Muna, King Princess & Kacey Musgraves at the Xcel Energy Center

Gatrs January 25, 2022 Events

30 days. I have gone 30 days without a concert. I know that’s not as extreme as the initial pandemic but just having to type that number out breaks my heart. 30 days is too long for me to go without a concert but, thankfully, Kasey Musgraves made up for it and then some with her stunning performance on Wednesday night at The Xcel Energy Center. Yeah, I know– Kasey Musgraves is not my usual cup of tea but a show is a show and regardless of it was all just the hype in my head about being at a show again or it was legitimately an amazing show, I enjoyed every second of her and her opening acts’ performances.

Much like Muna, genre-defying King Princess didn’t struggle to captivate the tens of thousands of people in attendance.

Without any real intro, Muna jumped into their 25-minute set and got the frozen (and I mean frozen– it was freaking cold out last night) crowd warmed up in the perfect way. Other than “I Know A Place”, none of Muna’s songs felt familiar to me but that doesn’t mean I didn’t warm up quickly to their genre-bending sound that went from everywhere from electronic-indie to a good ol’ fashion indie-pop vibe. There’s something super comfortable about Muna. From their delivery to their sound, there’s just this sense of “be who you are and don’t apologize” while not being brash and I think that was the perfect vibe for the crowd that, although it ranged drastically in age, had many younger kids in attendance. Muna had no problems captivating the arena and constantly-growing crowd which leads me to believe we can expect very big things from this group.

Much like Muna, genre-defying King Princess didn’t struggle to captivate the tens of thousands of people in attendance. As if on a different side of the same coin, King Princess (born Mikaela Straus) also brought a very unapologetic vibe to the stage while bringing a bit more of an edge. There were parts of King Princess’ opening set that seemed a bit too much for the demographic but, as a punk rocking metalhead, this brashness really spoke to me. At only 23 years old, Mikaela and her bandmates came off as seasoned professionals on the larger-than-life stage. Although their entire set had the audience going, it was King Princess playing “1950” that really got the excitement levels up and set the stage for what was to come.

Kacey definitely started off her set with a memorable moment. Kicking her nearly twenty-song set off with the title track from her new album and a flaming heart behind her, she had me and the rest of the audience completely captivated by both her stage presence and undeniable talent from the first second she took the stage.

33 year old Kacey Musgraves has been making waves for years and it was such an honor to witness her first ever arena show as Wednesday night’s show was the kick-off for her tour promoting her new album ‘Star-Crossed’. If you know me then you know that Kacey’s country-tinged indie-pop songs are not my typical jam but, if you know me, you also know I never turn down a show and always end up showing up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Sure, I felt a bit out of place while eavesdropping on the conversations going on around me. From the latest tiktok to that one post that one rapper made on IG that was so disgusting and wrong, I felt like I was learning so much pop culture that I truly didn’t know but I also noticed older people around me just sitting there and taking it all in. That’s the thing about Kacey and her amazing music– although you can pinpoint an overall genre and vibe, her music and personality speaks beyond that and brings all different kinds of people in her world and, once you’re in her world, there’s no leaving.

Kacey definitely started off her set with a memorable moment. Kicking her nearly twenty-song set off with the title track from her new album and a flaming heart behind her, she had me and the rest of the audience completely captivated by both her stage presence and undeniable talent from the first second she took the stage. Although her newest album (which she played many tracks from) is undeniably heartbreakingly sad, there was this positive energy that swirled throughout the air and was impossible to escape. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some fun bops performed throughout her set but it was during these more heartbroken tracks where Kacey’s vocals and overall personality really shined. Leaning down to the crowd multiple times throughout the set and constantly smiling directly into the cameras that followed her every move, although her show was clearly calculated and practiced to perfection, there were many glimpses into her dazzling personality that added a little touch of magic to her performance.

Whether or not you are a fan of Kacey Musgraves or even know who she is, the amount of love, passion, and just incredible talent that you will get from the show will leave you more than satisfied.

There were hundreds of moments throughout Kacey’s ninety-minute set that took my breath away both visually and musically. I loved the fact that she did not seem to get lost in the fact that this was her first arena show. Although there was definitely no lack of production value from swirling lights to a waterfall of rose petals and some confetti, Kacey absolutely relied on her God-given talent rather than the production of this show and I feel like that is one of the many reasons it’s so easy to get lost in her world. There’s just something so genuine about this woman and her music. From the lyrics to the delivery, you can tell that she is the type that will never forget her roots and will truly perform her butt off every night because she is truly doing what she loves.

I don’t know any of Kacey’s track names (outside of the ones I figured out when jotting down notes throughout the show) and couldn’t sing along to a single track, but I still found myself eating up every word and every note as if I was seeing one of my favorite acts of all time. If this tour is coming anywhere near you, I truly urge you to check it out. Whether or not you are a fan of Kacey Musgraves or even know who she is, the amount of love, passion, and just incredible talent that you will get from the show will leave you more than satisfied.

Line Up:

Muna

King Princess

Kacey Musgraves

Venue: Xcel Energy Center

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 23

Crowd Surfers: None

Mosh-ability: 1 out of 10

Sausage-Fest Meter: 4 out of 10

Stage Divers: None

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around: $0