Nashville got exactly what it came for on Friday night (August 21) at Bridgestone Arena, the first of two sold-out shows, as Megan Moroney delivered Cloud 9 as if she’d been saving her best performance for this stage.
As concertgoers entered the arena, they were met with a sea of fans dressed in pink from head to toe to match Moroney’s color theme for her third studio album, Cloud 9. The crowd eagerly anticipated the start of the show and proclaimed its appreciation for the artist with deafening screams. As the lights went down, the theme song from Hannah Montana, “Best of Both Worlds,” blared over the speakers.
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“You’ve been patiently waiting, and now it’s finally time. Nashville, Tennessee, welcome to Cloud 9,” Moroney’s voice echoed through the arena in a God-like manner. Then came the moment everyone was waiting for. Moroney rose slowly from beneath the stage as the audience’s screams got progressively louder (if that were possible). Wearing a pink sparkly romper with white knee-high, high-heeled cowboy boots—looking pretty in pink—the Georgia native introduced herself to the fans, as if she needed an introduction.
Welcome to the Show
“My name is Megan Moroney. Thank you so much for coming to the show tonight,” she said, kicking off a two-plus hour show with a lively version of “Stupid,” followed by an even livelier version of “Medicine.” Right from the start, the Nashville crowd sang Moroney’s lyrics back to her as she brought her A-game—working every inch of the stage and proving why she belongs in the entertainer of the year conversation.
Decorated in pink, of course, the stage was home to a set of castle-like stairs leading to oversized arches and backed by a giant video screen that transitioned between images of Moroney, song lyrics, and each song’s theme. The stage immediately gave off a whimsical, dreamlike atmosphere. And keeping true to the album title, the set featured fluffy clouds strategically floating over Moroney’s head
“We’re just getting started,” she said before breaking into “Bless Your Heart.” “Nashville, Tennessee, welcome to the Cloud 9 Tour. Is everyone here ready to have the best Friday night of their lives.”
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Moroney’s exuberance and charisma were infectious; one couldn’t help but get swept up in it. She followed with “Convincing” and “I’m Not Pretty” before going back in time to perform the song “Lucky” from her debut album of the same name (the pink stage lighting turned green just for this song).
“I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time and effort to be here tonight,” Moroney told the crowd. “This is my very first headlining arena tour. I feel like this is one of those nights that doesn’t feel real. I can understand that it’s happening right now, but it feels like an out of body experience almost. So tonight is going to be a lot of fun. It feels very full circle. I moved to town in 2020 and I never would have imagined that I could sell out Bridgestone arena, twice. I just can’t thank you guys enough for all the support you’ve showed me and my music the past few years.”
Group Therapy in Blue
Moroney did not forget the blue era from her previous album, Am I Okay?, either. Throughout the night, she treated fans to “No Caller ID,” “Noah,” and the album’s title track, which had the crowd jumping up and down in unison with fists in the air.
“Wonder,” “Table for Two” and “Who Hurt You,” which saw the lighting change from pink to an angry red, settled the crowd. Moroney took this moment to make her first (of 5) costume change of the night, returning to the stage in a pink ball gown skirt made of tulle and a pink cropped sequined spaghetti strap top.
Surprise Guests and Wardrobe Change
“Liars & Tigers & Bears” had Moroney tackling the pressures she faces in the industry and what women face in everyday life. “Waiting on the Rain” addresses a failed relationship and heartbreak. It was then that Moroney brought out the first of three surprise guests, starting with one of her opening acts, Solon Holt, (JP Saxe was her other opening act) for a duet of “What Are You Listening To?”
“I like to call this group therapy,” Moroney said referring to the fact that she takes her audience on a rollercoaster ride, experiencing every emotion in the book. “As an arena, we are performers together. We are experiencing these emotions in real time together. So far we crashed out together with “Change of Heart” and we got a little sassy there with “Bless Your Heart” and “Medicine,” and we’re about to get more sad, so buckle up Nashville.”
Moroney revealed another surprise guest, hit songwriter Jessi Alexander, to perform an unreleased song they wrote together. Another costume change was revealed during “Bells and Whistles” when Moroney ripped off her skirt to show off a shorter pink skirt underneath.
“Thank you for making me feel like I’m on cloud 9,” Moroney said and launched in to “Cloud 9.”
Flying High Above the Crowd
It was after this that Moroney walked off the stage to present flowers to a young fan, give her a hug and make her way around to the back of the stadium, high-fiving fans along the way. Giving those in the back a better view, Moroney perched herself in what looked to be an open window to fly high above the crowd where she sang “Noah,” “Hair Salon,” her first No. 1 hit “Tennessee Orange,” and “Beautiful Things,” a song she wrote for her 3-year-old niece.
“Hey Nashville, we might just play all night long,” she shouted after returning to the stage for “Wish You Didn’t” and “Break It Right Back.” “Traitor” made a transition into “Tequila” when Moroney introduced the biggest surprise guests of the night, Dan + Shay, to the delight of fans.
A Fitting Encore
“Am I Okay?” fittingly ended the show, amping up the crowd as she took her leave, waving goodbye.
But as fitting an end as that would be, Moroney couldn’t leave it there. She returned for an encore of her No. 1 hit, “6 Months Later.” Confetti fell from the ceiling, and as the final notes hit, it was clear this was not just another stop on the tour for Moroney, but a homecoming of sorts.
On this Friday night in Nashville, one thing was certain: if Moroney’s first arena run looks and sounds like this, Cloud 9 is just the beginning of her ascent.
Photos by John Shearer/Getty Images for Megan Moroney
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