Katy Perry’s “Witness” tour, named after her fourth studio album, made a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday night. A diverse set of fans, from young to old, came out to catch the pop sensation. Many fans showed up dressed in costumes paying homage to their favorite Katy Perry outfits.
Noah Cyrus opened the show with a half-hour set. Cyrus, daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and sister of pop star Miley Cyrus, brought her dad out on stage to perform a couple songs. Her performance was decent, but not to the standard of what was to follow.
A giant eye encompassed the entire width of Bridgestone Arena, with a catwalk that meandered deep into the crowd. As it was time for Perry to take the stage the eye turned into a screen transporting the audience into space traveling by stars and planets. Perry then appeared before a cloud of smoke atop a massive star that descended her down to the stage.
The pop sensation pulled out all the stops during her show in the Music City. Her elaborate stage design and props changed from song to song and featured several sets, more akin to a Vegas show than a pop concert.
Perry was equipped with a full-band and a team of dancers that constantly covered the stage with acrobatic moves and dances. Fans were able to be fully immersed in the different worlds and moods of each song with each set change. Perry used the catwalk throughout the night to get up close and personal with the Nashville fans, calling and pointing them out individually throughout the set.
She also took flight over the crowd on top of a giant prop of Saturn to perform her acoustic song “Thinking of You.” At the end of the ballad she realized the planet wasn’t coming down as intended. She joked about being stuck in space and laughed it off, eventually needing stagehands to help her down and climb into the crowd to get back to the stage. Even with the hitch, Perry seamlessly transitioned into the next set and continued her phenomenal performance.
It was a special all-star night, as Perry, one of the greatest selling pop artists of all time, was the first concert in Bridgestone Arena after the venue just won the 2017 IEBA (International Entertainment Buyers Association) Arena of the Year award on Tuesday.
Perry’s tour continues through the rest of the year and early 2018 in the U.S. She’ll then be taking things across the pond on a world tour, making witnesses of all who are lucky enough to see the show.