The journey from my home to the Wolverhampton Civic Halls took over two hours due to rush hour traffic. My sister was bored, my mom was stressed, and my dad was behind the driver's seat ready to crack. However, once we arrived at the venue, what had happened during the afternoon was instantly forgotten, replaced with overwhelming excitement.
My family have been a fan of the pop-country musician Kacey Musgraves for six years since the release of her Grammy winning album Golden Hour, and this would be our first time experiencing her music live. After grabbing two very stylish bandanas, we sat and listened to the opener, Madi Diaz. Taking to the stage with only herself and a guitar, Madi grabbed the attention of the crowd with an incredible voice and honest lyricism. If you are a fan of Julien Baker or MUNA's acoustic tracks, Madi Diaz will fit perfectly into your playlists. My favourite song by the opener was "Crying In Public," which made me open my phone and search her up on Instagram, because that's what a good song should do.
After a wonderful set from Madi Diaz, a sea of cowboy hats turned to face the stage. Kacey Musgraves sounded stunning. The vocals and harmonies on the opening song of both the set and her newest album Deeper Well, "Cardinal, " were captivating. As a long-time fan, I am not embarrassed to say that I immediately began to cry in Kacey's presence.
There were many moments for tears during this set, as Kacey said herself during her opening speech to the audience. Despite my slight disappointment that she did not include any songs from her 2015 album Pageant Material, her rendition of "Follow Your Arrow" from her album Same Trailer, Different Park was beautifully reimagined into a three-part harmony with a simple guitar backing, with poignant lyrics about embracing your individuality. Her song "Rainbow" hit home in a similar way, with just Kacey's voice and a piano telling the audience to "let go of your umbrella... because there has always been a rainbow hanging over your head."
However, not every moment was this upsetting! The concert was a visual delight, with confetti, balloons, and a very strong fog machine that, at one point, made me concerned that there was a fire in the venue. Kacey's ability to fuse country lyrics with pop and disco beats was on full display during songs like "High Horse" and "Breadwinner." The audience also joined in with the celebrations, dancing and singing along to tracks like "Lonely Millionaire," "Butterflies," and her Grammy winning duet with Zach Bryan, "I Remember Everything."
Overall, the concert was a joy. Kacey Musgraves is a gifted entertainer, and one of the best lyricists currently working in country music. It is incredible to see the genre becoming so popular in the UK. Despite the setlist missing out some of my favourites tracks and the stressful journey there, I feel so lucky to have attended the Deeper Well World Tour.
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