Happy Sunday friends!! One of the most popular and loved things to do in Music City is, obviously, going to see live music. There is no shortage of live music around Nashville and there are so many different places to go see it. One of the most iconic places, and one of my personal favorites, is the Ryman Auditorium. If you are new to Nashville, visiting Nashville, or have lived here a long time and have never been to the Ryman Auditorium you definitely need to add it to your Nashville bucket list.
The Ryman Auditorium, lovingly referred to as The Ryman or The Mother Church, is one of the most iconic pieces of history in the city of Nashville. The story of the Ryman with an 1885 tent revival led by fiery evangelist Sam Jones and attended by 5,000 people, including steamboat captain and prominent Nashville businessman Thomas G. Ryman. The captain was so unexpectedly moved by the experience that he dedicated his life and fortune to building and constructing the Union Gospel Tabernacle, a place where all people could gather and worship. When Ryman died, its name was changed to honor his legacy.
When fearless show promoter Lula C. Naff leased the building and took over in the 1920s, the Ryman became the anchor of Nashville’s cultural offerings. The venue was known as the Carnegie of the South, hosting sought-after traveling acts.
The Grand Ole Opry took over the Ryman in 1943. This was a live radio and TV show that brought icons like Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, and so many more. After the Opry changed venues in the early 1970s, the Ryman sat empty, neglected, and facing demolition. It took the community and passion of Nashville to fight for it and eventually start a complete renovation in the 1990s. The effort saved one of the world’s most significant music heritage sites and breathed new life into a one-of-a-kind performance venue that continues to make history, one night at a time.
I have been lucky enough to attend this sacred music venue a couple of times now. Most recently, I went to see We the Kingdom on their We the Kingdom Live Tour with opening act Cory Asbury. We the Kingdom is a Christian band and Cory Asbury is a Christian solo artist. It was an amazing night of music and worship. I was so thrilled to be able to attend this concert and beautiful experience at The Mother Church. They are currently taking this tour all over the United States, and if you get a chance to go I would highly recommend.
The Ryman venue is set up as two floors. The bottom floor is seats in a curved layout. The second floor is the same arched curve shape. This floor plan on each of the floors allows everyone on any side of the venue to have a good view. The seats are old historic church pews. They add to the feel of the historic place and make you feel like you are taken back in time to when the Ryman first began.
One of the most fun parts of going to any Nashville concert, at least to me, is picking out the perfect outfit. The outfit I chose for this concert was a cream sweater, pink leather shorts, and black knee high boots. I loved that the pink shorts made a statement while having the leather material that is so popular this season. The white sweater gave me the perfect amount of warmth and the color balanced nicely with the pink shorts. The black knee high boots kept me warm and were a nice fall shoe to elevate the outfit.
Thank you all so much for reading!! I so appreciate you all being here more than you know! I hope you found this post helpful for if you are trying to plan something to do when you visit Nashville or if you are looking for a new music venue to try around town. Let me know in the comments if you attend a concert at the Ryman Auditorium and what you think of it! As always, be sure to Follow Me to stay up to date on all things Trendy with Kennedy!
Love,
Kennedy
