Kelsea Ballerini set a high bar for 2025 concerts in the Twin Cities with her first-ever arena headline gig at Target Center on Friday night. The Knoxville native delivered a dynamic 98-minute show filled with personality, production, and heartfelt storytelling that left her fans, lovingly called “Legends,” cheering for more.
Ballerini brought a fresh twist to the concert experience by introducing a fan-crafted souvenir tradition inspired by her song “Baggage.” Fans traded handmade luggage tags, a creative nod to Taylor Swift’s friendship bracelets trend from the Eras Tour. Adding to the fun, Ballerini sold luggage tags emblazoned with “Minneapolis Has Baggage, Kelsea Ballerini” for just $5—an affordable and memorable keepsake.
Personality Meets Production
Ballerini’s performance was a masterclass in authenticity and showmanship. The 31-year-old singer recalled her 2023 show at Minneapolis’ Armory, where she performed her biggest headline gig at the time, and shared stories from her meet-and-greet earlier that day. From confessing to tweaking her neck onstage the night before in Chicago to thanking the Minneapolis doctor who treated her, Ballerini kept things real with her audience.
Her smoky, emotive voice was perfectly suited to her mix of vibey relationship songs, many from her October 2024 album Patterns. She opened the show atop a pile of luggage with the title track before transitioning into fan favorites like “Baggage” and her debut hit “Love Me Like You Mean It,” which made history as the first No. 1 debut single by a female country artist since Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
A Show in Three Acts
Ballerini divided her performance into three themed sections: “This girl just wants to have fun,” “I can’t take it anymore,” and “This is how I really feel.” Each section brought energy, sass, and visual flair, complete with confetti, lasers, flame throwers, and five outfit changes. Highlights included her playful choreography with a chair and colorful lyrics projected on a giant screen.
While some songs, like the dense “Cowboys Cry Too” and over-orchestrated rocker “Wait!”, didn’t quite land, Ballerini excelled on ballads and deeply personal tracks. She moved the crowd with a cappella moments in “Peter Pan” and a stripped-down performance of “Penthouse” during the encore, reflecting on her public divorce from Morgan Evans.
Emotional High Points
The most impactful songs of the night were drawn from Ballerini’s 2023 EP Roll Up the Welcome Mat, which detailed her breakup. Tracks like “Blindsided (Yeah, Sure, Okay)” and “How Do I Do This” turned personal pain into sing-along anthems for the 12,000 attendees. “Leave Me Again,” requested by three fans during the meet-and-greet, became a poignant moment of self-reflection and self-love.
Supporting Acts
The all-women lineup included indie-pop singer Sasha Alex Sloan, whose low-energy but well-crafted songs might have been better suited for an intimate venue like First Avenue, and rising country artist MaRynn Taylor, who showed promise with her opening set.
Kelsea Ballerini’s Target Center show wasn’t just a concert; it was a statement of how country music is evolving in the 2020s. Combining creativity, emotional depth, and superstar charisma, Ballerini made it clear she’s here to stay—and her fans couldn’t be happier to go along for the ride.
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