Kacey Musgraves performed to a sold-out crowd at The Anthem on Jan. 24, giving D.C. a chance to experience her “Oh, What a World” tour firsthand. Her one-and-a-half hour set brought her glittery country-pop album “Golden Hour” to life, leaving the audience mesmerized.
Natalie Prass, a singer-songwriter from Virginia, opened for Musgraves. Her smooth ‘70s-inspired songs were the perfect introduction to the genre-defying melodies that Musgraves would go on to perform that night.
While her previous albums consisted of strictly country music, “Golden Hour” blends country, pop and disco—a genre Musgraves affectionately called ‘space country.’ Her take on the world of “space country” was ethereal and optimistic, which was clear in her stage presence as she opened up with “Slow Burn,” an acoustic ballad about the personal journey she’s been on for the past few years. Through this song, she invited the audience into her world.
Musgraves took a moment to welcome everyone to the show, noting the diversity of the crowd. It was obvious that creating an inclusive environment where everyone could feel free to be themselves was important to her. She beamed at the many cowboy hats and sparkly costumes speckled throughout the crowd before launching into “Wonder Woman,” a song about feeling ordinary in a relationship that requires superhuman powers.
After a brief intermission, Musgraves and her band moved from glitzy electronic sounds to stripped-back renditions of her music, starting with her song “Mother.” Not only did she play every song on “Golden Hour,” but she also included some older fan favorites like “Merry Go Round,” “High Time,” “Family is Family” and her most popular song to date, “Follow Your Arrow.”
Bathed in rainbow light, Musgraves took a few minutes to remind the audience that they were deserving of love and happiness before playing her song “Rainbow,” a ballad dedicated to holding on to hope. If audience members left the concert feeling anything, Musgraves made sure that it was love and acceptance.
Musgraves closed out the show with one of her most popular songs, “High Horse,” as bright rainbow beach balls were projected into the crowd. She could hardly contain her laughter after her bassist continued to play, despite getting knocked over by one of the balls. Musgraves ended both the song and concert half-laughing and half-singing, which was a perfect representation of the mood she aimed to create.
