Alan Jackson Thrills Electrified Nashville Predators Fans in Nashville
The energy in downtown Nashville was nothing short of electric on Saturday (June 3). Long before the puck had even dropped to start of Game 3 of the Nashville Predators against the Pittsburgh Penguins, fans had lined up by the thousands outside Bridgestone Arena to see Alan Jackson take the stage for a free show.
Parked just outside the home arena on 5th and Broadway, a sea of fans dressed in gold turned out to watch Jackson transform downtown Nashville into his own stadium as he treated fans to a jam-packed hour-long set, delighting the crowd with hit after hit. Fans — both hockey and country music — spilled into alleyways and took to the rooftops just to catch a glimpse of the show.
Donning a blue Predators jersey and his signature white cowboy hat, the country superstar had fans dancing along to upbeat and familiar tunes like "Livin' on Love," "Gone Country" and "Summertime Blues."
"I thought it was appropriate to sing after the Pens stole that goal from us in the first game," Jackson proclaimed before diving into his cheating song "Who's Cheatin' Who," which brought a big cheer. But he really showed off his Predators pride when he flashed the back of his guitar that had been painted the team's colors of gold, navy blue and white, displaying the words "Go Preds."
A stunning fiddle solo guided its way into just one of the singer's signature numbers, "Little Bitty," before he seamlessly dove into the appropriately-titled "Country Boy." Jackson threw a hint of nostalgia into his set with the sweet "Drive," which had the crowd singing right along with him, along with his upbeat track "Don't Rock the Jukebox."
The line-dancing hit, "Good Time," had everyone dancing in the streets, while other familiar tunes like "Chattahoochee" and "5 O'Clock Somewhere" found the crowd echoing the lyrics back to the star, with a chorus of some 50,000 people singing in unison, "What would Jimmy Buffet do?" in the latter track. Jackson closed out his special show with his 18th No. 1 hit, "Where I Come From," and a win from the team.
The Preds dominated the Penguins in game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals with a score of 5-1. Rodney Atkins is also set to perform a free show with his 2017 Music City Gives Back concert on Monday (June 5) before Game 4. Kip Moore will headline the show, with ToC RISERS act Brett Young, plus Granger Smith, Cole Taylor and Walker McGuire.
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