The Eclectic Ear Of Nashville

NASHVILLE!! Thanks to 102.9 The Buzz I won tickets from their “Take Our Tickets Tour” a few weeks back. I gotta say, to have a local radio station host events like this so people have a chance to enjoy concerts of their liking is top tier. If you haven’t tuned in already to The buzz I highly recommend you do.

Let me start by saying the FirstBank Amphitheater is thee most beautiful venue I have ever been to. This was my second time being submerged in the reclaimed limestone rock quarry. My first concert there was when I went to Sessenta for Maynard James Keenan’s 60th birthday celebration. Parking was a breeze. There was even a concession area in the parking lot. You were able to hangout before the show because parking opened at 3:30pm, gates opened at 5:30pm and the show was at 7:00pm. I would suggest wearing comfortable shoes because the parking lot is grass with a few rocks here and there and there’s a bit of walking before you get to the amphitheater. So I went with my platform sandals haha. Last time I wore different platform shoes and it was a mess. I ended walking across this grass field (we couldn’t remember where we parked) I got stuck in mud and ended up falling and welp it made for a funny memory.

I get inside scope out the area, take a photo by the guitar back drop, roamed around looking at merch and then I get to my assigned seat. This is where things get interesting. A usher approached me and I pulled out my phone assuming they are checking to see if I am in the correct area. I show him my ticket he asked if I was alone which I replied yes. He then offered me to upgrade my ticket I asked for how much and he said it was free so immediately I said yes! I went from section 305 to 103!! This is where I wanted to kick myself because originally I was going to bring my camera and I didn’t! I think that stems from when I flew out to Colorado for a Manson concert and brought my camera and it was a back and forth thing where they wouldn’t let me in because of my camera but settled for the risk of checking it in at coat check. Luckily I was able to retrieve my camera after the show.

Opening for Bush was James and the Cold Gun, a band from Cardiff, Wales. They are considered alternative rock with high energy! This was my first time hearing them and I enjoyed their set! They covered one of my all time favorite songs Lips Like Sugar by Echo & The Bunnymen. They had such a genuine and good vibe about them and I look forward to seeing them again.

The second supporting act to take the stage was Mammoth. A hard rock alternative band based out of Los Angeles, CA that mixes in grunge. They have such powerful melodies that will have you grooving all about! When they preformed The Spell oh yeah I was under it! Fun fact if you didn’t know the lead singer Wolfgang Van Halen is the son of legendary Eddie Van Halen. Makes sense of how insane his talent on the guitar is. I was absolutely blown away by his riffs. It sent me to a whole new realm that’s how much it blew me away. I really love their song Distance. The lyrics are beautifully heavy. The song is an emotional tribute to his father Eddie Van Halen. This song makes me tear up every time. I’ve dealt with many losses in my life. Growing up I lost a lot of friends and family. My biggest grief is losing my best friend. When Distance plays its her that I reminisce about.

Now it’s time for the iconic 90’s British band that dominated Billboard Rock and Alternative charts, Bush.

The opening song was Machine head which Nik Hughes powerfully started off the night just slamming on the drums. Not only him but the rest of the band members gave it their all the whole set. The energy from Bush was so massive it intensified all your senses that there was no way to sit still, well at least not for me.

Kicking off the night with Machine head I felt thrown back in time. I’ve always wanted to see Bush live and it was surreal being in the presence of absolute legends!

Here is the set list for 5/15/2026

Machinehead
Bullet Holes
Quicksand
The Chemicals Between Us
All Things Must Change
The Land of Milk and Honey
The Sound of Winter
Identity
Everything Zen
Human Sand
Ghosts in the Machine
Heavy Is the Ocean
Glycerine (Full band version)
Little Things
Flowers on a Grave
I Beat Loneliness 

Encore
Swallowed
More Than Machines
Comedown 

That’s 19 songs in total and the agility and high energy you have as an artist is just absolutely mind blowing. How do artist have the unstoppable stamina to continue such sets during concerts?! I always wonder how they feel during a show. Do they push through the feeling of their muscles and tendons burning or is the burn and energy from the crowd is what fuels them? Is it that the strain becomes something of non existence for them? I know when I put on my at home concerts while doing house work it’s like a workout within its self!

Gavin Rossdale really puts on a high energy show that’s impeccable. Gavin’s baritone blended with raspy, gravelly grit and passionate vocals with melodic deliveries will really make you understand why this band is notable. Even the moody baselines and then explosion of distorted choruses keep you hooked! There were fans of all ages that attended. Even my children who are 5 and 7 think this band rocks!

During the song Flowers On The Grave which is one of their most vulnerable songs written that has a couple of themes to it is a song I can align myself with. Especially coming from a perspective of going through a divorce dealing with that grief, isolation and coming back to finding yourself again is very relatable. There are parts of me I shut out but now are reopening and finding myself again and it’s artists like Bush that are helping me pave the way again.

Speaking of paving the way, During this song Gavin hopped off stage and into the sea of fans! Starting in the pit making his way over to my section up into the bleachers and back around the other side! What a core memory that we all collectively had that night!

As the night was coming to a end the crowd erupted with an encore which Bush delivered flawlessly. With the lights illuminating Gavin he preformed swallowed.

Closing the last night of their 5 week tour they played Come Down. If you have ever seen the psychological thriller Fear starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg this is the song that played during their second date at the pool hall.

Truly a night I will never forget with awesome people I met. I look forward to sharing more experiences with you. As always I appreciate you taking the time to read my posts, stay weird my friends and until next time.

_indecisivegemini