Red Bull Jukebox’s First Show in the U.S. Brought Out Nashville’s Shining Stars

On a beautifully cool Wednesday night in Nashville, the Red Bull Jukebox kicked off at Ascend Amphitheater for its first show stateside. Partnering with Whiskey Jam—the twice-weekly free showcase at Whiskey Row—the Jukebox featured performances by The Castellows, Breland, Muscadine Bloodline, Shaboozey, and more, backed by Red Bull Jukebox’s incredible house band. However, this wasn’t your typical concert—the Jukebox puts fans in charge of the setlist.

The show was hosted by Whiskey Jam’s Ward Geunter, who introduced each act and guided fans through the unique Jukebox format. Upon arrival, attendees were given wristbands that lit up red or blue and would be useful later in the show. Additionally, part of the show happened before Wednesday night—fans were asked to vote for their favorite songs by the featured artists on social media, and the winning songs would be revealed during the show. The whole point of this format is to make the setlist a surprise for the artists, the band, and the fans.

However, it’s not like they were up there winging it. This type of show takes practice to perfect, and the house band has it down. Curated by guitarist and producer Derek Wells, the band was the show’s true highlight. With the setlist remaining a surprise, they had to know their stuff backward and forward, ready to pull out a song as soon as it was revealed. That takes time, endless rehearsals, and dedication to their craft.

Red Bull Jukebox Debuts in the U.S., Bringing Out Former Whiskey Jam Stars

The voting continued as soon as fans arrived at the show—there was an archway to walk through, one side red and the other blue, which allowed fans to vote for which song would open the show. The country classic “Friends In Low Places” won, and the band played a short rendition of the chorus to get fans singing along. The energy was palpable, as people didn’t really know what to expect from a show like this. There was an excited air settling over the crowd like electricity as everyone waiting with baited breath to see which songs would make the setlist.

Sister trio The Castellows were first up. They started with a cover of “Come Together” by The Beatles, giving it a delightful feminine edge. They also performed “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, and one of their own songs, “No. 7 Road,” which gave fans a taste of their bluegrass stylings.

Breland Brings Energy and History to Jukebox Stage

Breland was up next, and fans voted overwhelmingly for him to start his set with his runaway hit “My Truck.” He brings a contagious energy to a show and it’s not just because the Jukebox is put on by Red Bull—although the energy drinks were flowing that night. He’s full of youthful spirit and is genuinely fun to watch as he jumped around on stage and even did a mid-air split. Additionally, he brought out two special guests—rapper Armani White and country star Mickey Guyton. At the end of his set there was a voting element to his song “Praise the Lord,” where fans cast their vote for an acapella rendition or a full choir.

The choir overwhelmingly won out, and Breland brought out the Fisk Jubilee Singers to accompany him. The Jubilee Singers are a historic group from Fisk University, and Breland briefly told the story of how they’re allegedly responsible for Nashville’s nickname, Music City.

Muscadine Bloodline, Priscilla Block, and Tucker Wetmore Let Fans Choose Their Setlist During Unique Red Bull Jukebox

Those wristbands that were mentioned earlier came into play when Muscadine Bloodline took the stage. The setlist was chosen live, then, as the songs were put up on the screen and fans were asked to raise their wrists glowing either red or blue, depending on which song they wanted to hear. Fans chose from new and old Muscadine Bloodline songs, and the setlist formed before everyone’s eyes.

The same happened for Priscilla Block and up-and-comer Tucker Wetmore—fans chose their songs by raising their wristbands or voting ahead of time on social media. Recent People’s Choice Country Award Winner Shaboozey took the stage to perform a selection of his hits, closing with the song of the country summer, “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The crowd was wild, and host Ward Geunter even expressed his desire to be out in the audience, among “the real VIP section.”

Brothers Osborne ended the night right—with a wild set featuring the Tennessee State University marching band. This was fan-voted as well, and the duo was joined by a full brass section as they played “It Ain’t My Fault.”

Overall, the Red Bull Jukebox had an excellent showing for its first time in the U.S. Choosing Nashville for the inaugural stateside show was the perfect decision, and Music City turned out and turned up for the unique musical format.

Featured Image by Lauren Boisvert