TIN PAN SOUTH 2015 KICKS OFF Surprises Abound on First Night

(l. to r.): Casey James; Doobie Brothers Tom Johnston and John Cowan; Charlie Worsham at 3rd & Lindsley late show. Photo credit: Moments by Moser

Pleasant spring temperatures brought out the crowds for the first night of the 23^rd Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival Presented by Regions Bank. Packed Festival venues all across town presented a diverse group of songwriters that covered virtually every genre of music, and there was no shortage of surprises last night.

Festival sponsor Southwest Airlines stunned the patrons at the early Douglas Corner Café show by giving everyone in the audience a $100 voucher good toward a future flight. Later that evening at the same venue, Linda Davis asked for audience participation when she sang her hit Reba McEntire duet “Does He Love You.” She heard a fan singing passionately, stopped the song and handed a mic to Candace Kuykendall, and they sang the song together as the original duet.

(l. to r.): Josh Osborne, Kacey Musgraves and Shane McAnally at the 3rd & Lindsley early show. Photo
Credit: Moments by Moser

At the 3^rd & Lindsley early show, Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne delighted the sold-out crowd with hit after hit. Midway through their set, the trio invited Kacey Musgraves up to perform her new smash single “Biscuits.” She joined them again later for a duet version of “Merry Go ‘Round” with Josh. At the Station Inn late show, round leader Matt Warren, who has six cuts on Gary Allan’s new album, invited James T. Slater (“In My Daughter’s Eyes,” “High Cost of Living”) to sit in.

Tonight’s highlights include the “Girls Night Out” round at new Tin Pan venue The Sutler Saloon with Lauren Lucas, Danielle Peck and more. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Oates is scheduled for the round with Victoria Shaw and Tosha Hill at The Bluebird Café early show, and the “Michael Martin Murphey and His Cosmic Cowboys” show is set for 6:00pm at another new venue, Blue Bar.

Ten of Nashville’s top music venues are hosting more than 350 songwriters performing 92 shows at the 23^rd Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival Presented by Regions Bank through Saturday, March 28, 2015.

Fast Access Passes sold out in record time and may be picked up at the NSAI office,1710 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203, ­­today through Friday, March 27 from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Individual tickets ranging from $­­­10 to $25 will be available at the door for most shows on a first-come, first-served basis.

Regions Bank returns for the eighth year as the presenting sponsor of the event.

For up-to-date lineups, tickets, venues, schedules and other festival information, visittinpansouth.com. Updates can also be found on the Tin Pan South Facebook page,Twitter and Instagram.