Morgan Wallen brings hits and heart to Headlining Nissan Stadium Show in Nashville

There are stadium headliners, and then there are stadium headliners who can draw close to 70,000 fans every night, for multiple nights.

Just two years ago, Morgan Wallen sold out three shows at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. On Thursday night (May 2), Wallen brought a string of hit songs to Music City's biggest stage, Nissan Stadium, for the first of three headlining shows (May 2-4) at the venue as part of the massive his concert. One night at a time tour — the same stadium where pop queen Taylor Swift held court for three nights last year.

Along the way, this Sneedville, Tennessee-based ballpark star, who has six nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards later this month, delivered a top-notch display of his entertainer of the year credentials.

After opening sets from Nate Smith, Lauren Watkins and Bailey Zimmerman, Wallen came out to the music of “Broadway Girls” and amid billows of smoke and fire, along with a screen lit in bright neon. He opened his show with 'Ain't That Some', making his way to the front to roam the edge of the stage, imbuing his show with an energy that connected the audience from the opening notes.

“It's good to be home, man,” Wallen greeted the crowd, drawing cheers. “Me and the boys, we've had it circled on the calendar for a long time,” he said, praising his crew members, before adding, “It's an honor and a privilege to be singing in Nashville, Tennessee tonight. “

He traveled through songs that have sent his albums among which Dangerous: The Double album and One thing at a time atop the Billboard 200 album chart for multiple weeks, including “I Wrote the Book,” “One Thing at a Time,” the Allman Brothers' “Midnight Rider” interlude “Everything I Love,” “7 Summers” and 19-week Hot Country Songs chart topper “You Proof.”

He was lined with bleachers as a backdrop for his “'98 Braves” song as he told the crowd the story of a high school baseball coach who kept him from being kicked off the team.

“There have been so many people in my life that have never given up on me,” Wallen said.

He often ran across the runway stage with the stamina of an athlete, delivering a string of songs including “Whiskey Friends,” “Man Made a Bar” (featuring Eric Church), “Wasted on You” and the single “This Bar.”

Often his songs combined images of frustration, boozy partying and rural life with pop/hip-hop beats, coalescing into communal rallying cries that echoed around the stadium.

About halfway through his set, he left the main stage, walking through the crowd of fans in the stadium, shaking hands as he made his way to an intimate stage at the back of the venue.

He spoke about his journey from playing bars and clubs to his current role full of stadiums, recalling how one of his favorite things about playing intimate stadiums was being able to look every fan in the eye.

“This is my attempt to recreate some of that,” Wallen said. From there, luscious ballads like the new 'Lies, Lies, Lies', Jason Isbell's version of 'Cover Me Up' or the piano ballad 'Sand in My Boots', brought his keenness as an emotional translator to the fore.

Throughout the performance, the wristbands worn on fans' hands glowed in red, blue and orange hues, matching the stage lights.

Extension of One Night at a Time World tour in 2024, Wallen has already proven his status as a global artist, having previously toured New Zealand and Australia last year. The last few years of expanding his title as a headliner, show after show, as well as stacking a dozen Country Airplay chart toppers and eight top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, have created an artist with a strong sense of showmanship. and a comfortable rapport with his audience, even if that means stopping the show for a few seconds to sign posters or take photos with fans crowding the stage.

His band of aces provided plenty of percussive runs and rocking guitars on hits like “Up Down” (when he welcomed the open-faced Zimmerman back to the stage). Later in the set, Wallen welcomed his friend, Nashville native, and fellow artist-writer ERNEST for their “Cowgirls” collaboration, before giving a shout-out to ERNEST's new album—appropriately titled Nashville, Tennessee.

Family and friends were common bonds throughout his performance, as later, the stage featured a set-up that resembled Wallen's mom's house as he led into “Chasin' You.” This humble home is also on the cover of Wallen's One thing at a time album.

“You all know how much my family means to me … they've been with me through this whole weird, crazy ride that we've been on,” Wallen said, recalling how his mom helped raise him, his cousins ​​and his sisters. She recalled seeing him play a bigger show — an exhibition in East Tennessee to about 7,000 people.

“Thank you for allowing me and my family to do this, it's something I feel honored to do,” he told the audience.

Meanwhile, the huge screen wrapped around the entire stage from above, offering a theater-style view of the audience around the stadium. Before the show, these displays highlighted Wallen's growing business ventures, including his upcoming Nashville bar and his Field & stream venture with Eric Church. Earlier, fans could visit the Field & stream pop-up pavilion set up just outside the stadium's main entrance.

But during his set, Wallen wanted to fit in as much music as possible. He finished his show with songs like 'More Than My Hometown' and his 2019 breakthrough hit 'Whiskey Glasses'.

“Thank you so much Nashville!” he concluded as he left the stage, leaving fans chanting his name as another round of fire erupted into the air.

Moments later, those fans were rewarded as their wristbands began to glow again, prompting another round of cheers as Wallen returned to the stage for “Thinkin' Bout Me”, “Last Night” and brought things full circle , going back to square one with his debut single, 2016's “The Way I Talk.”

“God bless everyone,” he said, giving a shout-out to each of his acts, his band and his crew and closing with a series of thanks to the crowd, before promising: “See you next time.” But instead of heading for the exit, Wallen took his time making his way around the perimeter of the stage to sign shirts and posters and shake hands with the fans who helped build his stadium-sized career.