‘Nashville’ Says Goodbye to Music City in Emotional Farewell Concert
The moment that captivated fans' hearts during the concert came when the entire cast closed out with "A Life That's Good" to represent the love they have for the drama series.
After six years of tears and happiness, the cast of Nashville said their final goodbye to the city they called home during the farewell concert held at the Grand Ole Opry.
With not an empty seat in the house, the audience buzzed about prior to the performance in anticipation of seeing their favorite cast members from the series playing all the songs from the show live. Just as the crowd in the Opry anxiously awaited the united show, the cast of Nashville also felt as though it was one big hurrah getting everyone involved for the best reason.
“It just feels like our whole family has come together for a little reunion. It’s, obviously, extremely bittersweet, but I’m just trying to focus on the fact that it’s amazing to be here together and obviously, at the Grand Ole Opry is a dream. It’s literally like the most perfect place,” Lennon Stella (Maddie Conrad) gushed to Sounds Like Nashville and others during the red carpet.
Maisy Stella and Lennon Stella perform in front of a sold-out crowd at the NASHVILLE In Concert: Final Season Celebration at the Grand Ole Opry House; Photo credit: Chris Hollo / Hollo Photographics
Kicking things off with an inspirational yet harmonious take of Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne) led the rest of the actors in one big cover. One by one, each member got their own mini-set on the iconic Circle to play their character’s most monumental tracks from the series.
For Jonathan Jackson (Avery Barkley) that moment of revisiting some of the older songs from the earlier seasons reminded him just how far they’ve all come together as a group and alongside the fans as well.
“It’s kind of surreal in some way because it kinda feels like the last six years have just flown by in many ways. So, it’s exciting,” Jackson explained of the night’s significance.
hris Carmack, Rainee Blake, Jonathan Jackson and Sam Palladio perform together on “Smoking The Boys” in front of a sold-out crowd at the NASHVILLE In Concert: Final Season Celebration at the Grand Ole Opry House; Photo credit: Chris Hollo / Hollo Photographics
Throwing in a mix of covers with the original music from the show, the night concluded with a hall-wide sing-a-long of “A Life That’s Good.” The behind-the-scenes crew turned the house lights on for everyone in the pews to participate, making it an emotional moment for the cast to see from the stage just how much of an impact they made for Music City and country music overall.
Before exiting the stage, Esten also paid tribute to the people who have become his family both on and off set while thanking the fans for supporting the show through its ups and downs. He felt that gratitude all night long, as he emulated the same message before the concert thinking about the journey they’ve all been on for many seasons and worthwhile years.
Charles Esten and Clare Bowen perform together on “Hand To Hold” in front of a sold-out crowd at the NASHVILLE In Concert: Final Season Celebration at the Grand Ole Opry House; Photo credit: Chris Hollo / Hollo Photographics
“That’s the best part of all of this. From the very beginning, [it’s] been the people. I came here quickly and found out what amazing castmates I had. What incredibly talented, but also how kind and hilarious. I think it’s a little bit rare for a cast to all get along so well as we do. And that’s what’s going to make it hard to say goodbye,” Esten told Sounds Like Nashville and other media outlets.
The mid-season premiere of the final season of Nashville will begin airing on June 7, with the series finale set for July.
