Luke Bryan’s ‘Bad Romance’ Leads to a ‘Good Time’

Luke Bryan took two key elements of country music -- heartbreak and high spirits -- to a whole new level for the opening-night encore of his headlining CMT on Tour: Tailgates and Tanlines 2011 trek. Kicking off in Huntington, W. Va., on Sept. 15, the love gone wrong came in the form of a revved-up, countrified version of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance.'

Then the Georgia native cranked things up even further, reveling in pure adrenaline-fueled fun as his band played the familiar guitar riff that opens Ozzy Osbourne's iconic 'Crazy Train.' Things really went off the rails as that instrumental section segued into a hair-raising version of Poison's 1988 hit, 'Nothin' But a Good Time,' delivered in true headbanging fashion with a sea of arms extended in the familiar "devil horns" salute. (Watch a fan's video of the performance below.)

Watch Luke Bryan Cover Lady Gaga & Poison

Luke has toyed with 'Bad Romance' before, teasing with the tune during a soundcheck for his recent 'LIVE! With Regis & Kelly' appearance, which was part of The Boot's 'A Day in the Life' with the singer on the August day his 'Tailgates & Tanlines' album was released. (Watch our exclusive video below.) The album subsequently went to No. 1, a first for the 35-year-old, no doubt aided by the phenomenal success of his hit 'Country Girl (Shake It for Me)' and by the fact that Luke has come closer to clearly defining himself as a songwriter and an entertainer, which allows him to experiment with material from such an unexpected source as Gaga.

"The main thing is stay true to who you are," Luke tells The Boot. "When it happens unnaturally and when it happens forced, it gets a little weird. You just make sure you love it and that it's the music that you want to be represented by. The rest is just out of your hands."

CMT on Tour Tailgates and Tanlines 2011 continues. Keep track of upcoming dates here.

Watch Our Day in the Life of Luke Bryan Video