Carly Pearce caps off her milestone year with a sold-out Nashville show

Matthew Leimkuehler, Nashville Tennessean
·4 min read
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Carly Pearce named her headlining tour after "29," a collection of songs that helped propel the singer-songwriter's skyrocketing career in country music.

But Thursday night in Nashville, it sorta went by a different name.

After she delivered a particularly tear-jerking number at the CMA Theater, a fan called down to Pearce from the rafters.

"We're cryin' up here," the onlooker said.

To which Pearce replied, "I didn't say this was a happy tour."

Another reply called down: "No, it's cathartic."

Voilà — new show name?

"Carly Pearce and the cathartic tour," the singer quipped. "It's good. I like it."

Turns out, country music catharsis works for Pearce.

Band members take the stage to get down and play as Carly Pearce steps aside during Pearce's Nashville stop on her "The 29 Tour" at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021.
Band members take the stage to get down and play as Carly Pearce steps aside during Pearce's Nashville stop on her "The 29 Tour" at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021.

The Kentucky-raised artist, who once cut her teeth as a teenager on stage at Dollywood, played a sold-out headlining show this week at the CMA Theater in Nashville. Her second-to-last headlining date in 2021, the night supported "29: Written In Stone" — a 15-song album of classic country truth-telling where Pearce cuts no corners in bringing listeners on her journey back from rock bottom following a divorce in 2020.

Pearce returned to Nashville in a year that included enough career milestones to last a decade: Winning two ACM Awards for chart-topping single "I Hope You're Happy Now" in April; joining the Grand Ole Opry in August; and, last month, becoming reigning CMA Awards' Female Vocalist of the Year.

Still, her greatest accomplishment in 2021 may be bringing life to stories that strike an emotional chord loud enough for some showgoers to stand on their toes and shout along to each word — album deep cuts and all.

Fans stomp and sing along with Carly Pearce during Pearce's Nashville stop on her "The 29 Tour" at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021.
Fans stomp and sing along with Carly Pearce during Pearce's Nashville stop on her "The 29 Tour" at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021.

As Pearce said on stage, "For me, the biggest lesson I've learned is that it's OK to not be OK. Everybody's different, and all of those things that you go through in life are really what makes you [yourself]."

And avid fans of "29: Written In Stone" heard Thursday night what Pearce promised with the billing — her latest album, played top-to-bottom in its entirety.

Backed by a five-piece band — often including fiddle, mandolin and a hearty helping of steel guitar — Pearce navigated her musical heartache on stage with an old school country know-how.

She sang her take on a cheatin' song on "Never Wanted To Be That Girl," tip-toed toward self-forgiveness on "Should've Known Better," warned would-be suitors about her ex with audience-revving singalong "Next Girl," re-worked an acoustic rendition of rock-bottom number "Messy" and let the band bring home an extended jam on "Easy Going."

A show highlight? "Dear Miss Loretta," a tune Pearce wrote after living enough life for Loretta Lynn's songs to take new meaning.

Carly Pearce takes the mic and belts out for a set during Pearce's Nashville stop on her "The 29 Tour" at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021.
Carly Pearce takes the mic and belts out for a set during Pearce's Nashville stop on her "The 29 Tour" at the CMA Theater in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021.

"Some certain events in my life over the last few years have made me understand her songwriting just a tad bit more," Pearce said.

Pearce wrapped her initial set with album closer "Mean It This Time" before returning for an encore kicked off by a surprise collaboration of cotemporary Christian duet "Truth Be Told" with singer-songwriter Matthew West. The show continued with back-to-back hits "Every Little Thing" and "Hide The Wine" before Pearce enlisted tour opener Andrew Jannakos to close with a duet of the song that helped launch her whirlwind momentum: "I Hope You're Happy Now."

"This song blew my mind in a time when I needed it so much," Pearce said. "You can't prepare yourself for the storm that I've been on in the last year and it's all because of you, country music fans."

She added, "From the time I was a little girl, this is what I've dreamt of ... in case you're wondering, I'm so happy now."

Carly Pearce '29' tour setlist

  • Diamondback

  • What He Didn’t Do

  • Easy Going

  • Dear Miss Loretta

  • Next Girl

  • Should’ve Known Better

  • 29

  • Never Wanted To Be That Girl

  • Your Drinkin’, My Problem

  • Liability

  • Messy

  • Show Me Around

  • Day One

  • All The Whiskey In The World

  • Mean It This Time

  • Encore:

  • Truth Be Told (with Matthew West)

  • Every Little Thing

  • Hide The Wine

  • I Hope You’re Happy Now (with Andrew Jannakos)

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Carly Pearce brings standout album '29' to sold-out Nashville show