Nashville's July 4th fireworks delayed, not deterred by downpours

A torrential late afternoon thunderstorm Tuesday did not prove long-lasting enough to deny Nashville its Brad Paisley performance for the 20th annual "Let Freedom Sing!" event marking the Fourth of July.

The Lower Broadway event was produced by Music City Inc. through the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

At roughly 6:45 p.m. CT, overcast skies brought the threat of rain throughout the first half of the 11-hour day of activities and performance — including from rising country vocalist Tiera Kennedy singing the national anthem — with thunder and lightning following after that. The weather forced a delay at the main stage and the roughly 250,000 people gathering for Paisley's headlining set had to shelter nearby.

For almost four decades, official events have occurred in downtown Nashville to celebrate the Fourth of July. A news release highlights that the "free, family-friendly event was created to entertain Nashvillians and attract visitors to generate economic activity and tax revenue for the city — $11 million in estimated direct visitor spending in 2022."

Paisley's role as the headlining performer keyed the event drawing roughly 350,000 visitors in 2021. The NCVC and Metro Nashville Police estimate a smaller crowd of more than 250,000 people were in attendance across the event campus in 2023. NCVC CEO and president Deana Ivey attributes lower attendance (which she still considers a "great turnout") to the Fourth being on a Tuesday and weather issues.

Paisley's hour-long performance was simulcast on CMT as a part of its Fourth of July broadcast. Earlier in the day, artists including singer-songwriters Ben Rector and Langhorne Slim, plus Americana Music Award-winning and Academy of Country Music Award-nominated duo War and Treaty took to the stage.

Highlights of Paisley's set included the 20-time country chart-topper and Grand Ole Opry member signing one of his guitars and gifting it to a young front-row onlooker. Also, entertainer and vocalist Kelleigh Bannen came on stage to sing the female duet part of his 2003-released Alison Krauss collaboration "Whiskey Lullaby."

Notable, too, were the dobro and mandolin stylings, respectively, of bluegrass icons Jerry Douglas and Dan Tyminski (who played a stirring rendition of his 2000 "O Brother, Where Art Thou" film soundtrack classic "Man Of Constant Sorrow"). As well, guitar legend Joe Bonamassa (who played a duet version of rock hit "Let The Good Times Roll") was featured.

Paisley also played his own solo cuts, including his top-10 country charting single "Alcohol" and new single "So Many Summers."

The day's festivities were closed at 10 p.m. CT by Grammy-nominated bass vocalist Armand Hutton joining the Enrico Lopez-Yañez conducted Nashville Symphony Orchestra synchronizing a 30-minute performance to a showcase of 40,000 pounds of fireworks staged along the Cumberland River and outside of Nissan Stadium.

Considered to be one of the largest fireworks showcases in the nation, the dazzling pyrotechnics display was sound tracked by orchestrations from a separate stage at Ascend Amphitheater, including "God Bless America," "The Star Spangled Banner," the theme to the film "Star Wars" and a closing rendition of "Stars and Stripes Forever."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville's July 4th fireworks delayed, not deterred by downpours