Kelsea Ballerini returned to the stage for her first performance since announcing her split from ex Chase Stokes on Sept. 14, hosting an exclusive live show for SiriusXM and Pandora at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago on Sept. 25.
The country star brought her signature humor to the packed venue, immediately addressing a minor mishap with characteristic honesty.
“I want to be very honest and tell you – I just spilled my water. Is it on me?” Ballerini, 32, told fans with a laugh during the performance.
She joked the show was “the one thing that’s gone right in so long.”
The comment offered insight into Ballerini’s recent personal challenges. Beyond her breakup announcement earlier this month, the Grammy-nominated artist has been dealing with her dog Dibs’ serious health issues.
“Baby boy has a [surprise] surgery today. we would appreciate all of the big love and prayers and healing energy you can send his way. It’s gotten him this far,” Ballerini shared on Instagram Stories on Sept. 24.
“Your girl needed it this week,” said Ballerini of the performance.
Ballerini previously revealed that Dibs has an “inoperable cancer in his heart.” The Chicago crowd showed their support by singing especially loudly during “Healed Version” of “Penthouse,” particularly the lyric “I bought the house with a fence, enough room for some kids, a backyard for Dibs.”
“I may need a little extra help with this one tonight if you don’t mind,” Ballerini said during the subdued encore, standing in a single spotlight with her hair in a ponytail.
The Tennessee native used the performance to showcase what’s made her career – raw authenticity and connection with her audience.
“I think there’s this beautiful healing connective thing that happens when I get to play music with you,” the artist told the crowd before performing a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 hit “Dreams.”
Performance Highlights
The 15-song set featured material from her most recent album Patterns, including “Baggage” and “We Broke Up.” Ballerini also performed earlier hits like “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Hole in the Bottle.”
“I want to tell you that we have not gotten to play a show for you guys since tour ended a couple months ago, and we’ve been so looking forward to this night with you,” Ballerini told the audience. “I loved it. [I] got some coffee and get to end it here with you guys. I missed you so dearly.”
The performance comes as Ballerini prepares for scheduled dates in Australia later this year.
Her approach to songwriting remains unchanged despite recent personal challenges. “I don’t mind being honest,” Ballerini told PEOPLE earlier this year. “I have nothing to hide, and when it comes to my real life, I’m learning boundaries. But when it comes to songwriting, if I ever close the door to being an open book, it’s not my music anymore.”
The Chicago performance will air in its entirety on SiriusXM’s The Highway (ch. 56) on Friday, Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. ET. It’ll also be available to stream anytime on the SiriusXM app.
