Celebrating their 25th anniversary of being a powerful force in the world of country rock, Blackberry Smoke brought power and heat to Nashville’s historic Mother Church. Forming in 2001, Blackberry Smoke has been a pillar of modern country rock and folk Americana music with eight studio albums and a fierce fanbase who keep coming back to Blackberry Smoke for their authenticity and electric storytelling; their latest album, Be Right Here, received critical acclaim across several rock and country charts, and the band has been touring across the country all summer and is gearing up for their High Tide Getaway four day destination concert in Mexico. Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium was packed on Friday night with Blackberry Smoke’s loyal fans— one of the most incredible aspects about seeing country rock in a city like Nashville is seeing several generations of music lovers and followers of the band packed into one room basking in the music and the energy the band exudes. Opened by the fiery Jason Newstead and the Chophouse Band, the crowd was already warm from the moment the lights went dark.
Blackberry Smoke took the stage by storm and performed a wide variety of music from across their discography, including older songs such as “Six Ways To Sunday” and the titular song from the album “The Whippoorwill” as well as music from their latest album including “Dig a Hole” and “Hammer And The Nail”. Frontman Charlie Starr had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the opening song, flanked by Paul Jackson and Benji Shanks on guitar. Adorned with a stained glass backdrop very befitting for the Mother Church, a lightning bolt symbol surrounded by letters CBT, modeled after Elvis’s iconic TCB, loomed over the band. This symbol is to honor the band’s original drummer, Brit Turner, who passed away due to cancer in 2024. The band continues to honor his memory to this day through symbolism such as this but also through the Brit Turner Family Fund, a non-profit organization that supports foundations working towards curing children’s cancer. Closing out the night with an incredible rendition of Black Sabbath's “War Pigs” with Jason Newstead and “Ain’t Much Left Of Me”, Nashville thanks Blackberry Smoke for two incredible nights and cannot wait to see what the band does next.
- Lillie Hollabaugh
Photos Courtesy of Lillie Hollabaugh (For Bell Music Magazine)
