Carrie Underwood brought her Cry Pretty Tour 360 to Nashville on Friday (Sept. 27) for a sold-out show at Bridgestone Arena and it was a true spectacle, complete with a massive stage, pyrotechnics, confetti, lasers, costume changes, hit songs and flawless vocals only Underwood could deliver.
The current CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee kicked things into high gear immediately, with show-stopping renditions of “Southbound,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Good Girl” and “Last Name.” With the entire audience on their feet singing along, Underwood never missed a beat as she worked every inch of her giant 360-degree stage, which stretches from one end of the arena to the other.
“It felt so weird waking up this morning in my own bed, now we’re playing at the Bridgestone,” Underwood beamed, welcoming fans to the show at the place she called her “second home.”
Mixing in a number of tracks from her Cry Pretty album, “Backsliding,” “Drinking Alone” and “The Bullet” included, with previous radio hits like “Church Bells,” “Two Black Cadillacs” and “Blown Away,” the superstar delivered a two-hour set that spanned her impressive catalog.
Before slowing things down for a medley of “Temporary Home,” “See You Again,” “I Know You Won’t” and “Just a Dream” (with a cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” thrown in), Underwood got a bit emotional while reflecting on her journey to Nashville.
“When I was a little girl … if you had asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would have told you I wanted to be a famous country music singer,” Underwood shared with fans. “As I got older, dreams tend to give way to practicalities, so I started going to school to get a real job. One day there was an open door, and I walked through it and my life was changed forever.”
She continued with an important message for her fans.
“If there is something you guys out there are holding on to that just seems like too big of a dream or something too crazy,” she said, adding, “I’m living proof that the craziest things can happen, and you can end up exactly where you always wanted to be.”
Later, Underwood, along with her tourmates Runaway June and Maddie & Tae, paid tribute to the legendary women of country music who paved the way for females in the genre with a medley featuring songs from Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, The Judds, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Reba McEntire and Shania Twain. It was a true celebration of women in country music and was well-received by fans.
Another one of the show’s many highlights came when Underwood was joined by a Nashville fan named Kevin in singing her crossover hit “The Champion.” Kevin, who dedicated his performance to his late grandmother, sang his heart out alongside Underwood, who told him she was sure his grandma was watching his performance from Heaven.
Underwood closed the show with two of her most powerful performances of the night – “Cry Pretty” and “Love Wins.” Putting her always-impressive vocals on full display, the superstar proved why she is one of the greatest female vocalists in country music history.
The Cry Pretty Tour 360 is not a show country music fans should simply see – it’s something they need to experience.
