Back in early August I ran into Bill West from 96.9 NASH FM when he was DJing a friend’s wedding (Side note: Check out Bride’s First Dance). We caught up on what he was doing at NASH as well as what we had going on at GotCountryOnline.com. Bill mentioned having something up his sleeve and hoping GCO could help out. I said “Whatever you need! I work for concert tickets and M&G passes.” About a month later we stopped at the NASH booth before the Jake Owen concert and Bill let us know they were putting together a Nash Bash with hopes of it becoming an annual event. Then we had to keep more of the secret until it was announced a month later: The inaugural NASH BASH featuring Chris Young, Frankie Ballard, and Raelynn, co-hosted by Blair Garner and Chuck Wicks! 

(*Photo Cred: Nash FM 96.9*)

And once again, we had to wait another month till the Bash! But we kept ourselves busy at Got Country, promoting the event every chance we got and even hosted our own concert. I believe one of those winners will be sharing her birthday with us! As the event came near, I started to worry about braving a cold November night out by the water. Thank goodness for hunting gear, although everyone else in Charleston (including my date) had the same idea so it was hard to spot me! 

We arrived at The Joe just after the gates opened so it was a breeze to get into the venue, unlike the FGL concert. Plus I liked the idea to bring the VIP crowd in a half hour early. They were already ready to go at the stage. The field wasn’t packed yet and a few couples had the smart idea to bring blankets and lounge near the ends of the field. We made a trip to the merchandise stand (I collect concert koozies since they’re so cheap) and the concessions, then kicked back in a section of the lower bowl. We had a good view of one of the beer trucks and the ATM. Later in the night it’s hilarious watching the drunks stumble to the ATM and dance in line waiting to get cash for more beer. A country concert is probably the best event for people watching. We saw a few Kenny Chesneys, Jason Aldeans, and Tim McGraws. 

The night kicked off with our special guests from Nashville, Blair Garner and Chuck Wicks of America’s Morning Show. (Then the lights went down and I couldn’t get a single good picture the rest of the night)

The adorable pint-sized RaeLynn started off the Bash with her cute southern twang and sweet dance moves. She does a killer cover of Hell on Heels. She squealed with delight as the crowd sang along to her single God Made Girls. Following in the footsteps of her idol Miranda Lambert, she did a country rendition of All About That Bass. I enjoyed RaeLynn’s poppy “If You Say it, You Better Do It,” calling out boys for their broken promises. Dear RaeLynn, don’t worry about those frogs! Follow your dreams! You’ve got big, fun journey ahead of you. They’ll come along in due time. I can’t wait for your debut album to come out so I can hear all those songs again!

Frankie Ballard came out rockin’ with some songs I hope we’ll hear on the radio one day. I love Helluva Life and Sunshine and Whiskey but now we need something more upbeat. I heard Frankie was wearing some Luke Bryan style jeans. We were wondering if he’d pull a Jake Owen and let it all hang out in Charleston. We walked out onto the field and made ourselves a little dance floor, except the whiskey got a booted country girl swayin’, The Nash Bash setting was a perfect example of a Helluva Life. 

Between the next set something exciting happened on stage! Jessica with NASH FM 96.9 brought two friends up on stage who are extreme Chris Young fans. I knew exactly what was about to happen. They weren’t going to get to meet Chris… no… the guy was going to propose! I believe he said they met at a CY concert. He rambled off dates of when they met, first date, first kiss, when he fell in love, and tonight’s date: the date he would ask her to be his wife. What a way to celebrate the first ever Nash Bash! With a proposal! Yes, y’all! She said yes! 

After Chuck Wick’s impromptu performance of Friends In Low Places, Chris Young spun out from behind his video screens, kicking off his set with the title track of his latest album, A.M. I may have seen a few couples sneak off during “Gettin’ You Home” but I hope the newly engaged couple was around to dance along to “Who I Am With You”. It was cold so we hit the road early, unfortunately Chris started playing Aw Naw when we reached the parking lot. I wish he would have started out with that song!

Did everyone enjoy the first ever Nash Bash? Big props to Bill West and his crew at NASH FM 96.9 for pulling off a very well organized event. I don’t have the ticket sale numbers but I hope it was big enough to do this again next year. Maybe a little earlier in the year though. Outdoor concerts next to the water aren’t really a blast in November. And maybe one day we can make it an all day festival, because we could really use one of those in South Carolina. Like a smaller version of the Southern Ground Festival, with a decent line up of course. So, what do ya say Charleston? Do you want to see another Nash Bash next year? We at Got Country sure would! We’d love to work along Bill & NASH, learning the ins and outs of putting together and hosting a show.