Photo by Amber J. Davis
Storme Warren and Joe Denim made history at the War Memorial Auditorium on Thursday night, holding the first ever “Nashville House Concert.” With a unique variety show setup hosting the likes of country superstar Martina McBride, hit songwriters Shane MacAnally and Josh Osborne, Ryan Kinder and more. One of the biggest surprises of the night was when Jim Lauderdale casually strolled out onstage to join the party.
The historic building was ready for a lively evening with formal gold accents and grand tall columns, contrasting the big comfy leather couches and vintage rugs featured onstage. The packed audience was filled with energy and expectation as Shane MacAnally and Josh Osborne kicked things off playing an acoustic set of some of their biggest co-written hits, including “All-American Kids” (Kenny Chesney), “Drinkin’ Problem” (Midland), and “Body Like A Back Road” (Sam Hunt).
Then the audience got involved. Warren and Denim tasked MacAnally and Osborne with creating a brand new song featuring words provided by the audience. “Mule ride,” “catywompus,” “trajectory” and “misty” were among the word choices, the two smash hit songwriters came back onstage later on and presented a song that had the audience in hysterics. Did you know the word “trajectory” can be rhymed with “vasectomy?”
One of the most unique parts of the evening involved local characters Wayne the Bartender and Maestro Dan the Singing Waiter, friends of Warren and Denim. Wayne was tasked with creating a cocktail based on National Salami Day (just as delicious as it sounds) while Maestro Dan performed a self-written tune based on the salami theme. This section definitely lived up to the variety show concept.
Ryan Kinder rocked the house with his original songs while the house band backed him, his John Mayer-like blues-rock sound soaring up to the rafters of War Memorial. Joe Denim also performed “Pray for You” and was the true entertainer of the evening with his comedic bits that put the audience in stitches. Jim Lauderdale thrilled the audience with his surprise appearance and performance of “King of Broken Hearts.”
The most anticipated part of the evening came when Storme Warren walked offstage and brought Martina McBride out on his arm. During their short interview they discussed McBride’s 25-year long hit-filled career, her efforts to help people in Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey (see Team Music is Love’s website for details) and her daughter starting her acting career in Los Angeles. Then McBride thrilled the audience by performing hits such as “Love’s The Only House” and “This One’s For the Girls.”
The vibrant spirit and culture of Nashville was the center point of the evening, and will surely be the biggest takeaway from future Nashville House Concerts. A perfect summation of the evening came when Martina McBride said, “Nashville is an amazing special magical place where dreams come true and people help each other out.”
Check out images from the night below:
The next Nashville House Concert is scheduled for October 5, and tickets can be purchased at the War Memorial Auditorium website or by calling (615) 782-4030.