Brandi Carlile storms into Nashville with help from Wynonna Judd

A few lightning flashes can't stop Brandi Carlile from a girls night out in Nashville.

Carlile returned Friday to Music City, fighting off an evening thunderstorm — and subsequent rain delay — before bringing her own brand of electricity to the first of two headlining nights at Ascend Amphitheater.

"Nashville, that was touch-and-go there for a second," she said minutes after taking the stage for a two-hour set that ran until nearly midnight. "It almost wasn't lookin' so good, but we're here."

And, of course, she wasn't alone.

Not long after the rain and sticky July air gave way to a needed nighttime breeze, Carlile took the stage with her ace backing band — including a string quartet, producer-songwriter Shooter Jennings on keys and longtime collaborators Tim and Phil Hanseroth (AKA "the twins") by her side.

She wasted no time digging into the rock 'n' roll spirit of her show, opening with a rowdy rendition of rollicking song "Broken Horses," a standout from Carlile's 2021 album "In These Silent Days." Soon after, she kept the band loose with a foot-stompin' rendition of "The Things I Regret" before later flexing three-part harmony skills with the Hanseroth brothers on "The Eye."

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"It's so special to be out here in Nashville," Carlile said, adding: "This is where I always wanted to get to my whole life. Now when I come here, it feels like home.

And Carlile shared the stage Friday with a rotating cast of friends and idols that arguably no one else in Nashville could hang with.

Guitar-slinging opener Celisse Henderson lost her solo set to the thunderstorm, but she sat-in with Carlile's band for a handful of songs, including one ripping solo during a cover of Heart's "Alone." Harmonizing duo Lucius — who played main support Friday — also hopped on and off stage, adding to Carlile's breezy anthem to low-key love, "You and Me on the Rock," among others.

But no guest left a mark on the show quite like Wynonna Judd, who joined Carlile for a one-two punch of Judds covers. The pair — plus Carlile's brother Jay on harmonica — teamed up for a timely rendition of "Girls Night Out" before singing "Love Is Alive." Judd dedicated the latter to her sister Ashley Judd, who she said was watching from side-stage.

"The Judds were my first, second and third concert," Carlile said after the surprise covers. She added, "What just happened on stage, to me, was really life-affirming."

Still, for as much as Carlile paid tribute to the shoulders she stands on — like a show-stopping cover of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" or crowd-pleasing take on Elton John classic "Rocketman" — she also gave nod to a new generation: Nashville's breakout singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt, who aided the band in blazing encore song "Mainstream Kid."

The show wrapped with live staple "Hold Out Your Hand" before a pair of self-described lullabies dedicated to extending this year's pride celebration — Carlile's "Stay Gentle" and a cover of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

At one point, Carlile said: It's nights like this when you look out at an audience ... and you're like, 'Oh my God, it really happened for us.'"

Brandi Carlile’s “Beyond These Silent Days”  tour continues Saturday night at Ascend Amphitheater.   

Brandi Carlile setlist in Nashville 

• Broken Horses

• The Things I Regret

• The Story

• The Eye

• The Mother

• Mama Warewolf

• Girls Night Out (The Judds cover with Wynonna Judd and Celisse Henderson)

• Love Is Alive (The Judds cover with Wynonna Judd)

• You and Me on The Rock (with Lucius)

• Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover with Lucius)

• Rocketman (Elton John cover)

• Right On Time

• Cannonball

• Sinners, Saints and Fools (with Lucius)

• The Joke

• Party of One

Encore

• Get There (Celisse Henderson performance) 

• Mainstream Kid (with Katie Pruitt)

• Alone (Heart cover with Lucius and Celisse Henderson)

• Hold Out Your Hand

• Stay Gentle

• Somewhere Over The Rainbow

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Brandi Carlile headlines the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville