Kacey Musgraves Live in Cologne
When I headed to the O2 Academy in Birmingham to see Lady A back in the summer of 2012, the trio of Hilary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were as wonderful as always yet what I remember most about the show was their support act and the first time I saw a girl from Golden, Texas.
Fast forward twelve years and after shows in London at: Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, The Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park, Wembley Arena and The O2 Arena, Kacey Musgraves became the first artist I have been fortunate enough to reach double figures with as I headed to to continent for my tenth show and Carlswerk Victoria in Cologne, Germany to see her Deeper Well World Tour.
I fell in love with the German audience and their attitude towards live music when I headed to Berlin earlier this year for C2C and felt hearing songs from “Deeper Well” for the first time needed to be enjoyed live by an audience with this level of appreciation towards the songs.
The sixteen hundred capacity Carlswerk Victoria is in the east of the city across the Rhine from the historic cathedral and old town. For a London comparative it reminds me of The Garage in Islington only with a higher ceiling and the view of the stage is really good even from the back of the room and the acoustics are really strong.
Fast forward twelve years and after shows in London at: Bush Hall, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, The Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park, Wembley Arena and The O2 Arena, Kacey Musgraves became the first artist I have been fortunate enough to reach double figures with as I headed to to continent for my tenth show and Carlswerk Victoria in Cologne, Germany to see her Deeper Well World Tour.
I fell in love with the German audience and their attitude towards live music when I headed to Berlin earlier this year for C2C and felt hearing songs from “Deeper Well” for the first time needed to be enjoyed live by an audience with this level of appreciation towards the songs.
The sixteen hundred capacity Carlswerk Victoria is in the east of the city across the Rhine from the historic cathedral and old town. For a London comparative it reminds me of The Garage in Islington only with a higher ceiling and the view of the stage is really good even from the back of the room and the acoustics are really strong.
Following a stunning thirty five minute solo set starting at 7:30, of dreamy folk rock on electric guitar from Madi Diaz, the sound of Richard Armitage’s “Misty Mountains” from Tolkien’s The Hobbit was the fitting lyrical and musical introduction as Musgraves entered the stage in support of touring her sixth studio album.
Dressed in earthy brown, she strode out just before 8:50 with guitar in hand as the twenty one song set began with the album’s opening track “Cardinal”. Her latest offering flowed to emphasise the return of Saturn and her “Deeper Well” which came along third in the show.
I am a fan of touring an album meaning playing an album as heavily weighting a setlist where we were treated to eleven out of 14 songs from her March release but the sixth song of the set brought one of my two favourite songs from her back catalogue “Butterflies” (sadly my other favourite “Late To The Party” or any songs from her “Pageant Material” record did not feature in the set) to bring in songs from her acclaimed fourth record “Golden Hour”.
Dressed in earthy brown, she strode out just before 8:50 with guitar in hand as the twenty one song set began with the album’s opening track “Cardinal”. Her latest offering flowed to emphasise the return of Saturn and her “Deeper Well” which came along third in the show.
I am a fan of touring an album meaning playing an album as heavily weighting a setlist where we were treated to eleven out of 14 songs from her March release but the sixth song of the set brought one of my two favourite songs from her back catalogue “Butterflies” (sadly my other favourite “Late To The Party” or any songs from her “Pageant Material” record did not feature in the set) to bring in songs from her acclaimed fourth record “Golden Hour”.
This would be the first of six offerings from the Grammy winning fourth studio album and just sounds so majestic when she performs it live. Around the midpoint of the set came the singalong throwback that the crowd were all waiting for as an acoustic version of “Follow Your Arrow” started to play following her interacting with the audience as she asked who had been with her since 2012 and when she asks the question, we still would too!
After telling tales of “food poisoning” within her camp and all the perils of shows in Ireland and Amsterdam in her own loveable and hilarious way, the depth and beauty of “The Architect” followed. She has this wonderful charisma that entices you as a performer, she is such a wonderful lyricist and just vocally hits you like no other female in country music. This is why you go, come back and crave her return! “Heaven Is” hits as one of the most beautiful songs that she had ever released, it poises the questions that keep us going through life and a live rendition like this is truly special to witness.
As we continue through the back half of the set, the poignant and powerful anthem “Rainbow” brings colour across the room. This began the chain of a lot of Musgraves better known songs which included her Zach Bryan collaboration “I Remember Everything” before giddying up the crowd for “High Horse” complete with all of the bouncing balloons. This led into “Slow Burn” and her Bob Marley cover of “Three Little Birds” to close out the show.
Six studio albums, 7 Grammy’s, 7 CMA Awards and 4 ACM Awards later, Kacey is as magical and captivating as she was twelve years ago. Her dedication and commitment to the European market is wonderful as she leads the way in returning across the pond, whilst her shows continue to develop more and more each trip to create a really special experience that we eagerly anticipate what comes next but as for now, the well continues to get deeper and she continues to fill it.
After telling tales of “food poisoning” within her camp and all the perils of shows in Ireland and Amsterdam in her own loveable and hilarious way, the depth and beauty of “The Architect” followed. She has this wonderful charisma that entices you as a performer, she is such a wonderful lyricist and just vocally hits you like no other female in country music. This is why you go, come back and crave her return! “Heaven Is” hits as one of the most beautiful songs that she had ever released, it poises the questions that keep us going through life and a live rendition like this is truly special to witness.
As we continue through the back half of the set, the poignant and powerful anthem “Rainbow” brings colour across the room. This began the chain of a lot of Musgraves better known songs which included her Zach Bryan collaboration “I Remember Everything” before giddying up the crowd for “High Horse” complete with all of the bouncing balloons. This led into “Slow Burn” and her Bob Marley cover of “Three Little Birds” to close out the show.
Six studio albums, 7 Grammy’s, 7 CMA Awards and 4 ACM Awards later, Kacey is as magical and captivating as she was twelve years ago. Her dedication and commitment to the European market is wonderful as she leads the way in returning across the pond, whilst her shows continue to develop more and more each trip to create a really special experience that we eagerly anticipate what comes next but as for now, the well continues to get deeper and she continues to fill it.
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1..Cardinal, 2. Heart of the Woods, 3. Deeper Well, 4. Sway, 5. Too Good to Be True, 6. Butterflies, 7. Giver / Taker, 8. Lonely Weekend, 9. Lonely Millionaire, 10. Follow Your Arrow, 11. The Architect, 12. Heaven Is, 13. Jade Green, 14. Rainbow, 15. Golden Hour, 16. Anime Eyes, 17. justified, 18, I Remember Everything, 19. High Horse, 20. Slow Burn, 21. Three Little Birds May 6 – Docks, HAMBURG May 9 – O2 Academy, GLASGOW May 10 – O2 Academy, GLASGOW May 11 – O2 Apollo, MANCHESTER May 13 – The Civic at The Halls, WOLVERHAMPTON May 14 – Roundhouse, LONDON May 15 – Roundhouse, LONDON |
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