Stars on Broadway - Morgan Wallen

Chapter 8 - Packed House

Georgie stood just behind the stage at Kid Rock's bar, her heart pounding in time with the pulse of the crowd outside. The noise was almost deafening, the sound of people filling the space with excited chatter and clinking glasses. Tonight was different. She wasn't playing to a half-full room of tourists or locals looking for a little entertainment on a Friday night. Tonight, the bar was packed. More than packed—it was overflowing.

She peeked out from behind the curtain, her eyes scanning the sea of people. The bar was at full capacity, the crowd packed shoulder to shoulder, with some even pressed up against the windows just to catch a glimpse of the stage. The neon lights flickered overhead, casting a warm glow over the crowd, and for the first time, it really hit her—she wasn't just Georgie Day, the girl playing bar gigs for tips anymore. She was Georgie Day, the artist who had built a following of over 400,000 people, each one of them excited to hear her music.

Her phone buzzed in her back pocket, and she pulled it out to see a flood of notifications from Instagram and TikTok. The gig had been promoted by the label all week, and she had shared it across her platforms, posting behind-the-scenes rehearsal clips and reminding her fans to come down to the show. The response had been immediate. People were flying in from nearby cities just to see her perform, and now the bar was packed to the point where they had to close the doors. No one else could get in.

This is really happening, Georgie thought, a surge of excitement bubbling in her chest. This was the biggest show she'd ever played, and the energy in the air felt electric.

Her band was already set up, tuning their instruments and checking their gear. Jesse, her drummer, caught her eye and gave her a wide grin. "Can you believe this crowd?" he said, his voice filled with disbelief. "I mean, this place is packed. They had to turn people away!"

Georgie grinned back, feeling her own excitement mirrored in her bandmates. "I know. I can't believe it either. It's wild."

She adjusted the strap on her guitar, her fingers dancing over the strings as she ran through a quick warm-up. The usual pre-show jitters were there, but they were different this time. This wasn't the nervous energy of doubt or fear. It was anticipation. Excitement. She felt ready—more than ready. She felt confident in a way she hadn't before. The months of hard work, the growing social media following, the songwriting sessions with Morgan—it had all led to this moment.

For the first time in her career, Georgie felt like everything was falling into place.

As the stage lights dimmed, the crowd erupted into cheers. The sound washed over her, a wave of noise and energy that made her heart race in the best possible way. She glanced at her band one last time, seeing the same excitement in their faces. This wasn't just her moment—it was theirs too.

"Let's do this," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

The lights came up, and Georgie stepped out onto the stage, her guitar slung across her shoulder, her heart pounding in time with the beat. The crowd roared as she took her place in front of the microphone, the noise washing over her like a tidal wave.

"Hey y'all!" Georgie said, her voice amplified through the speakers. "I'm Georgie Day, and I'm so excited to be here with you tonight. This is the biggest crowd we've ever played for, and I can't wait to share some music with y'all!"

The crowd erupted again, and Georgie felt a rush of adrenaline. She strummed the first chords of Ridin' Shotgun, her voice steady as she launched into the opening verse. The band followed her lead, their sound tight and powerful, the rhythm driving the song forward with an energy that matched the crowd's excitement.

Windows down, radio loud
Cruisin' through the small-town crowd
I'm sittin' here, ridin' shotgun with you

The audience was singing along before she even hit the chorus. It was surreal—hearing hundreds of voices join in, belting out the words she had written in her tiny apartment, the same words that had now reached people across the country. Georgie smiled, letting the music take over, her confidence growing with every note.