The country star serenaded Brooklyn at this year's Northside Festival.
Kacey Musgraves is all about the country music but has a good amount of rock and roll in her, too. After releasing three albums on her own, her 2013 major label debut, Same Trailer Different Park, followed by 2015's Pageant Material, proved that Kacey isn't only another Texan who can play guitar and sing beautifully.
With hits like "Merry Go 'Round" and "Follow Your Arrow," she is an artist who wants to sing about real life as well as tackle some topics that are still foreign territory for other country songwriters. This kind of left-of-center attitude seemed to make her perfect for this year's Northside Festival in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. However, considering the area is known more for indie and underground sounds, some thought that Kacey was a very surprising choice. As we saw her take the stage at McCarren Park on Saturday night (June 11), she proved that country has a place in New York City. You just need to be open to it.
Here are 8 things we learned from her show.
She Can Turn Any Stage Into Her Own Rodeo
While other artists just take the stage they've got, Kacey wanted to spruce hers up a bit. Not only did she add red streamers to the background, but the artist also had two adorable neon cactus lights chilling onstage. On top of the decor, her band dressed up like they were about to go a rodeo and made definitely wore their cowboy hats with pride. While we were hoping she would go for a sparkly or bedazzled number like she did at the 2014 Grammy Awards, she went for a simple and casual black outfit paired with some cowboy boots.
When You Mess Up, Own Up to It
Although she sounded great on Saturday night, Kacey did experience a little hiccup during "Biscuits." And while artists slip up from time to time, she made it a point to acknowledge the fact that they needed to start over. "We haven't played in a year and a half," she admitted while tuning her guitar. "So can we get a little weird tonight and not judge if we fuck up?"
The audience then cheered and the band continued. In their eyes, Kacey really couldn't do any wrong. Besides, how could you hate on someone who admitted to their own mistakes?
Conor Oberst Has Fanboy-ed About Her
Conor Oberst, with the help of the show's openers, The Felice Brothers, warmed up the crowd before Kacey's set. And while everyone was enjoying his set list of tunes, Conor couldn't help but share his love for Kacey's music. Admitting that he is a big fan, the Bright Eyes founder invited Kacey to the stage to perform "Back on the Map"—an unexpected yet pleasantly surprising moment.
And She's A Big Fan Of His, Too
Meanwhile, Kacey wanted to return the favor by bringing him onstage midway through her set to perform Hank Williams' 1951 rockabilly tune, "Hey Good Lookin'." The duet was not only an effortless performance, but it was nice to hear the two harmonize yet again. It makes us think that perhaps Kacey and Conor should consider getting into the studio together.
She Doesn't Have to Perform All Country Songs
Knowing that her audience wouldn't necessarily be filled with country music uber fans, she kept her set eclectic and performed a sweet version of Bob Marley's 1977 classic, "Three Little Birds." As she danced around the stage and got everyone sing along to "Don't worry about a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right." Meanwhile her guitarist, Kyle Ryan, had a way of playing that made every other riff sound a like a reggae beat.
But When She Goes For The Twang, She Goes There
From her Hank Williams cover with Conor to her rendition of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for Walking," Kacey reminds us that she is a country artist and takes back home to her roots. And we get that kind of vibe from her performance of "Merry Go 'Round"—with her guitar in hand, the rendition was very bare bones to focus on her vocals and the lyrics. But of course, Kacey's fans couldn't help but sing along—adding more of those feels to the performance.
She Can Do A Mean TLC Cover
Kacey didn't only cover country tunes and Bob Marley, but she also took us back the '90s with TLC's "No Scrubs." What made it even more perfect was the fact she didn't really give it a major introduction. Instead, she jumped into the song. But with the twangy sound it had, you didn't realize what it was till you found yourself singing along.
She Showed Her Love For the LGBTQ Community
If there's one song that most people know by Kacey Musgraves, it's "Follow Your Arrow." With lyrics like "Kiss lots of boys / Or kiss lots of girls / If that's something you're into / When the straight and narrow," this song not only caused a stir in the country world but also turned everyone's attention to Kacey and her music. As we enter PRIDE month, it only seemed fitting for her to not only play the song but also dedicate it to the LGBTQ community.
