Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time Nissan Stadium Takeover: 5 Unforgettable Highlights From Night One

Morgan Wallen made his home state proud this week as he delivered an elite performance to nearly 70,000 fans at Nashville’s largest venue, Nissan Stadium, on Thursday, May 2. This marked the first of three packed-out headlining sets at the venue as part of the Sneedville, Tennessee native’s massive One Night At A Time Tour. The country sensation will return to the home of the Tennessee Titans on the evenings of Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4.  

Before Wallen even stepped onto the stage, the enthusiastic country music fans filled the stadium to listen to the esteemed lineup of rising stars that opened the show, which included Lauren Watkins, Nate Smith and Bailey Zimmerman.  

Then beginning at 9:15 PM, the “Whiskey Glasses” singer conquered the stage with ease and offered plenty of opportunities to connect with fans within the nearly two-hour show, thus proving his status as one of the biggest names in country music.

“Damn. It feels good to be home, man. I really appreciate that warm welcome,” Wallen said to the room of screaming fans. “Me and the boys, we’ve had this one circled on the calendar for a long time. This is a special show for us. We got a bunch of family, a bunch of friends, a bunch of people that’s worked with us for a very long time in order to make something like this happen. So thank you very much for being here.”

“It is an honor and a privilege to be singing in Nashville, Tennessee tonight,” he added. 

Below, we recap five highlights of the evening that made the concert unforgettable and proved why it’s one of the hottest tickets of 2024.

Next-Level Production

Without a doubt, Morgan Wallen has leveled up the production on this leg of the One Night At A Time Tour. To kick things off, he quite literally burst onto the stage, knocking down the custom monogrammed wall before breaking into a rowdy delivery of “Ain’t That Some.” He continued with a stint of stand-out tracks from his latest One Thing At A Time album, and elevated each anthem with pyrotechnics, bursts of thick, white smoke surrounding the stage and an incredible display of lights, including lasers that stretched the entire length of the stadium from above.

No matter where fans were seated throughout the venue, the experience was nothing short of spectacular because even in the moments where Wallen might not have been seen as well, the set offered a giant screen that wrapped around both sides of the stage. This high-resolution screen displayed a never-ending carousel of eye-catching visuals that were equally as pleasing for those in the highest of seats as it was for those lucky enough to have a spot in the pit. 

The crowd also got to play a part in the epic light show as each fan was given a wristband upon entry that illuminated the stadium with bright colors, and heightened the listening experience of the coordinating song.  

A Heartfelt Nod To His High School Days

About six songs into the set, Wallen moved to one side of the stage where a set of bleachers were set up and decorated with various flags from Gibbs High School, which he attended in Knox County. The singer/songwriter explained that this sentimental moment pays homage to his love for the sport of baseball while also honoring his coach at the time who he remembers as being a person who always encouraged him to become the best version of himself. Here, Wallen and his band performed the songs “’98 Braves” and “7 Summers.”

“I got this set up here behind me. It’s got some of my high school flags. That’s important to me because when I was in high school, I played baseball and I almost got kicked off the team when I was a junior,” Wallen explained. “There was a head coach by the name of Coach Davis. He didn’t let me, he made sure I stayed on the team, and I never forgot that. There’s just been so many people in my life like Coach Davis that never gave up on me and I just wanted to give him a shout out by this set up right here.”

Intimate B-Stage Performance

The moments of reflection continued when Wallen moved from the main stage to a second, b-stage set up at the very back of the stadium. This allowed him to get up close and personal with a small section of fans, just as he used to do when playing local clubs and dive bars early on in his career. 

“One of the things I miss about those days is I could walk into a building, and I could look at pretty much every single person in the room in the eyes when I was singing. So this is my attempt to at least try to recreate some of that and to try to get some of that feeling back from back in the day when we were playing those smaller places.”

He went on to thank all his fans who have been with him on this wild musical journey and emphasized that “it means a lot to me.” 

During this intimate session, fans were treated to soulful renditions of songs like “Cover Me Up,” “Thought You Should Know” and “Sand In My Boots.” Plus, Wallen also surprised the crowd by singing an unreleased track that has already gained significant traction online, “Lies, Lies, Lies.”

Honoring the Legacy of His Mamaw Boots

Wallen changed up the scenery once more as he made his way over to the opposite side of the stage where he had a replica of his late Mamaw Boots’ house set up, mirroring the image of his One Thing At A Time album art. Even though his grandmother is no longer in his life, Wallen continues to honor her throughout his career, which he knows she would be incredibly proud of.  

“She’s no longer here with us, but she was a huge part of my life growing up and she helped raise me and my cousins and my sisters,” he shared. “She got to see me play one show in my life. It was in the County Fair in East Tennessee and I’ll never forget to look on her face when she saw, I think there’s about seven or 8,000 people there. So I can only imagine what she’d be looking like right now. That’s the kind of things that make this so special. So thank you guys for allowing me and my family to do this. This is truly something I feel honored and privileged to do.”

The old home filled with memories stood behind Wallen as a symbol of comfort and illuminated him and his band by the glow of the warm lights shining through the windows. He strapped on his guitar, shared a few special words with the audience and proceeded to sing “Chasin’ You” off his debut studio album, If I Know Me, and his latest No. 1 hit featuring Eric Church, “Man Made A Bar.”

A Hit-Filled Setlist Featuring Two Surprise Musical Guests

Amid all the larger-than-life visual displays and heartwarming moments, Morgan Wallen brought 12 of his 13 No. 1 hits to life throughout the evening, only leaving out “Mamaw’s House” with Thomas Rhett.  He celebrated his successful catalog with unstoppable energy that could be felt throughout the entire crowd. It was a rare moment to see a member of the audience sitting, as Wallen delivered such a captivating show, that it was near impossible to refrain from singing and dancing along to hits like “Whiskey Glasses,” “More Than My Hometown,” “Wasted On You,” “You Proof,” and more. 

Wallen also had a bit of help from supporting act Bailey Zimmerman, who joined him onstage to sing “Up Down” and his longtime friend ERNEST who appeared for a live delivery of their collaborative late-night anthem, “Cowgirls.”

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The first night of Morgan Wallen’s three-night Nashville run served as a great example of why he has been recognized as an Entertainer of the Year nominee at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards. The next two nights of his run are expected to do the same, if not more. 

Following his time in Music City, the country superstar will continue on his One Night At A Time Tour, with shows in Hershey, PA on May 9 and Philadelphia, PA on May 11.