After a two-hour severe storm delay, the production finally got underway at 10:15 p.m., offering a complex, layered think piece worth every minute of the wait.

Beyoncé was set to take the stage at Soldier Field Thursday night for the first night of her Cowboy Carter tour in Chicago, but as the BeyHive prepares to swarm, so does the threat of severe weather.

Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour” opens in Chicago this week, with shows Thursday, Saturday and Sunday nights.