Tenille Townes‘ “Villain In Me Tour” took over Nashville’s Basement East last night (Jan. 27), delivering a set full of powerful vocals, catchy covers, and impressive guitar strumming to a packed room.

Entering the stage solo, armed only with her trusty acoustic guitar, the Canadian country artist opened the show with the longing “Where You Are” before exploding into the high-energy “White Horse” as her band came out to join her.

“I’m so excited to be here with you guys. I have been looking forward to this show, I’ve been nervous all week, and you guys showed up!” Townes said in her warming welcome to the crowd. “Thank you for coming in these crazy times and being here to listen to some music tonight. Every time we’ve played Nashville it’s been a special moment getting to open up for so many of our friends and heroes, but we’ve never gotten to do our own show here so tonight feels pretty special. I really want our shows, when we come together, to be a place where people can walk in the door and just feel loved and welcomed exactly as they are.”

Along the way, Townes stunned fans with her jaw-dropping voice and vulnerable, hard-hitting lyrics. From the inquisitive prayer in “Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking)” to the tour’s dark and moody namesake, which she delivered alone with an electric guitar, the Sony recording artist captivated the room with her chilling performances.

One of the standout moments of the night, though, came impromptu as a fan request. “I wrote this song shortly after moving here… I was sitting at this coffee table thinking about my great grandmother who I was missing very much. She was the glue to our family. She would come to all the shows, rain or shine, and drink her cheap beer,” Townes shared, fighting back tears. “She was really special and I miss her a lot. This song brought me a lot of healing thinking about her.”

The talented songstress went on to give an utterly eery performance of “When I Meet My Maker.” Sitting alone on the stage, you could almost hear a pin drop in the room as she commanded every attendee’s attention.

The award-winning singer-songwriter also showcased her newest single, “When’s It Gonna Happen,” which sheds light on what she sees as her current season of life, waiting for the one.

Throughout the night, Townes gave the audience her own renditions of well-known hits, including Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are,” Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” and a perfectly sung version of Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic.” She also brought out newcomer Alex Hall, who opened up the room earlier that night, for their charming duet “Heart Shut.”

One of MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing Class of 2020, Townes also gave a sampler of her 2020 album, The Lemonade Stand, which notched her first Juno Award for Country Album of the Year at the 50th Annual Juno Awards. She wowed the crowd with snippets of “Lighthouse,” the dance-inspiring “Find You,” and the sexy “I Kept The Roses.”

“I’m never gonna forget [this night]. Thank you to each and every one of you for showing up here and making this such a wonderful thing. It feels so good to come together with you guys and we can’t wait to come play another show in Nashville here soon,” she gushed. “We’re gonna leave you guys with a song about how everyone’s got a story. Thank you for lifting up this song from the beginning. Everybody really does [have a story], so thanks for looking out for one another out there. We’ll see you soon!”

Townes closed out the set with her No. 1 debut single, “Somebody’s Daughter,” before her two-song encore. She finished out her Nashville show with a striking acoustic performance of Etta James’ smash hit “At Last,” solidifying Townes as a frontrunner for a female country crooner.

The “Villain In Me Tour” will continue tonight (Jan. 28) at The Underground in Charlotte, North Carolina, before finishing the rest of Townes’ U.S. trek.

The Nashville Symphony will receive an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic.

The Symphony is set to receive a $150,000 grant intended to save jobs and to fund operations, facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation.

“Our nation’s arts sector has been among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Endowment for the Arts’ American Rescue Plan funding will help arts organizations, such as the Nashville Symphony, rebuild and reopen,” explains Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the NEA. “The arts are crucial in helping America’s communities heal, unite, and inspire, as well as essential to our nation’s economic recovery.”

“The Nashville Symphony will utilize this generous NEA funding to help support the artistic salaries of our resident musicians, which is vital to ensuring that the Symphony is here to help the community heal, to serve future generations, and to preserve the artistic legacy of our 75-year-old institution,” adds Alan D. Valentine, President & CEO of the Nashville Symphony.

In addition to their performance schedules at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, musicians teach at local universities, volunteer for community-based projects, perform with other local ensembles, and participate in recording sessions.

In total, the NEA will award $57,750,000 in grant awards to 567 arts organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, DC.

Ben Rector is returning to the road this spring with his “The Joy Of Music: Live Tour.” Special guests on the dates include JP Saxe, Jake Scott, Jordy Searcy and Stephen Day.

The new tour kicks off on May 5 in Madison, Wisconsin, and wraps with a Nashville date at Ascend Amphitheater June 25. Produced by Live Nation, the trek will feature music from Rector’s upcoming album, The Joy Of Music, as well as fan favorites, including “Brand New,” “Love Like This,” and more.

“I think this album is my best work and I’m so excited to perform it live,” shares Rector.

Fans can sign up for access to presale tickets at BenRectorMusic.com/tour. Presale will begin Feb. 1 and general public on-sale will begin on Friday, Feb. 4.

Rector rang in the new year with an early release of the three tracks, “Dream On,” “Supernatural” featuring Dave Koz, and “Living My Best Life,” to share a taste of what’s to come on his upcoming  album,, set for release March 11. The album will include additional collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Kenny G, Taylor Goldsmith from folk-rock band Dawes, and the YouTube sensation One Voice Children’s Choir.

The Desmond Child & Friends Songwriting Fantasy Camp has been announced for April 7-10 at Nashville’s Scarritt Bennett Center.

A top songwriter, Child has penned hits for artists like Meatloaf, Kiss, and Bon Jovi and has plenty of stories to share with campers at this unique experience, presented by Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, in collaboration with Sixthman.

Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Marti Frederiksen, Felix Cavaliere, Steve Cropper and Damon Johnson among others will join Child to help teach aspiring songwriters of all levels from all over the world about the craft of songwriting.

“I’m so excited to share my passion of songwriting with new and upcoming talent and writers at the first ever Songwriting Fantasy Camp!” exclaims Child.

“When the opportunity came up to collaborate with David [Fishof] and the dynamic team at Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp along with the iconic Desmond Child and roster of artists for this camp…all the team at Sixthman said was…‘Just tell us where and when!'” says Anthony Diaz, CEO of Sixthman. “This will be a true once in a lifetime experience for campers and we couldn’t be more thrilled to help set the stage for memories that are sure to last a lifetime!”

Songwriting Camp topics of focus include discussions ranging from The Key to Writing Lyrics before Music, Writing Music Before Lyrics, Co-Writing, and Breaking Down The Hits–where a panel of songwriters take campers through the processes, stories behind, and secrets to writing their most popular songs. Campers will participate in discussions on Melody and Harmony, Creative Writing and Literature where they will learn how to unlock their personal stories, poetry and ideas and turn them into verse.

Additional topics include Demo Production, Film & TV Songwriting, the Business of Songwriting, and more. Other camp activities include Q&A sessions and clinics where campers will hear exclusive stories and tips, daily open mic performance opportunities, and the opportunity to write with fellow campers in intensive sessions alongside up-and-coming stars seen on American Idol and The Voice. The last night of camp features a Songwriter Showcase where writers will  perform original music for A&R reps, music industry executives, and more.

For more information and registration, click here.