Miranda Lambert Kicks Off Vegas Residency with Hits and Stripped Down Performances: 'We Made It'

Miranda Lambert kicked off her Velvet Rodeo show at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater in Las Vegas on Friday evening

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 23: Miranda Lambert performs onstage during the opening night of her residency, "Velvet Rodeo" at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on September 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for Miranda Lambert)
Photo: John Shearer/Getty for Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert's Las Vegas residency show is fire — no "Kerosene" required.

On Friday, Lambert, 38, kicked off her Velvet Rodeo show at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater, which equated to a whole lot of pyro and a 90-minute education in modern country.

"O.M.G., we made it!" the country superstar exclaimed during her set. "We've been rehearsing for so long."

In her first of 24 Vegas shows, Lambert shined vocally as she seamlessly traversed her deep catalog. Not only did she pull out classics like 2007's "Famous In a Small Town," but she also showed her growth in the western-themed "If I Was a Cowboy" from her new Palomino album.

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 23: Miranda Lambert performs onstage during the opening night of her residency, "Velvet Rodeo" at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on September 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for Miranda Lambert)
John Shearer/Getty for Miranda Lambert

Dressed in fringe throughout, Lambert stunned her fans when her jacket shot sparklers out of the sleeves during "Gunpowder & Lead." Still, as the fire burned, Lambert leaned into the beauty of the show.

Her stripped-down rendition of "Tin Man," complete with white spotlights, was magical, as was the soothing live performance of "Bluebird," which fit the bill as blue lasers filled the room.

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 23: Miranda Lambert performs onstage during the opening night of her residency, "Velvet Rodeo" at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on September 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for Miranda Lambert)
John Shearer/Gets for Miranda Lambert

And, not surprisingly, her version of "Drunk" felt like a karaoke session, with the crowd collectively acting as Elle King in singing her portion of the pop song.

Just before taking the stage on Friday, Lambert said on Instagram that she was taking the Velvet Rodeo show to new heights, which she quite literally did before "Mama's Broken Heart" when she rose to the stage on a lift.

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Lambert's show is just one of several country residencies that have called Zappos home, including Florida Georgia Line in 2019, and, most recently, Shania Twain, who ended a three-year run there on Sept. 10.

While Lambert's residency is set for 24 shows, she mentioned that she would be in Vegas for "two years," meaning "The Fastest Girl in Town" seems to have already extended her stay in Sin City.

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