Old Dominion performs during their sold-out show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Mason Allen
Old Dominion wrapped their “No Bad Vibes Tour” on Friday night (Dec. 15) with a sold-out show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The multi-Platinum group—made up by lead singer/guitarist Matthew Ramsey, guitarist/vocalist Brad Tursi, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Trevor Rosen, bassist Geoff Sprung and drummer Whit Sellers—along with their openers, mesmerized the crowd with their interactive, high-energy performances.
Sparkling in a blue two-piece set and blue cowboy boots, Kylie Morgan kicked off the evening with a few fun numbers. She grooved with her guitarists while covering Gwen Stefani‘s “Sweet Escape.” Dancers decked out in denim joined her all the way from Las Vegas for songs such as “Country Girl,” a track from her latest collection Making It Up As I Go, and “I Only Date Cowboys,” complimenting her vocal talent with equally impressive dance moves. After shouting out the dancers and each member of her band, Morgan shared some of her story with the crowd.
“I started writing songs when I was 12 years old,” she stated. “I know a lot of songwriters and future artists are out there tonight, and let me tell you, it has been 14 years in the making but tonight we’re playing Bridgestone Arena, so never give up on your dreams [and] never stop believing. No one is going to work harder for you than you.
“This is an unreal moment in my life, and it’s honestly all because of this last song I’m about to play,” continued Morgan. “It has changed my life in a million different ways, and has allowed me to bond with strangers across the world.” Vibrant multi-colored lights made their way around the arena as she moved into fan favorite “If He Wanted To He Would,” which is featured on both Making It Up As I Go and her P.S. project.
Priscilla Block was next up to keep Bridgestone bumping. Her name was ablaze in aqua behind her as she started with singles “My Bar” and “Off The Deep End.” Her metallic purple top along with her matching pants and scrunchie glistened as the singer-songwriter introduced herself to the audience. Block then bopped around to “Fake Names.”
“Huge shoutout to Old Dominion for having me out on this tour. It honestly has been such a highlight for me and my career, especially playing here tonight,” the artist said to the audience. “I moved to Nashville 10 years ago, and I started writing songs when I was 15. I just found a guitar in my attic and thought ‘Man, maybe I’ll move out [here] and start doing this thing.'” Block proceeded, “I just celebrated my very first No. 1 with Justin Moore and that was [also] a big highlight for me, but is it cool if I just play y’all a song that I just wrote with me and my guitar?”
Old Dominion with the Sony Music Nashville team before their sold-out show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Mason Allen
Everyone responded with cheers, and she began to strum her bedazzled, blue guitar as she told the tale behind “Me Pt.2.” Block put the luminous instrument away for “Thick Thighs,” but brought it back to close with her breakout hit “Just About Over You.” Grateful tears tinged her eyes and cell phone lighters flashed from every corner as she reminded attendees to never give up during the song’s final verse. Block continued to go out with a bang by shotgunning a beer before saying goodbye.
Sporting a white t-shirt, jeans and a hat from his Heads Up Eyes Down line, Chase Rice then took the Bridgestone stage. He had the crowd rocking with the title tack of his most recent album Way Down Yonder, and kept us going for “Ready Set Roll,” slapping every reaching hand he could. Rice asked if anyone had a cold beer in their hand and disclosed that he’s crushed more cans in Music City than anywhere else as he slid into “Bad Day To Be A Cold Beer” and “Lonely If You Are.” Warm hues hit the stage when he grabbed his guitar for “Oklahoma,” a Way Down Yonder collaboration with Southhall. Rice and his fellow guitarists united to end the album track with a short showcase of their incredible skills. He switched gears for his first No. 1 “Eyes On You,” before sharing the deeply personal story behind “Bench Seat.”
“We’re all going through something. Find a friend, phone a friend, go see them [or do] whatever you’ve got to do, because this life is hard but it’s a beautiful thing that we’ve got,” Rice told the crowd.
His black lab Jack joined him for the touching tune and instantly had every guest infatuated. Wearing a Ryan Johansen hockey jersey, Jack laid beside his best friend as he sang. The special guest received a lot of love as he made his way around the stage meeting audience members while Rice sang “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.,” which he recorded with Florida Georgia Line. Rice raised a beer with Jack and his band to toast his fellow openers and Old Dominion as he exited.
The arena went black and the audience erupted with roars as the words “We Are Old Dominion” flashed in large white letters across the screens on stage. The headliners soon emerged and hit the ground running with “Make It Sweet.”
“Welcome to the last show of the ‘No Bad Vibes Tour,'” announced Ramsey to the packed venue. “That means we have tonight. Whatever it is that’s pissing you off, stressing you out, dragging you down or keeping you up at night, it doesn’t belong in here with us tonight. We leave that shit outside. It’s Friday night in Nashville, Tennessee, and all you have to do is fill this room up with joy until the damn roof blows off.”
He tapped a handheld xylophone during “No Hard Feelings,” and the beams blasted aqua blue as the band sang “Never Be Sorry.” The lights radiated red and a candy cane-like pattern outlined the platform as fans swayed to the beat of “Break Up with Him,” the lyrics ringing from what seemed like every seat. The bulbs were blue as Old Dominion dove into “Midnight Mess Around,” but quickly returned to red accompanied by a beating broken heart on the center screen.
Ramsey then addressed the tornado tragedy that affected Middle Tennessee a week ago and shared that they decided to donate a dollar from every ticket sold to the area’s disaster relief fund. He went on to note that Bridgestone Arena; Wasserman Music, the band’s booking agency; and Farris, Self & Moore (FSM), their business management, had all matched the donation, bringing the total raised to over $40K.
“Thank you for showing up tonight. Money helps, but music is the best medicine. If we sing this song all together as loud as we possibly can, I guarantee you it’s going to create some healing in somebody,” he expressed as everyone entered into “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart.”
The group took a moment to express their gratitude and take it all in before playing “I Should’ve Married You” from their newest album, Memory Lane. A starry night faded into the ocean sea on the screens above as they followed with the 2017 tune “Written in the Sand.”
Old Dominion then began taking song requests listed on signs made by fans in the audience after acknowledging their hard-working crew. They kicked off the request portion with Memory Lane track “Different About You” and 2015’s “Wrong Turns.” The walls bounced with “whoas” from both the crowd and the band as everyone started to belt “Snapback.” “Hotel Key” followed, putting their musical magic on full display as they jammed on various instruments accompanied by rhythmic claps from the crowd. Ramsey went around and picked up various hotel keys from the music lovers who had travelled to see them as he and his bandmates beautifully layered their vocals. They then drove down “Memory Lane” with their recently-certified Platinum title track, and just like their supporting acts, told their touching 10-year-town story. Old Dominion also announced their forthcoming bar Odies, which is set to open in summer 2024.
They serenaded the stands with smash single “One Man Band,” and had the arena go dark so that phone lights could shine from each seat. Prior to the show, the group was surprised by Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman and the label staff with plaques for the six-time Platinum hit, which has amassed one billion streams, in addition to a Platinum plaque for “Memory Lane.” Hands waved back and forth for their “Song for Another Time.”
Up-and-coming country star Megan Moroney then made her way on stage, surprising us for “Can’t Break Up Now.” They all took a picture before Moroney said her goodbyes and the band sang “Still Writing Songs About You.” After a show-stopping guitar solo from Tursi, the group poured themselves into “Can’t Get You” and Kenny Chesney‘s “Save It for a Rainy Day,” which Ramsey and Tursi co-wrote alongside Andrew Dorff. They led each side of the stage in cheers, and shifted to “My Heart Is a Bar.”
The five wrapped their arms around each other before “Hawaii” and “How Good Is That.” Ramesy then passed out Hawaiian leis for the final song “I Was On a Boat That Day,” looping them around fans and bandmates. Old Dominion said their last thank you and goodnight, leaving all of Bridgestone Arena on a high.
