It took two years for it to finally happen, but it’s safe to say that Chris Stapleton’s homecoming concert to Lexington was well worth the wait.

A show that will undoubtedly set the blueprint for similar events at a stadium that is normally filled with University of Kentucky football fans, Kroger Field.

But this time the lower deck and upper decks of the stadium were mostly full of country music fans.

Originally scheduled forApril 2020 before being postponed twice due to COVID-19, “A Concert For Kentucky” — the first music concert ever at Kroger Field on the UK campus — went off without a hitch with the exception of slow traffic outside the stadium, which was to be expected.

The a benefit show also featured Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and Madeline Edwards with net proceeds going to theOutlaw State of Kind Hometown Fund atBlue Grass Community Foundation, a charitable fund established by the Stapleton and his wife/performance partner Morgane Stapleton.

Chris Stapleton’s set at Kroger Field

With the crowd nearly boiling over in anticipation Stapleton wasted no time digging into high-strung heavy hitters like the show opening “Nobody To Blame” and “Parachute,” both from his 2015 album “Traveller” that thrust him into the national country music spotlight.

“Starting Over,” the title track from this year’sGrammy winner for “Best Country Album,” followed along with a solo spurt of songs from Stapleton that yielded stripped down versions of “Whiskey and You” and “Traveller.”

After the solo breakdown Stapleton and crew turned the ante back up to 11 with rockin’ renditions of “Arkansas” and “Midnight Train to Memphis” — the latter a tune he first wrote as a member of bluegrass group The Steeldrivers — before giving way to another Grammy winner in “Cold,” which earlier this month netted the award for “Best Country Song.”

Other highlights from Stapleton’s homecoming star-studded performance include a phone lit stadium for the finale of “Fire Away,” a heartfelt duet with wife Morgane Stapleton on “Broken Halos,” a nod to Kentucky bourbon on “Tennessee Whiskey” (“but I sure wish I had some Kentucky bourbon”) and an encore of “Outlaw State of Mind.”

Willie Nelson performs in Lexington

Prior to Stapleton’s more than two-hour long set came an extended performance from American music and cultural icon Willie Nelson. At 89 Nelson’s wear has shown in recent years on stage, but he seemed rather refreshed during his Saturday performance as he tore through song after song during his hour-long set. His vocals held up much better than expected throughout, although that didn’t stop the crowd from joining in and carrying him along on hits like “On the Road Again,” “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” and other iconic cuts from his 60-plus year career.

The living legend even had a few surprises up his sleeve as well, like a waltzy cover of Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind,” the Stapleton and Rodney Crowell penned “I’ll Love You Till the Day I Die,” “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and “I’ll Fly Away” with Sheryl Crow by his side and a cover of Mac Davis’ “It’s Hard To Be Humble” for a finale.

Sheryl Crow, Madeline Edwards sets

Speaking of Sheryl Crow, the former backup singer for Michael Jackson turned international star preceded Nelson’s set with a spicy one of her own that included staples like “Every Day Is A Winding Road,” “If It Makes You Happy” and “Soak Up The Sun.” Crow also strutted across stage to a reimagining of The Rolling Stone’s “Live With Me” for good measure.

And kicking the night of music off — and setting the tone in the process — was Madeline Edwards. A member of CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022, Edwards brought an infectious energy and genre-melding sound at the crossroads of country, R&B and soul to the stage in the midst of her first tour ever. The highlight of her half hour performance came during “Port City,” a harrowing ballad of independence and self discovery encapsulated in the lyric “and if I don’t sink now I may never learn to swim,” good words of encouragement for anyone with a dream that needs chasing such as her.

This story was originally publishedApril 24, 2022 at 9:35 AM.