It is nearly six years since early May of 2010, when torrential rains and flooding struck Tennessee, parts of Kentucky and northern Mississippi, leaving a horrific swath of death and destruction in its wake. And Nashville was far from immune to the effects of the storm, with major damage to the city and surrounding areas. But especially hard hit were those along the Cumberland River, which crested at nearly 52 feet, creating a nightmare for companies like Soundcheck and the many music and touring businesses housed there. Also affected with serious damage were the Gaylord Opryland Resort, Opry Mills, Bridgestone Arena, LP Field, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and the Grand Ole Opry House itself. But Nashvillians are a close-knit community and pull together in times of need. So other venues — notably the Ryman Auditorium and the War Memorial Auditorium (ironically, both former homes of the Opry) — pitched in to host Opry performances during the few months while the Grand Ole Opry itself was refurbished and repaired.
The Nashville Spirit
However, Nashville’s spirit of community and cooperation is not limited to disaster relief. As anyone who has spent any time in Music City USA can attest, the locals are friendly and always willing to help out. And while there is (friendly) competition among companies in the music business — after all, it is the music biz — it’s far more often that you see firms working alongside each other for a common cause. And it all pays off.
Nashville may rank 25th in terms of overall population among U.S. cities, but the city’s role in the touring and live performance industry is much bigger, and growing. With that in mind, this month, both FRONT of HOUSE and our sister publication PLSN are presenting special spotlights on production in Nashville.
Our intrepid Nashville-based correspondent Dan Daley looks at the ongoing explosion of new venues and system upgrades in local performance venues. Hey — you can never have too many places to perform or enjoy great music, and Nashville is always quick to serve up a little entertainment. We also profile some local service providers and take an inside look into the preparations for the recent New Year’s Bash on Broadway — just a little gathering of 150,000 music fans along Nashville’s downtown area.
To the attendees, the experience may seem like magic, but actually, there are no incantations or spells involved — just a little planning, hard work and cooperation at every level from all concerned to make it all happen. Yet maybe that’s what real magic is all about.
Catch George’s editorial commentary at www.fohonline.com/foh-tv.
