Carly Pearce Gets Vulnerable During Intimate Chicago Show On Honest Woman Tour

Carly Pearce came to Chicago, IL on Thursday, Sept. 17, ready with a set list full of fan-favorites and brand-new tracks off her new album, Honest Woman. But along with the music, she also brought plenty of honesty, which was fitting for a trek named the Honest Woman: Up Close Tour.

Fans packed the award-winning Joe’s on Weed St. to see Pearce up close, and from the very beginning, she made it clear that the night would be centered on vulnerability and personal storytelling. She delivered a 20-song set list that gave a real look at the woman behind the glamor and the seemingly perfect life that comes through on the Instagram photo dumps, which Pearce admitted are “as real as my hair tonight.”

“I have to say this is one of my absolute favorite places in the world to play so thank you for showing up tonight,” she began in her introduction. “Tonight, we celebrate whatever place of life you’re in because there are no stereotypes, there are no timelines, there is no right way to do it. You could be messy you can be a little behind in your friend group, you’re not behind you’re right where God wants you. So tonight we are gonna have a really, really fun time.”

She began the show by delivering a few songs off her just-released fifth studio album, Honest Woman including “Leave My Heart Alone” “How Long” and “She Don’t” then mixed in a few timeless tracks from her catalog, “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” “Should’ve Known Better” and Every Little Thing.”

Pearce truly did not hold back as she introduced some of her more recently released songs and opened up about the stories that inspired them. One of the most heartwarming moments was when it was time for Pearce to perform “Why God Why Me.” Before unleashing the faith-filled lyrics, the Kentucky native explained that her mother, who has been dealing with some health challenges lately, was present for the show in Chicago.

Fans have heard Pearce express how difficult it has been to pursue her career while feeling the guilt of not being able to be there for her loved ones as much in her song “Dream Come True.” And then there’s “Why God Why Me,” which taps into another part of that journey, as she has the realization that even the highs, lows and most challenging days have a purpose.

“We really believe that my mom received a miracle from God in her healing in the last year. And I tell you that because our faith in our family is so important and it’s quite honestly the only thing that has gotten me through this season in my life of just making this album and trying to understand why things happen and watching what has happened with my mom has made my faith even stronger. And so this song, it felt like the only way that I could end this album,” she explained.

“You go through seasons, you go through good times, you go through bad things, but if any of you are not a believer, I want you to know that God, he’s taking you through a journey because he just wants a relationship with you and he wants you to trust him fully in the seasons that feel really dark. And for me, that has been the pillar of my life. And I completely understand now why I had to go through the hard things.”

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The next portion of the show put Carly Pearce’s fiery side on display as she explored the complicated sides of love and relationships. She offered a few different perspectives on navigating messy situations with “Truck on Fire,” “WWJD” and “Same Circus” and then brought her opener onstage Belle Frantz back to the stage for “You Can Have Him,” adding another layer of female empowerment to the stage.

The intimate format of Pearce’s Honest Woman Tour allows her to create an environment where it almost felt like a room full of friends listening to music in a living room. In order to make it truly feel like a community, the songstress even allowed fans to help build the setlist by voting on two songs they wanted to hear prior to the concert.

Last night, the two most voted songs ended up both being particularly meaningful to Pearce. The first was “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” her collaboration with musical hero Chris Stapleton, and the second was “29,” which felt especially fitting given that it has been five years since the song and album were released.

“That album is really the album that I feel like changed my whole life. And if you’re going through something that’s hard and you don’t really understand why, just hang on for a second because I wrote this song in the saddest place of my life and it has given me so much power and so much strength and so much affirmation that I did the right thing…So don’t ever be afraid to leave something that you know in your gut is not right. This is my story when I was 29 and damn is 36 better.”

Those might have been the official fan requests chosen for the night, but Pearce didn’t stop there. She watched as fans held up suggestions for songs that didn’t make it into the setlist and she couldn’t help but sing a few lines from each one, turning the moment into what she called “Carly-oke.”

Another way that Pearce put her fans at the center of the evening was by inviting them to submit themselves or someone they believed deserved to be celebrated, for a special moment during the show. The idea tied directly into “Happy for Myself,” a song Pearce introduced by sharing how difficult it can be to genuinely celebrate a close friend while simultaneously struggling yourself. With that sentiment in mind, she wanted to recognize someone who had done exactly that in their own life.

She ultimately chose a fan whose story reflected that same spirit. This fan named Ally lost her dad to ALS when she was just 13 years old and all these years later, she has grown up and is now using that difficult chapter to do good for other people through her work as a social worker.

“I can only imagine Ally, watching your friends have dads throughout their teenage years and all of the things that you probably felt like you missed out on could be hard…being a voice to other people that maybe will look at you as somebody that they can look up to, I think that’s a really beautiful thing to be able to be vulnerable enough to share your story,” Pearce told her. “And so we want to celebrate you tonight because I think vulnerability is the whole reason that I’m standing up here. And if we can have more moments like what Ally shared tonight with me, I think that’s the whole reason that we’re all going to get a little closer and share a little bit more love.”

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Pearce closed out the nearly two-hour show with “I Hope You’re Happy Now” and “What He Didn’t Do,” two songs that have become defining moments in her story of heartbreak and healing. Before wrapping up the night, she thanked the Chicago crowd for allowing her to live out her dreams in country music, supporting her along the way and coming together for an unforgettable night.

“Chicago, I love you so much. Country music fans, you’ve completely changed my life over the last 10 years and I’m so grateful. Thank you for loving ‘Honest Woman.’ Thank you for just being honest and vulnerable and willing to show up for me all the time,” she stated.

She left the room full of fans with the very important reminds in honor of her final song of the night, “What He Didn’t Do.”

“This song I feel like is the moment in the show where I just say, know your worth, know you’re beautiful, know you’re worthy, know that you are special and never settle for anything less.”