The 5 Coolest Things Carrie Underwood’s Stage Did During Her Cry Pretty Tour 360

Carrie Underwood‘s Cry Pretty Tour 360 stopped in Nashville on Friday, Sept. 27, with the superstar playing her hometown show to a crowd full of those who have supported her through the years, whether they were fans, musicians or members of the industry.

Aside from Underwood’s voice, the star of the evening was the tour’s stage, which sprawled across the floor of the arena and used every trick in the book to entertain fans from all angles. Here, five of the most impressive things Underwood and her crew packed into its mechanics.

1. Offered fans a 360-degree view

In a nod to the title of Underwood’s sixth studio album, the stage was shaped like a giant eye, and its massive size would have proved difficult for a lesser artist to traverse, but for Underwood it was no problem. The Oklahoma native strutted around the winding stage like a pro, giving fans around the arena an equal view as she gave a master class in vocal performance and stage presence.

2. Lifted her and her band into the air

Underwood’s stage employs a whopping 15 elevators, and one of its most visually impactful moments was when the lifts lined up along one side of the stage rose into the air at varying levels carrying, at various points, Underwood and members of her band. Sometimes the lifts were all level, allowing the mom of two to confidently strut across them, other points saw them staggered with one band member on each lift and Underwood’s early hit “Jesus Take the Wheel” saw the lifts form a kind of mountain that the singer climbed right to the very top.

3. Turned into a speakeasy

As Underwood prepared to launch into “Drinkin’ Alone,” which she deemed a very “sassy” song, screens came down from the ceiling and were projected with images of a dimly lit bar on both sides, with a plush sette and a fedora Underwood donned for the number completing the impressive illusion. The screens also added imagery to other songs including rolling water for “Something in the Water” and a thundering storm for “Blown Away.”

4. Hosted Underwood and her opening acts

While not exactly a marvel of the stage itself, Underwood’s late-show medley paying tribute to legendary female artists in country music was a highlight of the night, with openers Maddie and Tae and Runaway June returning to the stage to honor icons like Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, The Judds, Shania Twain and Loretta Lynn. The women moved through numbers including Parton’s “9 to 5” and McBride’s “Independence Day” as they traversed the stage, with all five voices flawlessly blending for a crowd-favorite moment.

5. Hung a giant chandelier

For her encore, Underwood began underneath the stage, applying her now-signature glitter tears as she prepared to begin “Cry Pretty.” Before hitting the first chorus, she rose out of the lift into the center of the stage directly underneath a huge ring of hanging pink beads that offered an extra dose of shine for Underwood’s encore performance.

Photo Credit: Getty / Kevin Winter