A few weeks ago, one of my high school friends and I went to Kacey Musgraves’ “Middle of Nowhere” tour in Kansas City, and it was one of the best shows I have ever been to! Everything from the songs, artistry, lighting, and decor came together to create a production showcasing Kacey’s talent and journey through the country music world.
For those of you who do not know Kacey, she is a country or country-pop artist from Texas. After breaking into the mainstream with her debut studio album, Same Trailer Different Park, in 2013, she has gone on to win 8 Grammys. Her biggest sweep came at the 61st Grammys in 2019, when she won four awards, including Album of the Year for Golden Hour, Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance (“Butterflies”), and Best Country Song (“Space Cowboy”). Since then, she has released two more full-length albums, Deeper Well and Middle of Nowhere, which is what she is touring right now.
Songs
Kacey’s music is a blend of her country roots, lyrical artistry, and saying exactly what she wants. One of Musgraves’ first hits was the song “Follow Your Arrow,” where she rejects the double standards people have about each other and tells her audience to take up space and do whatever they want to. With lyrics like “make lots of noise/kiss lots of boys/or kiss lots of girls if that’s something you’re into,” Kacey got shunned by conservative country fans when this song was released in 2013, and to this day it stays blacklisted. In country music, it’s very rare for someone to openly talk about being gay or liberal, yet Kacey has been doing that since day one. On the flip side, she can write a damn good rhetorical song as well. On her Middle of Nowhere album, one of the fan favorites is “Dry Spell.” With lots of fun innuendos and country references, Musgraves sings about her lack of a lover for over a year. “Ain’t nobody but the chickens are getting laid” is quite fun to sing in a crowd, and you can definitely see that Kacey loves to sing it as well!
Stage
I was insanely blown away by Musgraves’ team for their set and stage design for this tour. They managed to squeeze in everything from amazing light sequences, drones, fire, and even a spinning stage. Musgraves’ stage was round and in the center of the arena, but for many of her songs, including “Abilene” and “Merry Go ‘Round,” the outer edge of the stage would slowly spin. This was so neat because it meant that she wasn’t always looking at one side of the arena; she would be everywhere while her band played in the center. For her Grammy-winning song “Butterflies,” there was quite literally a giant butterfly flying around the arena. In reality, it was actually an LED display hanging from a drone, but it was such a cool interactive element. However, the highlight of the concert, and Musgraves’ grandmother’s favorite part as well, was when Kacey swings from a giant male genital part from the ceiling. It’s not often that you see a giant pair of balls, nonetheless disco ones, but Kacey knows how to add her flair. This sequence happens during her song “Rhinestoned,” and was my most anticipated part of the evening, since it has become quite a meme online.
Spirit
Kacey Musgraves has been a little out of the ordinary for her entire career, and she doesn’t ever plan to fit into a box. In her shows, she pays homage to all of the greats before her, like Dolly Parton and George Strait, along with the influence she gets from Latino traditions like mariachi. Kacey does a cover of “Hey Baby, Que Paso” by the Texas Tornados, a country, Tex-Mex supergroup from the 90s. I admire how she always credits the people who influence her sound; most of her band is Latino as well.
Musgraves ends the show with another cover, this time of “All My Ex’s Live In Texas” by George Strait. It might seem a little odd for a singer to end her show with a cover, but I think it fits her very well. Strait is one of the most famous country artists of all time, and also hails from Texas. For the song, Musgraves’ brings down a giant Texas flag and talks about her roots and all the great artists that came before her. I believe it is truly country to not only be proud of your own success, but also to respect those who influenced the scene before you.
Kacey’s show was truly captivating, fun, and interactive! Sometimes with solo acts, it can be difficult to have a lot of unique elements during the show, but Musgraves proved that she can do it all. Not just her singing, but her dancing, energy, and interactions with the crowd during her breaks displayed her true personality. It was one of my favorite concerts this year, and I would totally recommend everyone give her a listen!