Songwriters Under the Stars

Last night I had the honor of attending Cheekwood’s inaugural Songwriters Under the Stars at the Cheekwood Mansion. When welcoming all of us (a sold-​out 500 person crowd!) the CEO of Cheekwood said that, a few years back, they polled people about what they would like to see more of at Cheekwood. This being Music City, we responded as expected: live music, on the beautiful grounds of Cheekwood. I have been to a few special concerts here in the past, but nothing like the amazing show I saw last night.
The music of the evening was provided by the Music City Hitmakers, who live up to their name. You might recognize the major names they have written for, such as Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, and the Eli Young Band, just to name a few. They all had number one songs to their names and awards galore and yet they were open about their lives and struggles in making music. They were backed by the absolutely incredible Nashville Studio Symphony, rockstar musicians in their own right. The arrangements of all the songs you have no doubt heard on the radio were almost better than what the performers themselves have done. These people were absolutely incredible. Set on the back lawn of the Cheekwood Mansion (called the Swan Lawn) under a beautiful October night sky, this event was everything that is Nashville. The setting, the music, the stories, just incredible.
As for the finer details, here’s some info: parking fills up quick when 500 people pack into an evening at Cheekwood so come early! They had gold carts whizzing about to help people get up the hill if needed. You were allowed to bring food but not booze, though they sold wine, beer, and liquor on the grounds and there were plenty of bars set up so there were never any lines. You could bring lawn chairs but they had to be more like stadium seats (the email said «you can’t be able to fit a basketball under the chair» which was nice because you weren’t struggling to see over anyone’s head). It was a cold night so warm clothes and blankets were required but that only made it more awesome. Every single person on the Cheekwood staff and their volunteers provided assistance and support and smiles. For a first time event, they ran it perfectly.
Talk is this will be a yearly or twice-​yearly event. I HIGHLY recommend this experience. It was a beautiful setting with amazing music, and it kind of felt like adult storytime with all the great tales these artists told. And turns out that one of the songwriters is married to Kelly Pickler, who got called up to sing, and she was incredible. Because that is something that happens here in Nashville. You never know what surprises will occur at events like this.