Billy Ray Cyrus placed on a chaotic, glitch-filled efficiency on the post-inauguration Liberty Ball on Monday night time.
The ’90s nation music legend was welcomed onstage to carry out Lil Nas’ Grammy-winning “Previous City Street,” which Cyrus was initially featured on and added his vocals and guitar. However his efficiency in Washington, D.C., was barely heard because the tune’s music video performed loudly on a giant display behind him.
“Previous City Street” turned the longest-charting No. 1 tune within the historical past of the Billboard Sizzling 100 in 2019 and spent a complete 19 weeks on the prime of the chart. However because the music video ended, Cyrus continued singing with a decidedly hoarse voice and a spoken-word tone, and at one level invited the viewers to chime in as he cantered throughout the stage together with his microphone thrust out forward.
“Y’all can put your palms collectively now. If you happen to encourage me, I’ll preserve going. They advised me to kill as a lot time as potential,” Cyrus then introduced as he turned his again on the viewers. He then requested whether or not anybody knew the phrases to “Achy Breaky Coronary heart,” whereas fiddling together with his electrical guitar and complaining it wasn’t hooked as much as the audio system.
“Test, examine. Is my guitar nonetheless on? I don’t hear my guitar anymore,” he introduced. “Ah, Test. Is anyone awake? I don’t hear it. Do y’all hear this? Is anybody again there? Can any person flip my guitar again on? We’re going to sing a bit extra,” Cyrus requested the backstage technical crew.
“Y’all need me to sing extra otherwise you need me to only get the hell off the stage? I don’t give a rattling,” he added to the stage crew as he bought no response. A technician appeared to attempt to restore the nation’s singer’s electrical guitar to the audio system, and Cyrus questioned aloud if he’d unplugged the instrument on his personal.
As that repair was tried, Cyrus, now standing onstage in silence, praised Carrie Underwood’s earlier efficiency, whereas remarking she had technical difficulties too. Fellow nation singer Underwood was compelled to carry out a cappella throughout Monday’s inauguration of President Donald Trump attributable to audio glitches.
When it appeared just like the guitar couldn’t be restored to the audio system, Cyrus advised the technician, “I assume it’s lifeless.” He then urged the viewers to snap their fingers as Cyrus tried an a cappella rendition of “Achy Breaky Coronary heart,” by half-speaking and half-singing.
That didn’t final lengthy earlier than Cyrus bid goodnight to the viewers and was performed offstage. The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Cyrus’ administration staff for direct touch upon the efficiency, however has not heard again.
