The past seven days have been a whirlwind for Kacey Musgraves.
Fresh on the heels of this year’s divisive presidential election, with the country singer stressing “moving forward,” Musgraves racked up several new Grammy nominations (for best country album, best country song and best country solo performance). And that’s not to mention her Deeper Well tour, which has been filling arenas around the country, including a show Sunday night at PPG Paints Arena.
“We survived a (expletive) crazy week, didn’t we? And we’re here, and we’re sparkly,” Musgraves told the Pittsburgh crowd. “There’s a lot of things I could say about this week, but I think it would be nicer if we just (expletive) forgot about all that for the next 90 minutes. Maybe that’s an option?”
Blending her country, indie and pop influences in a show that stretched all the way to 11:20 p.m., Musgraves helped the crowd take its mind off the week, at least for a little while.
After a silhouetted figure dropped from the sky on the digital background, Musgraves appeared out of rolling fog and strolled down the hill at the back of the stage to join her band, launching the show with “Cardinal,” the third single off her “Deeper Well” album. It ended with Musgraves floating on her back, appearing to levitate into a light from above. That proved to be the most dazzling element of the night, which instead put its focus on her music rather than a stage show.
Strolling the stage barefoot, Musgraves played guitar on some songs through the night, even strapping on a banjo for “Moving Out.” Her show relied heavily on her Grammy-nominated “Deeper Well,” with nine songs, as well as eight from 2019’s “Golden Hour,” which won the Grammy for best country album. But she didn’t forget her early days with a pair of throwbacks to her first two albums — “Follow Your Arrow” from her debut “Same Trailer Different Park” and “Family is Family” from “Pageant Material” — as the show moved to a satellite stage in the middle of the floor.
Her “Follow Your Arrow” had earned praise from the LGBTQ community for its message of acceptance back in 2013, an early sign of Musgraves’ progressive beliefs.
“Who other people love, choose to love, it doesn’t hurt me one bit,” Musgraves said Sunday. “I want to believe that there’s a world where you can have country ideals and also allow people to fall in love with whoever they want.”
On the auxiliary stage, which featured a wildlife setting, Musgraves joined two of her bandmates for a mini-acoustic set. After the two early songs, she allowed a fan to choose from among four songs — “Nothing to Be Scared Of,” “Heaven Is,” “Dinner With Friends” and “Giver/Taker” — with “Giver/Taker” the winner. Next came “an existential country song,” namely the Grammy-nominated “The Architect,” as she ruminated about a higher power couched inside a gentle ballad.
She closed her time on the grassy outpost with a cover of SZA’s “Kill Bill” — “nothing like some nice harmonies over a murderous tale,” she quipped — as openers Nickel Creek joined for a fun cover. It was the first of two covers for Musgraves — the other being Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon” — with each showcasing her wide-ranging influences.
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Fog washed over and green light bathed the stage for “Jade Green,” with Musgraves dropping to her knees as she started singing. A medical emergency on the floor after this song delayed the show for a few minutes, before kicking back in with “Slow Burn” and “Space Cowboy,” another one of her Grammy winners.
The funky “High Horse” proved to be Musgraves at her most animated, as she dropped some dance moves with a disco ball twirling above and massive balloons bouncing around before a storm of confetti engulfed the crowd.
“Deeper Well” led to another message of hope in the show-closing “Rainbow.”
“All of us can come together for 90 minutes and though I would say probably most people in this room think alike, maybe there are some that don’t,” she said, “and it’s just amazing that humans can come together and just enjoy music and enjoy each other’s presence.”
More from @KaceyMusgraves in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/OZQHmErhqY
— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) November 11, 2024
On paper, Lord Huron might not fit the bill for a country show, but the Los Angeles indie band known for its blend of surf-tinged boppers and moody ballads, with a dose of inspiration from Roy Orbison, gave off a spacey Western vibe that fit right in.
Singer/guitarist Ben Schneider said Lord Huron would be playing songs to inspire dancing and crying, among other topics.
“If you came to ponder the mysteries of the universe, we’ve got you covered,” Schneider said. “If you came to make out, we’ll do our best. No promises.”
Among the highlights were “Secret of Life,” with a shimmying Schneider who used a pay phone as a prop, and their biggest hit, “The Night We Met,” in their 45-minute set.
.@LordHuron setting the stage for @KaceyMusgraves at @PPGPaintsArena pic.twitter.com/XcBL0ZpmVl
— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) November 11, 2024
Nickel Creek opened the show with a spirited set of folky, contemporary bluegrass with all three principle members taking turns on lead vocals.
Formed by Sara Watkins (fiddle) and her brother Sean (guitar) alongside Chris Thile on mandolin, the 2003 Grammy winners (best contemporary folk album) offered a career-spanning acoustic set in their 35 minutes, as well as an entertaining cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.”
.@NickelCreek opening the night at @PPGPaintsArena pic.twitter.com/EGPJ9AeCF8
— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) November 11, 2024
