Lainey Wilson Soars Towards Superstardom Selling Out Famed Eagles Ballroom In Milwaukee
Bell Bottom Country was in full effect last night at the famed Eagles Ballroom thanks to Lainey Wilson.
The sold out room of 4,000 was buzzing with excitement, a lot of fringe, cowboy hats and fans sporting the signature bell bottoms. Fans lined up hours in advance to get a glimpse at one of the hottest acts in town.
The CMA winner started the show off with a bang as she stared the show with her upbeat tune “LA” from her album, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ (2021). Lainey's energy filled the 100 year old venue and the crowd was as loud as we have ever heard.
But the energy didn't stop there, Wilson continued to own the stage for a toe tapping rendition of her version of the Rick Derringer cover of “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” before grabbing her guitar for her current single, “Smell Like Smoke.”
Lainey took a breath and thanked all the fans who were "rowdy as hell" on a Thursday night. "Have ya'll heard of a holler and a swaller" Wilson asked the sold out crowd. "Thank you all for spending your hard earned money to be here. Cheers!"
Lainey's show was truly a love letter to her fans from top to bottom. Her sassy song "Hold My Halo" had everyone dancing and singing, including the five year old sitting next to us!
“Atta Girl” a standout track from her latest project was also a fan favorite! "I wrote this song for my girlfriends," Lainey told the crowd. "I wrote myself a letter when things were dark and I never thought I would see that light at the end of the tunnel." From the youngest of girls in the crowd to the oldest, there wasn't a dry eye in the house during the touching tune.
Wilson took a moment then to thank her band, who all think they were "Big Stuff." The four bandmates played the Jean Knight tune “Mr. Big Stuff,” while Lainey gushed over each member. They are Aslan Freeman (lead guitar), Matt Nolan (drums), Kevin Nolan (instrumentalist, guitar, keys, and piano), and Tommy Scifres (bass guitar).
Fighting back tears, Lainey asked the crowd if they had watched the 2022 CMA Awards. The crowd roared and cheered as the reigning CMA New Artist and Female Vocalist shared that the best part of all of that was that her "Deddy" got to be there with her too, before going into a touching acoustic version of her song "Those Boots (Deddy's Song"). Lainey shared that her parents cut off a side of their home in Louisiana and attached some kind of pull barn that her and her sister stayed in. "Every morning my deddy would call and I would bring him his boots and pull his starched jeans over them," Wilson chuckled.
As the band returns, “Wildflowers And Wild Horses” gets the crowd going again before going Ito her stunning verse of the popular Hardy duet “Wait In The Truck.” That leads into the single “Heart Like A Truck” from her new album.
As Lainey laughs “it is all I have ever wanted to do. Some women have an issue with my big ol’ butt…that is all over Tik Tok. Bell Bottom Country is country with a flare for you to be yourself, regardless of who or what you are. Even if you have a big butt like me.”
The roof of the famed venue was almost lifted thanks to the thousands of voices singing right along with Wilson. Lainey even invited a young girl to sing a chorus with her.
Once again, Lainey lets her minds into the mind of the song with her tune "Rolling Stone." "I left for Nashville when I was 19. I left alot being including my high school sweetheart. Although she loved him, she told him, “I have places to go, people to meet, and sh*t to do," and thus the song was born.
Lainey has such a magical way of connecting with her fans in all moments of her show, from the signature dance moves to the more tender moments. Lainey is proud of where she is from and the 12 years it has taken her to get to where she is.
“Many people have opinions, but you have to stay positive and keep positive people around you. Home, Nashville, and the road. For me, what you see is what you get,” says Wilson.
Lainey wraps up the show with her hit song “Things A Man Oughta Know” with people raising their arms in the air holding their phones and waving them back and forth as they sing along.
The show is a non-stop event full of high energy throughout. Lainey Wilson is a badass, with authority, demanding attention from every fan and being herself along the way. She is here to play her music and have fun doing it with her fans. Lainey's raw authenticity allows fans to also be there authentic selves without worry! It is no surprise that her tour sold out in seconds. Next stop Entertainer Of The Year!