Music, Music, Sweet Sweet Music

This blog post is a little late—sorry about that, my five loyal readers!

My recent trip to Nashville kicked off with a bang. We landed at 4 PM and quickly made our way to our rental car. We had tickets for a show at the legendary Ryman Auditorium—or the Mother Church, as it’s affectionately named, since it started life as a church back in (add year).

Ryman Auditorium

This was our second trip to the Ryman. We toured it a few years ago and loved the rich history, and we’d always wanted to see a show there. But the only shows the weekend we were in town last time were holiday music festivals—nothing we were really interested in.

So when the bill for Vertical Horizon, KT Tunstall, and Toad the Wet Sprocket came up, we jumped at some very nice center balcony seats. None of these bands are my all-time favorites, but I knew their music well enough to check them out—and it’s the Ryman, one of my bucket-list venues. It didn’t disappoint.

What a night it was! The Ryman Auditorium—with its wooden pews, stained glass windows, posters of performers, and guitars hanging on the walls—was the perfect cozy cradle for a ’90s alt-rock throwback that somehow felt both nostalgic and utterly alive.

Vertical Horizon opened with their signature mix of soaring choruses and polished guitar work. They leaned into “Everything You Want”-era shine without feeling dated—a perfect warm-up act for the crowd.

KT Tunstall then transformed the stage into her own loop-pedal playground. With just a guitar, her voice, and a handful of pedals, she built rich, layered soundscapes that filled the space. She cracked jokes, shared stories, and gave the audience a peek into her creative process. Her acoustic magic made the night even more special. For me, she was the star of the show—especially when her manager/bass player joined her for a killer cover of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley. She also told great stories behind her hits Suddenly I See and Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.

Finally, Toad the Wet Sprocket closed the evening like old friends dropping by. Glen Phillips and company, now decades into their career yet still tight, struck the perfect balance of hits and deep cuts. I’d seen them in the late ’90s when I worked at WDVE Radio, and they still sound just as great as they did back then. When they played “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean,” there was genuine reverence in the room—people swayed, sang softly, closed their eyes. They also mixed in some rarer gems, reminding everyone that these aren’t nostalgia acts—their songs still resonate, still have bite and beauty.

The Listening Room

I love The Listening Room. One of the locals we met on our first trip recommended it, and now it’s a must-visit every time we’re in Nashville. The shows usually feature three or four songwriters taking turns performing their songs and sharing stories about how they were written and who recorded them.

We went to the earlier show that evening, which featured: Tia Sillers, Ronnie Bowman, and Marla Cannon-Goodman. Between them, they’ve written songs for:

• Lee Ann Womack
• The Dixie Chicks
• Alan Jackson
• Rodney Atkins
• Brooks & Dunn
• Kenny Chesney
• Tracy Byrd
• Chris Stapleton
• Blake Shelton
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Marla Cannon-Goodman—I’ll be honest—I didn’t know many of her songs as I’m not the biggest country fan, but hearing her stories and learning about her process was great. Marla was working as a nurse when her song “The Fool,” recorded by Lee Ann Womack, hit #1 on the country charts. She’s had cuts by artists like Sammy Kershaw, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Kenny Chesney, and George Strait. She’s also reached #1 twice more with “Ten Rounds of Jose Cuervo” (Tracy Byrd) and “Cleaning This Gun” (Rodney Atkins).

Ronnie Bowman started in gospel and bluegrass and has been in many bands as well as a songwriter. I was more familiar with his work than I realized. For Chris Stapleton’s Traveller album, Bowman co-wrote “Nobody to Blame” and “Outlaw State of Mind.” Lee Ann Womack recorded his “The Healing Kind.” Brooks & Dunn cut his “It’s Getting Better All the Time.” And Kenny Chesney included “Never Wanted Nothing More,” which Bowman co-wrote with Stapleton. Hearing him talk about long nights working on these songs, wondering if they’d ever amount to anything—well, I’d say they did.

Tia Sillers was my personal favorite of the night. After losing her writing partner and husband, she took ten years off from music, only returning in January 2025. I’m so glad she did—her songs were amazing. Her latest, “Goldfish,” is being picked up by Kenny Chesney, and her set was full of powerful new material. Sillers has written over 40 singles across genres, including:

• “I Hope You Dance” – Lee Ann Womack
• “Blue on Black” – Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• “There’s Your Trouble” – Dixie Chicks
• “That’ll Be Alright” – Alan Jackson
• “Lipstick Promises” – George Ducas
• “Heaven, Heartache & the Power of Love” – Trisha Yearwood
• “Dance With Me” – Johnny Reid
• “Firewalker” – Shannon LaBrie

The great thing about Nashville—and The Listening Room in particular—is that you never know what you’ll find. Even though I didn’t know any of the artists when we bought tickets, the show was incredible. I highly recommend going and hearing the stories behind the songs straight from the people who wrote them.

Blues Night at Bourbon & Blues

No trip to Nashville is complete for me without catching some blues. We went down to Bourbon and Blues in Printer’s Alley—a cool little area tucked away from the madness of Broadway. We hadn’t explored this spot before, so it was great to discover something new.

We checked out the Stacy Mitchhart Band—a fantastic mix of old-school blues and rock, complete with a horn section that kept the crowd up and dancing all night long. It was the perfect way to finish a night of great music.

The Bluebird Café

Our last stop before leaving Nashville was the famous Bluebird Café. Sadly, we didn’t get to see a show there this time, but it’s on the list for next trip. The space is even smaller than it looks in pictures—and to think of seeing artists like Post Malone, Lainey Wilson, Taylor Swift, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Vince Gill, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, and Steve Earle performing just a few feet away must be amazing. I can’t wait to experience a show there someday.

Final Thoughts

All in all, Nashville is an incredible city with so much more to offer than just the bro-country bars along Broadway. Get out and explore. Wherever you travel, check out the local artists and see what the scene is all about—you never know what might inspire you.