On Saturday, March 23, I attended Muscadine Bloodline’s debut performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Their performance was opened by another independent artist from Alabama, Drayton Farley. This concert was amazing and I feel so lucky to have been able to experience it.
I got tickets to this concert during the presale back in October. I definitely splurged on these tickets in order to secure some of the best seats in the house. Though, I can definitely say that, in my opinion, these seats were well worth the money. I have attended many shows at the Ryman and have sat in many different sections and these seats were, without a doubt, the best thus far.
In true concert junkie fashion, I arrived at the Ryman around 6:15 p.m. to get in line. You may be wondering, why would you line up 45 minutes before doors if you have an assigned seat. The answer to that would be: I wanted to make sure I got a poster.
Many of you may already know that the Ryman Auditorium prints exclusive, collector-coveted posters for all of its shows. These exclusive posters are known as Hatch Show Prints and only a limited amount of these posters are available. Therefore, many of us concert junkies and poster collectors know that you have to get in line early for a show at the Ryman if you want to get your hands on one.
Lining up that early worked out perfectly for me as not only was I able to get a Hatch Show Print, but I was also able to snag one of the limited edition shirts Muscadine Bloodline had made for this show. In addition to these items, I also purchased a koozie and another shirt.
Drayton Farley opened up the night with an amazing set. This was my third time seeing Drayton live and I truly believe he and his band get better and better every time I see them perform. My only “complaint” about his set is that I wish it had been longer.
Drayton and his band absolutely rocked the Ryman stage that night. Just by looking at them, you could tell that they were all having a blast up on stage and feeding off each other’s energy.
At the end of their set, Drayton’s guitarist even ripped all the strings off his guitar. I didn’t catch him ripping all the strings off on video but at the end of the video below, you can see him ripping off one of them!
It was so evident that night how thankful Drayton was for the opportunity to play the Ryman and open for Muscadine Bloodline. He said multiple times throughout his set how honored he was to be there and to play for us.
If I had to guess, I don’t think it will be long until Drayton himself plays a headlining show at the Ryman. He and his band truly have the talent, ambition, and drive to get there. Whenever that day comes, I definitely plan on being there to see it.
As many of you may already know, not only do I enjoy collecting concert posters but I also enjoy collecting concert setlists. Lucky for me, I was able to add to my collection that night as I was able to get one of Drayton’s setlists at the end of his set!
Muscadine Bloodline truly delivered a captivating, entertaining show that night. In my opinion, their performance truly honored the Ryman stage and its rich history. Just from watching them, you could easily tell that the entire band was so happy and honored to be playing the Ryman for the first time. While watching them perform, I noticed constant smiles and even noticed misty, teary eyes at times.
This was my second time seeing Muscadine Bloodline live. The first time I saw them was back in September 2022 at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, Tennessee. It honestly warms my heart to see just how much they have grown since this show in Memphis and just how many more fans they have accumulated in this short time.
At their Ryman performance, I was happily surprised when they played one of the songs off their EP, "Teenage Angst". As a “y’allternative” girl, this EP is probably my favorite out of everything Muscadine Bloodline has released thus far.
Their "Teenage Angst" EP features covers of various punk rock songs, all of which I listened to heavily throughout the peak of my emo phase. At the Ryman, Muscadine Bloodline played their cover of “Adam’s Song” which was originally written and performed by Blink-182.
One of my favorite parts of Muscadine Bloodline’s set was when they played “Have Faith In Me” with Drayton Farley. Their collaborative cover of this song, originally performed by A Day To Remember, was released earlier this year. This cover is another one of my favorite releases when it comes to both Muscadine Bloodline and Drayton Farley.
In addition to playing these punk rock covers, Muscadine Bloodline played a great set filled with many of my favorite original songs of theirs. Such songs included “Pieces”, “Made Her That Way”, and “Enemy”.
I honestly think that they picked a great setlist for their Ryman performance. It was well balanced with high-energy songs like “Me On You” and “Evinrudin’” and slower, emotional songs like “Porch Swing Angel” and “Turn Back Time”. I feel that their set that night truly showcased the breadth of their talents as a band.
Throughout the night, both Gary and Charlie spoke about how honored and grateful they were for the opportunity to play at the Ryman. They constantly thanked their fans for listening and getting them to this point in their career. It was evident that this performance meant a great deal to them and that they did not take this opportunity lightly.
Both Drayton Farley and Muscadine Bloodline are independent artists from Alabama. I am so thankful that the music industry has changed in the last decade so that independent artists like them can make it to iconic stages like the Ryman Auditorium without needing a label behind them.
I had an amazing time at this show. Both Drayton Farley and Muscadine Bloodline played amazing sets that I enjoyed every moment of. In addition to enjoying great music all night, I also received great hospitality from the staff at the Ryman. To me, the friendly staff makes this iconic venue even better.
I cannot wait to attend even more shows at the Ryman Auditorium in the future. It is one of my favorite venues and, if you ever have the chance to see a show there or just tour it, I highly suggest you take it. It is one of those venues that just takes your breath away.
If you’re interested in discovering more about the artists discussed in this article you can check them out on Instagram: Drayton Farley / Muscadine Bloodline.
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