By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Laughlin’s leadership pulled out the stops as it celebrated the Air Force’s birthday a week early.
There was plenty of cake, a large crowd of friends from Del Rio and national touring artists providing entertainment. Hundreds from the local community joined their military friends and attended the Friday evening event.
Andy Grammer headlined, with Bryce Vine and 3OH!3 warming up the crowd before Grammer took the stage.
3OH!3 called themselves a “middle-aged boy band,” and if you
looked at lead singer Sean Foreman’s gray hair, you could believe it. Despite their unconventional look — Foreman with gray hair and Nathaniel Motte standing 6-foot-9 — the duo has tallied more than 15 million digital sales.
For Bryce Vine, performing with a drummer and disc jockey behind him gave the audience a blend of hip-hop, pop and alternative rock influences. The 1,500 people waving glow sticks in front of the stage were only a drop in the bucket for a singer whose songs have been streamed nearly 3 billion times across different platforms.
The Berklee College of Music-trained rapper performed hits from his albums Carnival (2019) and Motel California (2025).
The main draw, however, was Grammer. Known for a string of radio hits, his biggest single “Honey, I’m Good” (2014) reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is certified Platinum five times over in the U.S.
The trio is kicking off a three-week Air Force Entertainment military base tour, with Laughlin serving as the kick off.
Grammer said he enjoys performing for the troops.
“I’m not like the guy that’s gonna run in and try to fight someone, but I feel like I’m able to be of service to come boost morale,” Grammer said. “And I found that is actually really fulfilling.”
He said he has performed for the military about 20 times and looks forward to the next three weeks of shows.
A husband and father of two daughters, Grammer said he never fully appreciated how much time military members spend away from home. “I have so much respect for how much time they’re away from their families,” he said. “As a touring musician, we all talk about how hard it is to be away from our families, and then we come hang out with the military and we’re like, you’ve got it harder.”
About one-third of Friday’s audience was made up of community members, who joined in the celebration. Ensuring access and security was a balancing act that took months of planning by Laughlin leadership and law enforcement.
Officials said they are already planning their next major community and base event, the Fiesta of Flight Air Show on March 28.
The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels will not release their schedules until December.
