It is a shame country radio doesn’t mess with Kacey Musgraves. The Grammy award winner is way more than just the “tomatoes” in the country radio salad. As her sold-out show on Friday at the Lincoln Theatre proved, she is the realest in the game.

After the opening band Sugar & The Hi-Los, Musgraves kept the crowd wanting more out of a 21 song set covering the majority of her latest release Pageant Material, with other hits and surprising covers thrown in. The one-two-three punch of “Pageant Material,” “Biscuits” and “Step Off” was the perfect opening to a fantastic night.

Musgraves’ set no longer has neon cacti. Instead, it is awash in red streamers and star lights, made to make look like a beauty pageant. Musgraves commanded her band, who all dressed in pink suits with light up details. With flashing lights and the occasional hit of the disco ball, the production values were all well-earned.

While most suffer for banter, Musgraves was charming and endearing, and the crowd ate it up. The songs were all played straight and professionally, and Musgraves got chances to wow with a surprising cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs.” The cover flipped the song into a country jam but also showed the strength of the songwriting. Just like “No Scrubs”, any of Musgraves’ songs could be reformatted into another genre with ease.

Many of Musgraves’ peers belong in the “Good Ol’ Boys Club”; Musgraves and her collaborators aren’t out to set the world on fire with the next pop hit, or cross over like Taylor Swift. Instead, Musgraves writes earnest songs that have connected with audiences around the world. She is nothing if not authentic.