Morgan Wallen's Best Live Performances: A Fan's Perspective
There’s no question that Morgan Wallen has come a long way from his days as a contestant on The Voice. Over the span of a few short years, he’s become one of the most popular country music artists in the world. Every time he goes on tour, Morgan Wallen tickets sell like hotcakes everywhere he plays. Needless to say, his time on The Voice helped Morgan Wallen’s live performances become the best they can be. That got us thinking about some of the best live shows of his career. With a little help from fans who gave invaluable feedback, here is a list of the best live performances in Wallen’s career.
“Stay” on The Voice
We know that Wallen didn’t win his season of The Voice. But he still left viewers of the show with some memorable moments, which helped lead the way to stardom a little later. His best performance while on the show was arguably his rendition of “Stay,” a Florida Georgia Line song. Looking back, it’s almost hard to recognize him with the long hair that he had at the time. However, Wallen showed the audience exactly what he was all about. The crowd seemed to love it, and the judges were definitely intrigued by what he brought to the table, even if he didn’t end up winning the competition.
iHeart Music Festival 2022
In 2022, Wallen once again proved that he was more than a country star, performing at the iHeart Music Festival in front of a mainstream audience. The performance included six songs, starting with “Sand in My Boots” and ending with “Whiskey Glasses.” By opening with “Sand in My Boots,” Wallen started his performance sitting at the piano and playing on his own, showing that he has a soft side. Of course, he quickly moved on to some of his more traditional country songs, with the crowd supporting him every step of the way.
2022 CMA Awards
For a country-music-loving audience during the 2022 CMA Awards, Wallen brought the house down by performing his song “You Proof.” “You Proof” set records as the longest-running song at no. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart. Clearly, his fans love the song and can’t get enough of it, so it was a smart choice for him to pick that song to play during a high-profile awards show.
Madison Square Garden, 2022
It’s not every day that a country artist performs at the world’s most famous arena. Wallen is certainly on the shortlist of country singers to headline a show at Madison Square Garden, which he did in February 2022. Based on that alone, this is one of Wallen’s most memorable shows. One of the many highlights at MSG that night was when he encouraged everyone in the audience to turn on the flashlight of their phone while performing “Cover Me Up.” The song isn’t even Wallen’s, as it was originally recorded by Jason Isbell in 2023. But Wallen found a way to make it his own, especially with his touching rendition at Madison Square Garden in 2022.
2022 Billboard Music Awards
For whatever reason, Wallen never seems to disappoint when he’s invited to play at award shows. The 2022 Billboard Music Awards were certainly no exception. Wallen performed two songs during the show, starting with “Don’t Think Jesus,” a song that allows him to show just how talented he is as a singer. He then takes things in a different direction by performing “Wasted On You,” which isn’t one of his most popular songs but always seems to be a crowd-pleaser. As usual, Wallen didn’t disappoint in front of a massive audience that night, with the only debate being about what song he performed better.
Surprise Performance with Luke Bryan
During a Nashville show in 2021, country fans thought they were getting Luke Bryan. But that got more than they bargained for on that night when Bryan pulled some special guests on stage. Even if the fans were there to see Bryan, they went crazy when Wallen showed up. He almost became the headliner act; that’s how much the fans loved him. Wallen ended up performing his hits “More Than My Hometown” and “Whiskey Glasses.” It’s not exactly easy to upstage someone like Luke Bryan at his own concert, but Wallen just about pulled off such a feat that one night in Nashville.
“Last Night” in San Diego
During the summer of 2023, a video made the rounds on the Internet of Wallen playing his song “Last Night” during a show in San Diego. The song has become one of his most popular and yet another crowd favorite. Keep in mind that San Diego isn’t exactly a country music hotbed. The fact that Wallen was able to get a Southern California audience to sing along to every word is a testament to his widespread appeal. On the surface, there was nothing special or different about Wallen’s performance. It was just him playing to the crowd and doing what he does best.