Kelsea Ballerini salutes faithful Utah fans during ‘Live on Tour’ stop

On Saturday night at the Delta Center, country-pop musician Kelsea Ballerini went through four outfit changes, played around two dozen songs and danced her way through confetti explosions and pyrotechnics happening around her on stage.

But she — along with her fans — also crossed something off their shared bucket lists: Performing (and seeing her perform) at her first arena show in Utah.

“I’ve had the pleasure of playing around Salt Lake for the last 10 years,” Ballerini said in her introduction, sparkling on stage in her multicolor, disco ball dress.

She took a trip down memory lane, listing the shows she’s played with others, like opening for the Jonas Brothers, and when she had her last solo show here in 2023 at the Sandy Amphitheater.

It was, Ballerini said, one of her favorite shows of that whole tour. “Now, on a Saturday, we’re headlining this arena. Whether you’ve been a part of this journey from the very beginning of the last 10 years or just the last two minutes, thank you so much for being here tonight.”

Ballerini’s stop at Utah’s downtown area is part of her current “Live on Tour.” Saturday’s show marked the Tennesee native’s first show since being nominated for Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music Awards.

“Just like headlining arenas, that has been at the very top of my artist musical bucket list since I was a very young girl,” Ballerini, now 31, told the crowd before diving “heartfirst” into the third song of the night.

While it was her first rodeo at the Delta Center, Utah fans showed up for Ballerini: in cowboy boots and sparkly dresses, with lighted cowboy hats and merch from years past.

For many fans, like cousins Marissa Boren and Lizzy Fryer who have been fans of Ballerini for years, seeing her nearly sell out Delta Center at such a young age is “phenomenal.”

“She’s so relatable to any age group,” Fryer said. “There’s a little girl here who gave us little charm bracelets … and then I see grandmas here with their little granddaughters. Her music is very personable and just meaningful and I love it.”

Boren created a custom jacket for Ballerini, which she handed to a crew member, with red yarn details and creative stitches.

Before setting out on her arena tour, Ballerini talked about the attention to detail she gave her setlist — that much was evident on Saturday night, with the eclectic collection of songs performed from throughout her discography.

From opening with the ethereal title track of her latest album “Patterns” — her raw, irreplaceable voice echoing in the arena — to performing crowd favorites, like “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” — Ballerini performed each song with finesse.

Of course, many of those fans were loudest when Ballerini played songs from her divorce EP “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” — enunciating the lyrics of “Blindsided” like it was a group spoken-word poetry slam.

A trio of friends — McCall Pierson, Carly Holmes and Alisa Hulme were some of those fans. The three of them — decked out in denim and brightly colored dresses with sparkles across their faces — knew every single word to the full version of “Interlude.”

The friends discovered Ballerini at different points: one in 2016, one in college, and one when Ballerini released her EP. But seeing her at Delta Center was something of a shared accomplishment between them and the musician on stage.

“I’ve seen her play at much smaller venues, so it’s cool to see her career has kept climbing, and she’s finally made it to Delta Center. For Utah, that’s huge,” Holmes said.

Hulme added that Utah has “really loyal fans” and they show up, no matter the venue.

That much was clear on Saturday night. Lyrics were on the screen as part of visuals for a handful of the songs, perhaps for fans who might not know them, but that wasn’t a problem for the Delta Center crowd, who continued to sing their lungs out regardless of the track.

While Ballerini stepped up her planning for this tour — not only were there more elements to this performance versus her last in Utah — she also stuck to the roots she laid from the start of her career.

Between the incredible lighting, fireworks and confetti — she was there, like an anchor, displaying her emotional growth in “This Time Last Year” (which she later harmonized on with a fan). In “Miss Me More” her powerhouse vocals echoed throughout the arena. Her stage setup for “First Rodeo” with a carnival carousel, was mesmerizing.

But it was in moments of songs like, “To The Men That Love Women After Heartbreak” where Ballerini shined the most. Just her, with her voice and guitar, singing lyrics from her heart that continue to resonate with fans.

She also remained connected with fans throughout the show, shouting out those she spotted dancing in the crowd (in the pit or towards the top), performing one of her songs in the pit and having genuine interactions with fans.

(One asked her to sign their divorce decree, which she declined to do, saying she no longer wanted to be the “poster child of divorce” but wrote the fan a note on the paper instead.)

Ballerini arrived on a mountain of baggage at the Delta Center — metaphorically and literally, she first appeared on stage sitting on a mountain of baggage, just like her album cover for “Patterns.”

But, she also left that baggage there and unpacked it with a room full of fans that have been with her from the beginning. She invited them to unpack their baggage right alongside her for a brief window of time.

Together — they grew, danced and sang — as they have time and time again.