A group of Kacey Musgraves fans got a bit more spiritual than expected last week when they showed up at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium expecting a concert… and got a podcast about psychedelic mushrooms instead.
The event in question was actually a live taping of the Sing for Science podcast, which dives into the intersection of music and science. The episode focused on how psychedelic experiences have influenced Kacey’s songwriting, and while she did appear and speak at length, there was zero singing involved. No “Rainbow,” no “Golden Hour,” no encore. Just a deep discussion about psilocybin and the creative process.
Fans were understandably confused. The venue, the Ryman, is legendary for live performances, and with Kacey’s name on the billing, some attendees assumed they were in for a proper show.
TikToks quickly surfaced showing groups in full “concert cute” outfits walking out once they realized it was more TED Talk than tour date.
One singer, Faith Hopkins, summed it up with a now-viral TikTok, saying she was hoping for “Slow Burn” but instead got “no singing and lots of big words I didn’t understand.”
To be fair, the event was accurately listed in official promotions as a podcast taping, but that detail may have gotten lost in translation (or excitement) for some fans.
And no shade to the podcast—it features fascinating conversations with artists about science and creativity—but if you’re pre-gaming for a concert and expecting bangers, sitting quietly for a seminar about psychedelics might not be what you had in mind.
Still want to see Kacey actually perform? You’ll have to hop a flight. Her next live show is in Mexico City, where she’s continuing her tour with real instruments, real vocals, and hopefully zero confusion.
Moral of the story: always read the fine print… especially when mushrooms are involved.