Mary T.
Yelp
Nashville was not in the cards when I was planning my summer vacation. My original plan was to stay in Canada. Specifically, I wanted to return to Winnipeg. It has been over five years since I was last there.
Winnipeg will need to wait a bit longer.
When I saw that Guster, one of my favourite bands, was on tour, I was excited. The band wasn't heading over the border this year. I looked at all tour dates and noticed that the band was performing with the Nashville Symphony.
A rock band with a symphony orchestra? Yes, please! I booked my concert ticket online and made plans to visit Nashville around it. It was the best move.
Guster was playing at Nashville Symphony's crib, Schermerhorn Symphony Center. I remember walking down the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and was trying to figure out what the building ahead of me was. It was where I'd be taking in music over a week later.
Of note, names of buildings and bridges are thoughtful in Nashville, but the last names are so long for this person who only has one syllable in hers. I can see why folks tend to not use them because it's easier to avoid spelling them incorrectly!
I parked in the lot across from Schermerhorn Symphony Center. I had parked there previously to visit the Johnny Cash Museum, and the Johnny Cash Bar and Grill. You basically point your phone at a QR code and pay for parking online.
The symphony center is beautiful. The main entrance has tall pillars and feels like you are going into a museum. There is a water fountain off to the right. It's a nice place to hang out and relax.
I saw a lineup in front of the west atrium entrance, near the fountain. I decided to line up there, too.
The woman scanning my ticket on my phone was nice. She directed me to where I needed to go. Staff are extremely helpful.
I got to the main lobby and another woman asked if I needed help. Yep, I looked like a total tourist. It is gorgeous inside. There's lot of marble. It was so stunning that I was lost in marble heaven.
I snapped out if it and asked where I should go. I needed to go up the stairs. I looked at the merch table and asked if it was the only one. She said yes. It was busy. I thought that it would be best to check it out after the show. I thanked her and wished her a great day. She was nice and hoped that I'd enjoy the show.
I had a third person show me where I was going. I never got lost. I was in good care. I thanked her as she showed me the way to my seat.
This female usher let me know that when folks make a donation, the donor's name gets engraved on the metal oval where the seat's back is. I was curious about it while I was looking at the seat number.
One cool thing about going to a show, particularly a Guster one, is that everyone around you is friendly. It was the case with the folks on both sides of me.
I was five rows in front of the stage. I was nearly dead centre. I couldn't have asked for a better seat.
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, principal pops conductor, welcomed us. He was friendly and charming. He went straight into introducing Guster, who joined the symphony orchestra on stage.
The Nashville Symphony was impressive. I loved how carefully the scores were crafted with Guster's music. They were professional and talented.
Guster was awesome. They played a varied set of their music. They cracked jokes. Ryan, the lead singer, sang a row behind me. I was stunned, but still managed to get a photo of him in disbelief.
It was such a fun show, with Guster members often poking fun at themselves. Adam, who also sings and plays guitar, has a trumpet solo for one song. Both Ryan and Adam made a joke that the symphony was almost outraged to see someone with fifth-grade trumpet lessons play in front of them... haha!
This concert was wonderful and memorable. I'm so glad that I got to experience the Nashville Orchestra with Guster. If I lived in the city, I'd be taking in this symphony orchestra often.
After the show was over, I needed to find the washroom. It was intuitive. I found it without any difficulty. The women's washroom was stunning in marble. The stall that I was in was super clean.
I headed to the merchandise table. I managed to get a Guster t-shirt as a souvenir. I do recommend visiting it after a show, as it wasn't as nuts.
It's a gorgeous venue to enjoy great music. The acoustics were excellent and I was comfortable sitting there for perhaps two hours. I recommend coming here for a concert when in Nashville.
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