Kelsea Ballerini has been taking some time off lately — she just finished a headlining tour in April — but when Austin City Limits calls and asks you to play their TV show, it’s hard to say no.
So, Ballerini packed her boots and her sparkliest dress and flew to Texas’ capital city to make her debut in an episode filmed for the show’s upcoming 51st season.
Read More: 19 Country Songs for Your Girls’ Night Out Playlist
She was warm, she was authentic, she was human and she was gracious — she was all that you’d expect a recently-nominated ACM Entertainer of the Year to be.
Thursday night’s (July 10) set included all of Ballerini’s eras, from her first album (a beautifully vocal version of “Peter Pan”) to now (“Cowboys Cry Too,” except without Noah Kahan).
She brought sass with “Hole in the Bottle” and a run of her best breakup songs, smiling as she talked about the sweet chapter she’s in now and how much she loves love.
She also paused for a sorrowful moment to talk about the pain the state of Texas is feeling currently, just a week removed from catastrophic Fourth of July flooding that left more than 150 people dead, including 8 and 9-year-old little girls from Camp Mystic.
But those lucky enough to be in the room didn’t carry that grief home, even with Ballerini closing her set with the heart-wrenching divorce song “Penthouse.” That song has since become a belt-it-out anthem during Ballerini’s live shows, including this one — it will make your face hurt from smiling, not sobbing.
The country star released her Patterns album last fall. Her Austin City Limits episode does not yet have a premiere date, but will likely air this fall.
Read More: Kelsea Ballerini Celebrates Her Dog’s Big Win Amid Cancer Battle
What Is the Austin City Limits TV Show?
Austin City Limits Music Festival is what it sounds like, a live music festival, but Austin City Limits came first. The show is the longest-running music series in America. It airs weekly on PBS and has since 1974.
Past country performers include (it’s a much longer list): Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves, Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert, Lyle Lovett, Rosanne Cash, Trisha Yearwood, John Prine … so many of the best.
Kelsea Ballerini’s ‘Austin City Limits’ Debut
Kelsea Ballerini flew to Texas during her summer break to make her debut on the Austin City Limits television stage on Thursday, July 10. The episode was taped to air during the long-running music show’s 51st season.
