The best moments of Kelsea Ballerini’s ‘Homecoming Show’ concert in Knoxville

There’s no question about it, Kelsea Ballerini was the homecoming queen during her sold-out concert at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Nov. 2.

The one-night-only “Homecoming Show” concert by the 30-year-old Knoxville native and former Central High School student was a special moment for the rising country superstar and her fans.

"I've gotten to play a lot of shows in the last decade, in a lot of places that I love. But if there is one show that I'm glad you came to, it’s this one,” Ballerini said. “This is my first big girl show.”

Ballerini’s hometown was the perfect place to kick off a new era of her career. The Thompson-Boling performance established the singer as an arena touring artist. And the energy throughout the arena made it clear why Ballerini is a hometown favorite.

“To be able to come back and feel so held and so welcomed and so loved by the place that let me go is something I'll never be able to say thank you enough for,” she said.

Knox News was also in the crowd. Here are some of our favorite highlights of the night.

Best guitar

A costume change is cute, but a guitar change is cool. Ballerini exchanged guitars a few times during the show. She first strummed a blue guitar with yellow butterflies and, by the end, she was rocking out with a solid black one. But the glittery pink guitar might be our pick as the best of all.

Biggest surprise

This one has too many highlights to count! For the first time ever in Knoxville, Ballerini performed her hit "half of my hometown.” The song is obviously about … Knoxville.

“I will be crying, so you might have to carry me,” she told the crowd before singing a few lines and then abruptly stopping the music. “I can’t be in Knoxville and sing this song without Kenny Chesney,” she said.

And surprise – country legend and Knoxville native Kenny Chesney walks onto the stage. People on the other side of the Tennessee River could probably hear the crowd.

“I’m thrilled to be back in East Tennessee to celebrate Kelsea Ballerini,” Chesney told the audience.

Ballerini and Chesney restarted “half of my hometown” and it was one of the performances of the night.

Best swan song

The night was dedicated to the fans who have been with Ballerini since her first song hit the radio almost a decade ago, and even before then when she started writing songs at 12 years old. Specifically for “The Homecoming Show,” she performed songs she hadn't sung on stage in a while. In fact, she told the crowd it might be the last time she’ll perform some of these Kelsea Ballerini classics, including “I Hate Love Songs,” “needy” and “the way i used to.”

Scariest moment

Fire, sparks, and confetti! The show had it all. And trust me, you could feel the heat from the flames. People started taking off clothes because it was so hot. (OK, it was just one jacket I saw someone take off.) But of all the explosive moments, one stands out from the rest. And it was a little scary.

“Guys, did that look cool? ‘Cause it was scary as s**t,” Ballerini said after singing “Peter Pan” while flying in a big bedazzled black star with long streams of sparks coming out underneath. "I’ve always wanted to do something like that, but it was so scary,” she said.

Strong women

Country singers Ingrid Andress and Georgia Webster each performed opening sets before the concert. Andress noted having three women perform in a row is her favorite kind of concert lineup.

The three women came together to perform a stripped-down version of Ballerini’s “homecoming queen?” later in the show.

Best throwback moment

The first concert Ballerini ever went to was at Thompson-Boling Arena, she told the audience. She saw the “Princess of Pop” Britney Spears during the “Oops!... I Did It Again Tour” back in 2000. “It was a slay,” Ballerini said.

Funniest moment

While getting all teary-eyed and sentimental toward the end of the special “Homecoming” show, the unthinkable happened!

“Oh my God! Not this! Do you see this?” a shocked Ballerini said. “My nail pulled off! If someone finds it, don't return to sender. Leave it.”

It was a moment that made us all giggle. But it seems the singer is used to funny mishaps on stage. “Oh, well, that checks out,” she said before moving on to sing the final songs.

Most emotional moment

It’s no secret the “Homecoming Show” at Thompson-Boling Arena was special for Ballerini. Not only did her longtime hometown fans show up to support, but also in the audience were her mom and dad, her best childhood friends and even her high school chorus teacher. And yes, boyfriend Chase Stokes (actor on Netflix’s “Outer Banks”) was there, too.

“If there's one thing you hear from me tonight, it's 'thank you,'" Ballerini told her fans. “I've never, ever truly, in my life – in my life – been more grateful for what I have,” Ballerini said.

And she closed the one-night-only “Homecoming Show” with an emotional rendition of “What I Have.”

Best performance

It only seems right to name “half of my hometown” as the best performance of Ballerini’s “Homecoming Show” concert, but there’s another song that should also be considered when giving out that superlative.

“Miss Me More,” a song about reclaiming one’s identity and power after a toxic relationship was a standout performance. The country darling embraced her inner rocker and rocked out in a solid black ensemble and black boots. The energy was electrifying and hot…because there were even more bursts of fire.

If you missed Ballerini’s Knoxville concert, she’ll be performing Nov. 8 at the Country Music Awards, which will air live on ABC. Ballerini is nominated in two categories, including album of the year.

Morgan Wallen, a Gibbs High School graduate, is up for three CMA awards and is also slated to perform.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Highlights of Kelsea Ballerini’s Thompson-Boling concert in Knoxville