2018 was the year for concerts in the Nashville area from Eagles at Bridgestone Arena to Foreigner, White Snake & Jason Bonham (son of the late John Bonham of Led Zeppelin) at Ascend Amphitheater. Some of tours have been the bands farewell to their fans playing their hits since the beginning while having some amazing opening acts that may have blew the headliner out of the water. Just take a look at just a few concerts that I thought were note worthy for coming into Nashville this past year. Let’s just hope that 2019 is JUST as good as this past year. Cheers to a new year of concerts and unbelievable performances.
Bad Company & Lynyrd Skynyrd at Bridgestone Arena
The farewell tours are coming in for older bands and for southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd it isn’t any different. While most of the original band members have passed away there was still one member of the band still rockin’ after 54 years, Gary Rossington. Putting on a performance that no one will forget, the band started off with ‘Workin’ for MCA’ and ending with the encore of nothing better than ‘Free Bird’ (may have cost the venue an extra $100 for them to play it). During the entire performance, you couldn’t notice a huge difference in the band’s sound after Johnny Van Zant took over as lead singer after his brother’s death in 1987. But that wasn’t the only amazing thing to come into Nashville that night, Bad Company played like it was the first show they have ever played making the entire arena sing ‘Shooting Star’ back to frontman Paul Rodgers. If Skynyrd ever decides to pull an Elton John or KISS with “Farewell Tours”, I would get ready to buy tickets because, trust me, this is one show you won’t want to miss. Oh and plus, you may get an amazing opening acts like Bad Company or Marshall Tucker Band.
BAD COMPANY SET LIST: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bad-company/2018/bridgestone-arena-nashville-tn-2b96389e.html
LYNYRD SKYNYRD SET LIST: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/lynyrd-skynyrd/2018/bridgestone-arena-nashville-tn-3396389d.html
CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE CONCERT IN THE ‘PHOTOS’
REO Speedwagon & Chicago at Ascend Amphitheater
It seems like they can’t get enough of Nashville. REO Speedwagon and Chicago came back to Ascend Amphitheater for their 2018 World Tour after being apart from the town for a year. With REO opening for Chicago, they put on an performance making their long time fans feel like they were 18 again as they played the hits including; ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ and “Time for Me to Fly’. With older groups putting on shows throughout the year, it’s not always normal for the tour to not have a “photography pit” but this was exactly what REO Speedwagon and Chicago decided to do for their new tour allowing their fans to stand in front of the stage to not only lose “most of” their hearing for the next day but to have Kevin Cronin give each person a high-five during their set. After getting Ascend Amphitheater pumped for the night, Chicago took the stage performing the highlights to their ‘Chicago II’ album for the first half of their set. Not only did the band perform hits from the album like ’25 or 6 to 4’ but they also played songs that people just needed to hear live for themselves that included; ‘Saturday in the Park’ and ‘Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”. While this was my second time seeing both bands perform live, I would say that they are always my favorite to not only photograph but to hear live because of the bands sounding EXACTLY like their original recordings even if they were recorded over 35 years ago.
REO SPEEDWAGON SET LIST: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/reo-speedwagon/2018/ascend-amphitheater-nashville-tn-53ebb3a9.html
CHICAGO SET LIST: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/chicago/2018/ascend-amphitheater-nashville-tn-5bebb3a8.html
CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE CONCERT IN THE ‘PHOTOS’
Eagles at Bridgestone Arena
Soaring into Nashville for two nights, the infamous 70’s band Eagles took the Bridgestone Arena stage. With a few years after Glenn Frey’s death, they made a few adjustments that some people (not including myself) were a little skeptical about. The band added country musician, Nashville Predators fan Vince Gill and Glenn Frey’s 24 year old son, Deacon. As the lights got dark in the arena, the band started to sing ‘Seven Bridges Road’ causing the entire building to feel like you were in an earthquake. Now if you have ever head the song before (I hope so) then you would know that it requires all members of the band to sing in harmony, and without a doubt it felt like you were listening to their live version from 1980. As the band began their setlist, Deacon not only played but sang one of their songs ‘Take It Easy’ sounding identical to when his Father would play it. From the beginning to the very end, Joe, Don, Timothy, Deacon, Vince and company kept the entire arena on their feet screaming. With all the guys coming together the band still sounded like they did 40 years ago. Now we are all hoping this wasn’t the last time we were able to see the group but they will make a regular appearance to Nashville.
EAGLES SET LIST: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/eagles/2018/bridgestone-arena-nashville-tn-43ef1ff3.html
CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE CONCERT IN THE ‘PHOTOS’ TAB
2018 Concerts
Beach Boys at Ryman Auditorium – November 14 & 15
Boz Scaggs at Ryman Auditorium – October 29
Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bad Company at Bridgestone Arena – October 26
Elton John at Bridgestone Arena – October 24
Phish at Ascend Amphitheater – October 23 & 24
Simple Minds at Ryman Auditorium – October 9
Kid Rock’s Fish Fry with George Thorogood at Woods at Fontanel – October 5 & 6
Billy Idol at Woods at Fontanel – September 28
Loverboy at Ryman Auditorium – September 15
Michael Nesmith & The First National Band at Country Music Hall of Fame – September 11
Widespread Panic at Ascend Amphitheater – August 31, Sept 1 & 2
Def Leppard & Journey at Bridgestone Arena – August 25
Gov’t Mule at Woods at Fontanel – August 19
Jeff Beck & Paul Rodgers and Ann Wilson of Heart at Municipal Auditorium – August 17
Toto at Ryman Auditorium – August 17
Happy Together Tour at Ryman Auditorium – August 15
Dwight Yoakam at Ryman Auditorium – August 12
Rod Stewart with Cyndi Lauper at Bridgestone Arena – August 1
Boy George at Ryman Auditorium – July 24
Chicago & REO Speedwagon at Ascend Amphitheater – July 13
Foreigner, White Snake & Jason Bonham at Ascend Amphitheater – July 6
The Pretenders at Ryman Auditorium – July 2
Daryl Hall & John Oats and Train at Bridgestone Arena – June 30
Paul Simon at Bridgestone Arena – June 20
Poison with Cheap Trick & Pop Evil at Ascend Amphitheater – June 28
Styx and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts with Tesla at Ascend Amphitheater – June 12
U2 at Bridgestone Arena – May 26
Steely Dan & The Doobie Brothers at Ascend Amphitheater – May 20
Willie Nelson & Family and Alison Krauss at Ascend Amphitheater – May 18
Steven Tyler at Woods at Fontanel – May 12
Eagles at Bridgestone Arena – March 23 & 24
