2026 has been a monumental year for Zach Bryan. Not only did he get married to Samantha Sebastian on New Year’s Eve, but he released his sixth studio album, With Heaven on Top, only a few days later. To support his newest project, Bryan hit the road with the With Heaven on Tour. Throughout the last few months, he sold out shows at Memorial Stadium and Raymond James Stadium. Add that with his international stops, Bryan wasn’t wasting a single moment. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t having fun. During his recent show, the country singer shocked fans when he welcomed his college professor on stage for a surprise performance.
Over the weekend, Bryan took the stage at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware. With thousands of fans packing the venue, the singer was ready to entertain them with hits like “Burn, Burn, Burn,” “I Remember Everything,” and “You’ll Get By.” But the highlight of the evening happened when Bryan introduced Darin Strauss to fans.
Giving some background on their friendship before jumping into “Say Why,” Bryan explained, “I was attending this Master’s program with NYU, and I met this professor whose name is Darin Strauss. And we had this conversation; he said, ‘Yeah, I can rip on guitar.’ So I looked at him; I was like, ‘Do you want to come play with us?’ And he’s here with us tonight.”
Fans Praise Zach Bryan As He Prepares To Finish 2026 On A High Note
Gaining over 11,000 views, fans couldn’t get enough of how Bryan highlighted educators like Strauss. “As an educator myself, I love this so much.” Another person added, “Reason number 9999 to love ZB. Thankful to see this moment live and hear this song live. What a great show. Worth the drive, sitting in traffic and the herds of people and the waiting. Worth every minute.”
Although a highlight of the evening, Bryan wasn’t finished with 2026 just yet. With the year winding down, he still had shows in September and October. Finishing the month at Rogers Center in Toronto, the country singer will return in October for a series of shows in Foxborough and Auburn.
Given how much Bryan packed into 2026, a surprise performance with his college professor might have seemed like a small moment. But for Strauss, it was probably one of the biggest moments of the year.
(Photo by James Klug/Getty Images)
The post Zach Bryan’s NYU Professor Told Him, “Yeah, I Can Rip on Guitar”—Then He Proved It Onstage appeared first on American Songwriter.
Go To Source | Author: Chris Piner