Country music artists came together at Nashville’s EXIT/IN on Sunday, Dec. 17 for “Unplugged for Tennessee,” an acoustic concert raising funds for tornado relief efforts. Performers included HARDY, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen, Dylan Marlowe, Chayce Beckham, Abby Anderson, Chase Matthew, Trey Lewis, Graham Barham, Payton Smith, Kylie Morgan, and Jay Allen. The charity event raised over $70,000 for beneficiary organizations, Hands On Nashville and the Tennessee Region of the American Red Cross.
12 Artists Performed To Raise Funds For Middle Tennessee Tornado Victims
For nearly three and a half hours, 12 artists performed three songs each in an acoustic writers’ round setting, taking turns sharing their music and stories behind the songs. HARDY delighted fans with a longer, six-song set. The sold-out, standing room only crowd also had the opportunity to bid on live auction items to benefit the cause, including a Gibson guitar autographed by all the evening’s performers, an autographed Luke Bryan poster, and more.
Husband and wife Jay Allen and Kylie Morgan kicked off the night, sharing why the tornado relief efforts were deeply personal for them. Morgan lost her childhood home in Oklahoma when she was 17 years old to a tornado. She then performed “Heartland,” a song she wrote about her experience.
The next round included Abby Anderson, Graham Barham, Payton Smith, and Trey Lewis. Smith, who lives in Gallatin, felt the impact of the storms in his community. “My wife, she grew up in Hendersonville, so this benefit right here, oh man, this benefit’s really close to both of our hearts now,” said Smith. “Thank you guys for showing up here tonight for such a good cause, for raising money for people that feel affected by this tornado. It really means a lot.” The artists played a mixture of original music, songs they wrote for other artists, and cover tunes.
Lewis performed “3 Feet Tall,” which he co-wrote and was recently released by Cole Swindell, while Abby Anderson delivered a poignant cover of Elton John’s “Can You Feel The Love Tonight.”
Nate Smith took the stage by himself and told the crowd that although he had not been impacted by the tornadoes, his experience of losing his home to wildfires in California made him relate to the tragedy.
“I definitely understand what it’s like to lose everything and have to start over again,” he shared. “When I heard about this happening, it really hit me in the heart really hard.” His set included a cover of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box,” a nod to his biggest musical influence. Smith concluded with an optimistic call to action, telling the crowd, “We will rebuild.”
HARDY’s solo performance was a stand-out moment of the night, bringing the crowd to a hush as he opened up about how his bus crash last year opened his eyes to how tragedies truly impact people, giving him new insight and empathy.
“As somebody who recently is going through some trauma, and I’m not even comparing myself even close to this, but it was the first time in my life last year with the bus wreck that I went through some shit that I really… since then, when I’ve witnessed trauma and I see people go through the most traumatic events in their life, my heart breaks for those people for the first time truly in my life,” HARDY admitted to the crowd. “And it’s important to help people and lift people up and get involved in your community and all that shit. So if you’ve got five bucks or a dollar or whatever you have to spare, please donate. My wife and I have donated and every little bit helps. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Nobody’s making me say this, but it is true. Anything that can help these people, it goes a long way.”
His six-song set started with the rowdy “Truck Bed” and concluded with “God’s Country,” a song he co-wrote that was recorded by Blake Shelton and helped launch his career.
“It’s pretty crazy that things like this can actually take a life, and it’s terrifying, and so I just want to dedicate this next song to anybody that has experienced any trauma from either that specific storm or any other trauma from anything,” HARDY said before performing “Give Heaven Some Hell.” He added, “If you’ve ever lost somebody, I want you to know for the next three and a half minutes that I’m thinking about you, I love you, and I wrote this song for you.”
Country superstar and philanthropist Tracy Lawrence was unable to attend Unplugged for Tennessee in person, but he sent a $15,000 check on behalf of his non-profit organization Mission: Possible to Unplugged for Tennessee. In addition to Lawrence, NHL player Matt Deushane also donated $10,000 to the cause.
To close out the night, Chase Matthew, Alana Springsteen, Chayce Beckham, and Dylan Marlowe performed in the round. As a Nashville native, Matthew felt deeply impacted by the tragedy that hit his hometown. “I have a lot of friends and family directly affected by this. So when we play these songs tonight, y’all feel free to sing along, but also don’t be scared to scan that QR code and donate to a great cause. I promise you it’ll go where it’s supposed to.”
Matthew also shared that he’ll be opening for Jason Aldean next year, playing a quick snippet of Aldean’s “She’s Country” as part of his set. Beckham treated the crowd to a preview of his new song “Something Worth Holding On To,” which he shared will appear on an upcoming album. In addition to his own tunes, Marlowe also performed “Last Night Lonely,” recorded by Jon Pardi.
Who Organized The “Unplugged For Tennessee” Benefit Concert?
The charity event was hosted by country music industry veteran Benji Chord and produced by Media Farm Agency, which runs the @NashvilleTN Instagram. “Nashville always seems to find a way to heal and come together after a tragedy,” shared Matt Wilson, the agency’s founder. “And music is a universal part of the healing process in our city.” Seven tornadoes hit Middle Tennessee on Saturday, December 9, tragically killing six people, injuring 83 others, and causing massive property destruction throughout the region.
Wilson explained how he and his team were able to organize the event so quickly, just days after the tragic severe weather outbreak.
“This benefit came together extremely fast, thanks to the help of our team and our great friends that wanted to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by the storm. We are so thankful for the artists who volunteered so quickly to help and donate their time and talent for such a worthy cause.” Wilson also explained why they chose the beneficiaries for the concert. “Being prepared is key when something like this happens, so we chose to benefit Hands on Nashville and The American Red Cross, who are leaders in disaster response in Middle Tennessee.”
Couldn’t Attend But Still Want To Donate?
Fans unable to attend the sold out concert can still donate to the Unplugged For Tennessee tornado relief efforts HERE.
“Unplugged for Tennessee” Set List
Jay Allen
“Unwell”
“No Time Like The Present”
“Jell-O Shot”
Kylie Morgan
“I Only Date Cowboys”
“If He Wanted To He Would”
“Heartland”
Abby Anderson
“Make Him Wait”
“Heart On Fire In Mexico”
“Can You Feel The Love Tonight” (Elton John Cover)
Graham Barham
“Break It In A Bar”
“God On The Radio” (Unreleased New Song)
“Beer By My Bed”
Payton Smith
“‘92”
“Missed The Boat”
“Wouldn’t Put It Past Me”
Trey Lewis
“3 Feet Tall”
“Single Again”
“Dicked Down in Dallas”
Nate Smith
“Whiskey On You”
“Heart-Shaped Box” (Nirvana Cover)
“World On Fire”
HARDY
“Truck Bed”
“Give Heaven Some Hell”
“Signed, Sober You”
“Unapologetically Country As Hell”
“Sold Out”
“God’s Country” (Blake Shelton Cover)
Chase Matthew
“Where There’s Smoke”
“Love You Again”
“County Line”
Alana Springsteen
“You Don’t Deserve A Country Song”
“Amen”
“Goodbye Looks Good On You”
Chayce Beckham
“Something Worth Holding On To”
“Old Fashioned” (Unreleased New Song)
“23”
Dylan Marlowe
“I’ll Keep The Country”
“Last Night Lonely” (Jon Pardi Cover)
“Boys Back Home”
