Kelsea Ballerini is just a few shows into her 2025 headlining tour, and each night has been different than the last. During her stop in Duluth, GA on Jan. 29, she surprised fans by adding her second career No. 1, “Dibs” into her setlist as a special tribute to her beloved dog of the same name who she revealed was backstage watching the show alongside her boyfriend, Chase Stokes.
Standing in front of her bedazzled mic donning a black feather and sequin dress, Ballerini confessed to her audience that she had a setlist lined up for the entire East Coast run of the trek, but it was clear that those plans were not set in stone. So far, each night of the run has featured a slight change in the setlist, and it seems that will continue to be a trend throughout the remainder of the tour.
Dibs with Kelsea Ballerini; Photo Courtesy Kelsea Ballerini, Instagram
“I have a setlist that I was fully planning on sticking to the whole East Coast run of this store because I’m a virgo and I like a schedule. I like to know what to expect. But I also get bored real easy and if I have a reason to change a song every now and again, I like to do that. It keeps me on my toes,” she shared with the screaming crowd.
Ballerini goes on to say that she would be dedicating the next song in her setlist that night to her adorable pup who was diagnosed with “inoperable cancer in his heart” last August. At the time, Ballerini was told that Dibs only had weeks or days left to live, but he has outweighed the odds, and she isn’t taking a moment of that for granted.
During her recent visit to the TODAY Show, she explained that Dibs, who’s been her “ride or die for nine and a half years,” was back at home in the care of her mom, Carla, but is now getting to enjoy some time on the road. Ballerini made sure to celebrate the fact that he is still with her today by performing the fan-favorite tune that went to country radio the same week she brought him home.
“I’m singing this song tonight because if you follow me, you know that I’m a dog mom and my little dude, he’s going through it right now. I didn’t know if he would be here when this tour started, let alone get to be backstage right now,” she told the packed venue.
The Tennessee native warned fans that she hasn’t played the tune in a “really long time,” and as soon as she stepped up the mic to begin the heartfelt lyrics, she paused, realizing she wasn’t sure of the first words. Luckily, fans helped her out and she finished out the acoustic delivery with ease.
Several lucky concert-goers even got to see Dibs side stage after the show when Ballerini and her boyfriend stopped by for a quick “hello.”
Following the concert, the “Baggage” singer took to her Instagram story to share what was happening backstage while she was performing “Dibs.” The sweet photo saw her pup sitting with Stokes on the floor as they both had their eyes glued to the stage. Ballerini made sure to gush about her other half and his willingness to always show up for her even in the midst of his own busy schedule.
“This man is in the middle of releasing TWO films and working on a million other things, and the first break he had, he met me on the road and sat side stage with our dibby so he could watch part of the show,” the message read. “In awe of his heart and this photo shows a peek at how pure it is, behind the curtain. Love is special, I feel so lucky.”
