By Lee Roberts
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 31, 2015) – While Eric Church gets the credit for headlining the first-ever concert at Ascend Amphitheater, J. Roddy Walston & The Business opened and made history as the first band to perform at the new outdoor music venue. And they unleashed a unique brand of rock that energized Music City.
Underneath the skylights that served as a backdrop for the group, lead singer, pianist and guitarist J. Roddy Walston moved and whipped the locks of his hair in rhythm with the southern rock group’s performance as the thousands in attendance began loosening up.
Along with Guitarist and vocalist Billy Gordon, bassist and vocalist Logan Davis, and drummer Steve Colmus, Walston unleashed one rock song after another.
“Eric Church challenged us to play as loud and as hard and as fast as we can, so that’s what we’re going to do,” Walston told the crowd early on in the set.
According to the group’s biography, Walston has a nervous-system disorder, a condition where his hands shake. The native of Cleveland, Tenn., said he can shake pretty bad at times, but the group is very supportive and it’s part of their brand of music.
“I’ve referenced it throughout all our records in some way, but it made sense to be more open about it on this album, which is partly about owning and embracing your weirdness instead of letting it hold you captive because you don’t even want to talk about it,” Walston said on the group’s website.
First band ever at Ascend Amphitheater gets down to business from Lee Roberts on Vimeo.
J. Roddy Walston & The Business opened up for Eric Church at the brand new Ascend Amphitheater July 30, 2015 in Nashville, Tenn. Here is one of their songs during the rocking performance! For more information about this band go to http://jroddywalstonandthebusiness.com. (Video by Lee Roberts for Lead230.com)
On a night where a breeze blew across the Cumberland River through Ascend Amphitheater, the group didn’t hold back and they didn’t waste time engaging and encouraging fans to get moving.
Before singing “Take it as it comes,” Walston asked everyone in the pit next to the stage to get energized.
“I want to see if you people still know what to do with the music. Are you guys ready to do something with the music? Are you guys ready to start moving around,” Walston said. “You guys are just sitting here; you guys ready to start sweating?”
And they danced and responded in the pit, and the crowd embraced the first group to ever play on stage at Ascend Amphitheater. They certainly met the challenge and set the plate for Eric Church.
