dirty birds! No, no, no.
-Kind of having a rough season.
-Yeah, grew up a big Falcons fan.
And, yeah, they're having a little bump in the road.
And my Falcons -- you know, we live in Nashville now.
[ Cheers ]
And -- y'all -- They just like everything I say.
-Yeah, just that one section, yeah.
-The one, my aunties and uncles.
-Exactly, yeah. [ Light laughter ]
-But, you know, Nashville, my boys,
my little ones are kind of Titans fans.
[ Scattered cheers ] And then, they're Brady fans.
And then, they're -- And so it's like my whole --
It's like a melting pot of football hate in the house.
-Yeah. -And rivalry.
But I've always leaned to the Falcons.
-What are your parties like, your tailgating?
-Oh, we -- we -- You know the deal.
Chili and beer and Fritos and that green --
You know, just whatever. Fritos and the rotel dip
that makes your stomach hurt for the next three days.
[ Laughter ]
-It's fantastic. It's fun, right?
You got -- Was it two years ago?
You performed at the Super Bowl. You did the national anthem?
-Yeah, I did. I think it was actually the Falcons.
So, I sign on to do the anthem at the Super Bowl.
And when I got the call, I had --
When I got the call, you're like,
"Do you really want to put yourself through this
mental torture to do --"
You either get the anthem right or you don't.
-Oh, yeah. -First of all.
And then you're at the Super Bowl doing it.
And so, I sign on to do it.
And then, the Falcons
are playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
So I run out there. It was in Houston.
And I get there. You know, everybody's like --
I got buddies that are huge --
They're like, "Hey, man, we're partying tonight!
You know, come to this bar." And I'm like, "Guys..."
-"I'm performing" -- -"...I'm performing in front of
125 million people on Sunday." -Yeah.
-"I can't go..." -To meet you at the --
-You know... -"Yeah, I'm not doing shots."
-Yeah, do jagerbombs all night. [ Laughter ]
-Yeah, no. -They're like, "Aw, man!"
-"You changed!" -"You've changed."
[ Laughter ] -"Yeah, I did change.
I'm performing at the Super Bowl!"
-And, I mean, but --
So, literally, I get there on Wednesday.
Because you have to go out.
And you have to run it every day.
-Sure. Did you perform live?
Because a lot of people -- - Well, yeah, I did it --
I did it where I actually went out there
and performed it without pre-taping it or anything.
-Yeah, a lot of people do tape. -But, you know,
I would get out there and -- first of all, you know,
it's about 2 minutes and 11 seconds to do the anthem.
So I had several buddies fly to Vegas --
-I love that you said it's about 2 minutes and 11 seconds.
-No, I had like eight buddies -- -You know exactly how much.
You're like, "It's almost like 2 minutes and 11 seconds.
Don't you dare go over!" -Well, my buddies that weren't
wanting me to do jagerbombs with 'em,
they were in Vegas trying to bet on the time of the anthem.
[ Laughter ]
-They're like, "Luke, you're gonna make us
a lot of money, dude! Don't mess this up for us."
-Man, I got country-music buddies calling me --
"Hey, man, you wearing a hat or not?"
[ Laughter ]
Like, "Is it 2:11, or is it 2:12?"
I'm like, "I don't know." I'm singing in front of --
Leave me alone, man." -Yeah.
-And then you've got this guy with a headset.
He's like, "Well, the bombers --
The bombers have to fly over the stadium at 2:10.
Are you going to be 2:12 or 2:13?"
I'm like, "Guys, I don't know. I'm walking my ass out there --"
[ Laughter ]
-"I just want to sing."
-"I came to sing the national anthem."
-"Just let me do it. Don't freak me out."
-"Tell the bombers to slow down."
You know, the F-14 --
-You can't tell them to slow down.
You can't do that. -I'm like, "Ugh!"
So I will never do that to myself...
-Did they -- Did it work?
Did the bombers fly at the right time?
-I don't know. 'Cause it was in a --
We were in a dome. I'm like, "What does it matter?"
[ Laughter and applause ]
-Why would they have them fly over?!
You can't even see them!
They just had sound effects go over the P.A.
like "Fwwwww!"
"Trust me, the bombers are flying over."
-They're up there, but... -It's a dome.
Oh, my God. [ Laughter ]
That is the funniest thing. -So, the funny thing, too --
So, literally, I get to the box,
after I perform, you know, the anthem.
And I'm just like, "Somebody get me a vodka drink
right now so I can..." -Yeah.
-"...get my life back on track from what I just put..."
[ Laughter ]
I mean, you've been in those situations
where you're so nervous, like, your face locks up.
-Yeah. -And you feel like --
You're just like -- It feels like you have, like,
rigor mortis setting in while you're --
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. -You're just like --
And when I got done, I was like --
And then my Falcons are up like 28-6,
and then, we blew it in the fourth.
And somebody had to tell me the next morning that we lost.
[ Laughter ]
-You didn't even make it to the end of the game?
-I just -- I was out. [ Laughter ]
Then I went and did jagerbombs.
[ Laughter ]
-Let's talk about --
I want to talk about "American Idol."
How is everything over there? -Man...
-It's fun, right? -It's organized chaos.
-It is, right? I knew they made a good choice
when they picked you to be one of the judges over there.
-Well, we -- You know, Lionel -- it's funny.
You know, I look back on why in the world
they would have chosen this trio of judges.
But now, three seasons in, we're --
It's just a fun dynamic. I mean, Katy --
We all have our little lane. And you know, Lionel's --
Lionel is the king of letting children down.
[ Laughter ] We always send Lionel --
When we're in Hollywood and we pile them all in a room
and they're all in there, fingers crossed, saying prayers,
and it's the room that's not going to Hollywood,
we're like, "Lionel, they're yours."
And he's like -- [ Laughter ]
But, you know, we just did Detroit.
Played Ford Field a couple nights ago.
And then, I fly to L.A. for auditions.
We've got like two more audition cities.
And the talents -- I mean, it's so amazing
watching these kids come out of the woodwork.
And -- -It's fun.
You never know who's gonna be the big star.
-You never know. And our --
Anyway, it's just shaping up real good.
-I want to talk about your new single.
-Yeah, it's crazy. [ Cheers ]
-"What She Wants Tonight."
[ Cheers and applause ]
It's great. Just came out this weekend.
So, It's fresh. This is the first time
you're performing it on television tonight.
So I appreciate you doing it.
-It's actually the second time we've performed it, period.
So... -Yeah.
[ Laughter ] -Y'all just --
This crowd just be giving me one of these or one of these.
-Yeah, we'll give you one of these.
Luke Bryan, everybody!