See Kelsea Ballerini Talk Headlining Tour, Return to ‘High School’

Kelsea Ballerini performed a special concert at her former high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, taking the stage to preview her new album Unapologetically. The event was part of the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development’s “The Soundtrack of America, Made in Tennessee” campaign, and Ballerini also donated $20,000 to the school’s choral department.

Speaking before the show at Knoxville’s Central High School, the “Legends” singer told Rolling Stone Country that she had been looking forward to her homecoming for a long time.

“I’ve always wanted to do a show here, I only went to school here for two years, but I feel like this is where I did a lot of character building and learned a lot about myself,” Ballerini says.

Unapologetically, which comes out November 3rd, will be supported by a headlining tour, which features special guest Walker Hayes. It’ll stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on February 14th – Valentine’s Day.

“When I first headlined I had never tried to sell tickets by myself … when you open, fans know the single, but when you headline they know the second verse of track six, and its like, ‘Oh my gosh the whole album mattered,'” says Ballerini. “So when the opportunity came to do it again it was like, ‘Heck yes,’ and we’re bringing Walker Hayes, who is awesome.”

Here are the announced tour dates for Ballerini’s Unapologetically Tour, all of which feature Hayes as opening act:

February 8 – Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre
February 9 – Chattanooga, TN @ Tivoli Theatre
February 10 – Augusta, GA @ William G. Bell Auditorium
February 14 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium (with Walker Hayes and Bailey Bryan)
February 16 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
February 22 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live!
February 23 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
February 24 – Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place
March 5 – New York, NY @ PlayStation Theater
March 6 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
March 7 – Richmond, VA @ The National
March 19 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
March 20 – Spokane, WA @ The Knitting Factory
March 21 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
March 25 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Arlington Theatre
March 27- Indio, CA @ Stagecoach Festival