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With a Texas Rangers snapback covering his signature mullet, Big Loud recording artist and ’22 CMA Entertainer of the Year nominee Morgan Wallen emerged on his Dangerous Tour “MW” staging one final time Saturday (10/8) night after zigzagging across North America since his February tour launch at Madison Square Garden, a grin as big as the state he was in. Setting a new attendance record for Globe Life Field, the boy from East Tennessee’s sincerity was on full display in response to the crowd’s enthusiasm for his first headlining stadium show.
“This is a special night for me, my band and crew,” Wallen shared as he paused for several minutes to collect himself and take in the at-capacity crowd. As he introduced his band, he added, “We started out rehearsing in one of my buddy’s mom’s basements…and this is not quite a basement.”
His band joined Wallen at the edge of the stage as they kicked off the next song, met with bras thrown on stage and arms pumping in the air as Wallen’s fans stood the entire set, swaying and singing along.
Prior to Wallen’s energetic set, ERNEST filled in for HARDY, following the latter’s bus accident last week. Wallen and ERNEST later paid tribute to their label mate with a unique collaborative performance of “UNAPOLOGETICALLY COUNTRY AS HELL,” sharing how much they can’t wait to be back playing live with their friend once he recovers.
Wallen’s Dangerous Tour broke records in 30 venues across the country during its eight-month-long run. Highlights include last weekend’s historic Globe Life show, which became the fastest sellout in the venue’s history and surpassed attendance records previously held by artists such as Elton John and Lady Gaga. The tour’s high demand also led Wallen to sell out 11 of the venues faster than any other act, while simultaneously breaking attendance records with stops at XFINITY Theatre, AmericanBank Center and Darien Lake Amphitheater, among others.
Off the stage, Wallen’s foundation and Greater Good Music were also making an impact. Earlier Saturday morning in the stadium parking lot, as they have in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Evansville, Ind.; San Antonio, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; Bloomington, Ill.; Orange Beach, Fla.; and Cullman, Ala. Greater Good Music, in service with the local area food bank (in Arlington, Tarrant Food Bank), worked swiftly to deploy 50-60 pounds of food per vehicle — along with fresh flowers from the “Flower Shops” collaborator — to over 600 families. This year, Wallen has donated over 500,000 meals to help combat food insecurity and aid in relief following natural disasters in the U.S. To learn more, visit GreaterGoodMusic.org.
