There is always something so special about witnessing an artist’s first headlining performance at Ryman Auditorium, especially when it comes in the form of two sold-out shows. The 2025 Academy of Country Music’s most-nominated and most-awarded artist took the stage on Nov. 6 for the first of two shows, telling the audience how fitting it was to wrap up her “still hungover” tour in Nashville.
To kick off the night, opener Kaitlin Butts took the stage donning black cowboy boots and braids with black bows. If you’re a fan of the Pistol Annies, the Chicks and even Ella Langley herself, you’re bound to fall in love with Butts’ music like I did.
With just her guitar in hand, Butts delivered an unforgettable acoustic set that showcased both her range and authenticity. She opened with darker, more introspective tracks like “White River,” before transitioning into tender songs about love and longing, including “Come Rest Your Head” and “That’ll Never Be Me.” As her set came to a close, she shared her excitement over recently signing a record deal then wrapped up the performance with a heartfelt cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.”
After a short intermission, an introduction mash-up played that included a variety of songs, like “Hell at Night” by BigXthaPlug and “Umbrella” by Rihanna. Langley and her high-energy band continued that same energy with the first two songs of the set, “Country Boy’s Dream Girl” and one of my personal favorites, “better be tough.” After a brief pause in the energy to play “nicotine” for the couples in the auditorium, the energy continued with a cover of Gretchen Wilson’s “Here for The Party.” As someone who grew up on traditional artists like Wilson, it seemed so fitting for this cover to make its way into Ryman Auditorium, where she has played on several occasions but never as a headliner.
After several more of her most popular songs, including “Choosin’ Texas” and “Never Met Anyone Like You,” Langley briefly exited the stage. She came back with a different acoustic guitar, taking a short break to share that this was her grandpa’s brother’s guitar that was lended to her to use on such a special night. She openly shared with the audience that this guitar was a major source of fun and inspiration for both her grandpa and his brother when they were growing up.
“That’s what they did. They didn’t have any money when they were growing up, so they just played guitar, played piano and went to church. That’s what they did for fun,” Langley said.
Stories like these are what make me feel connected to artists as I watch them grow. Not only to resonate with her music but also to know that we have similar stories in our pasts creates this space of understanding and camaraderie that can be hard to find with big-name artists.
For the guitar’s debut on stage, Langley chose to cover the classic “Walking After Midnight” by Patsy Cline. She then brought her opener, Butts, back on stage to help her sing “cowboy friends” from her most recent album “Hungover.”
Of course, this was not the last guest that Langley would have on the stage during her performance. She brought out ERNEST to play an unreleased song they wrote together about learning to love life again, which was followed by a visit from Jo Dee Messina to play her hit “Lesson in Leavin’.” Toward the end of the night, Langley brought out co-writer Aaron Raitiere to help her play their hit song “you look like you love me,” with Raitiere embracing a different version of the lyrics to tell his own story.
Of all the guests who joined Langley on stage, Jo Dee Messina’s appearance felt the most special to me. I grew up hearing my family’s stories about her incredible live shows, so seeing her perform in person was surreal. With Langley and Messina sharing a similar fire, confidence and style, it felt like a passing of the torch — two generations of strong women in country music commanding the Ryman stage together.
