Big Surprise Tour Brings Big Sounds to Nashville’s Riverfront

If there is a region that is known for country music, it is the south. If there is a city in the south known for country music, it is Nashville. If the most incredible show this writer has ever seen happened, it was The Big Surprise Tour that came through Tennessee in mid-August.

Take every current country genius around and put them all on stage together and see what happens. Pure bliss. The only thing that can make bands like Old Crow Medicine Show and The Felice Brothers and Gillian Welch better is to throw them all on stage together for a homerun derby of whiskey soaked rhythm.

On top of an amazing four and a half our set, the night was closed out with Nashville’s own Justin Townes Earle performing “Can’t Hardly Wait.” Then Gillian and Dave Rawlings performed a chilling duet of the beautiful Look at Miss Ohio featured on their most recent album, Soul Journey. What seemed to be the end to this wild evening was Old Crow Medicine Show performing their arguably largest hit, “Wagon Wheel.” Rocked like a southbound train, every individual on the riverfront of Nashville was moving their feet and singing along.

With a roar of applause reaching to the opposite ends of Tennessee, every one of these modern day legends returned to the stage to perform two final songs. The screams echoed throughout Broadway as Nashville again held a historic evening in its gentle company. Old Crow closed The Big Surprise show, performing “Tell It To Me.” –Landin E.  King, Contributing Editor

Photos of Old Crow Medicine Show and David Rawlings by Landin E. King