The label’s roster showed up for a free Broadway block party on Friday night
Toasting to two decades of chart-topping hits and genre-defining talent, Big Machine Label Group took over downtown Nashville last night (Fri, Aug 29th), hosting a stacked lineup of artists for Big Machine 20. Featuring stars from the label’s current roster and throughout BMLG’s 20-year history, the anniversary concert celebration saw more than 100,000 fans pack into Lower Broadway.
Founder, Chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta welcomed the crowd, saying, “I can’t believe that we’re turning 20 this year, but here we are. When we thought about how to celebrate this milestone, we couldn’t think of a better way than to throw the biggest party possible as a heartfelt thanks to you – the fans. Thank you for supporting our artists and our music.”
CMA and ACM Award-winning superstar Riley Green treated the crowd to a number of his chart-topping hits including the triple platinum-certified single “I Wish Grandpas Never Died” and double platinum-certified tracks “There Was This Girl” and “Worst Way.” Green also invited Carly Pearce to the stage to join him on his platinum single “Don’t Mind If I Do,” and Hannah McFarland made a surprise appearance for a performance of his track “Pick A Place.”
Country music icons Rascal Flatts surprised the at-capacity crowd, closing the night with electric performances of their hits, including “Fast Cars And Freedom,” “I Like The Sound Of That,” and “Life Is A Highway.” Pearce returned to join the trio onstage for a heartfelt rendition of “My Wish,” as heard on their recent collaboration album Life Is A Highway: Refueled Duets.
Sheryl Crow rocked the Big Machine 20 stage with a performance of “Prove You Wrong,” “Steve McQueen,” and “Everyday is a Winding Road.”
Country hitmaker Brett Young delivered his chart-topping songs, including the RIAA diamond-certified “In Case You Didn’t Know,” the quadruple platinum “Mercy,” and double platinum singles “Sleep Without You” and “Here Tonight.”
Pearce delighted the audience with her hits, including RIAA platinum-certified “Next Girl,” double platinum “What He Didn’t Do,” and triple platinum “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”
Rascal Flatts frontman Gary LeVox and Grammy-nominated R&B superstar Akon took Broadway to the beach with a surprise performance of their breezy summer party anthem “Hold The Umbrella.”
Rising Country/Americana four-piece The Jack Wharff Band played an electric, genre-blending set of their standout tracks, including their debut release “Burnin’ It Down,” viral sensation “Washed,” and more, bursting with sonic elements of country, Americana, bluegrass, and rock.
The Band Perry celebrated their recent return to the BMLG/Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment family with performances of megahits “If I Die Young,” “Chainsaw,” “Better Dig Two,” and “Done.”
Aaron Lewis played the Staind single, “It’s Been Awhile” with his country solo songs, “Country Boy,” and his Billboard No. 1 Hot Country Song debut and gold-certified track “Am I The Only One.”
Raelynn performed a high-energy set consisting of her platinum-certified hit “God Made Girls” and her first new tracks since returning home to the Big Machine Label Group/The Valory Music Co. family: “Heaven Is A Honky Tonk” and “Long Live Country Music.”
Jack Ingram performed Big Machine’s first-ever No. 1 radio single, “Wherever You Are,” plus his tracks “Love You” and “Barefoot and Crazy.”
Powerhouse vocalist Danielle Bradbery wowed the crowd with her performance of gold-certified hits “Stop Draggin’ Your Boots,” “Sway” and “Worth It.”
Celebrating the release date of his debut album, Toledo Talkin’, burgeoning Country force Preston Cooper took the stage and performed his Top 40-and-climbing debut single “Weak” and his fiery, adrenaline-pumping anthem “One For The Road.”
Danielle Peck, who was the first-ever Big Machine artist to send a single to country radio, kicked off the night of performances with her songs “Findin’ a Good Man” and “I Don’t.”
Big Machine 20 served as the kick-off for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix NTT IndyCar Series Championship weekend, with IndyCar drivers joining Borchetta on stage and hyping up fans during the show. The evening also included the fifth annual Freedom Friday event, honoring members of the Military, Police, Fire, First Responders, and Frontline Heroes.
Founded by Scott Borchetta on September 1st, 2005, the Big Machine Label Group has sold over 226 million albums and tallied 187 No. 1 songs with more than 400 RIAA-certified tracks. Artists on the label’s roster have scored 76 Grammy nominations, 54 ACM Awards wins, and 28 CMA Awards wins, as well as multiple American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, CMT Awards, and more.
