Watching Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood perform a private concert from a top floor in the Country Music Hall of Fame building, it’s hard to believe that Lady Antebellum has been a consistent force in the country music world for the last ten years. It seems like just yesterday we were cranking up the car radio to hear “Lookin’ For A Good Time”, one of their first releases with stellar three part harmonies and catchy guitar licks.
Since then, the group has racked up countless awards, including CMAs and GRAMMYs, nine number ones, seven studio albums, and sold out tours across the world. Not to mention lots of mini Lady A’s running around with three more on the way (Haywood’s wife is expecting a baby girl in December and Scott is pregnant with twin girls, due in February.)
Even with a prominent baby bump and swollen feet (we’re sure), Scott gave a heartfelt and energetic performance with her musical cohorts as part of the Hilton Honors Music Happens Here program Friday, November 10, in the heart of downtown Nashville. The group performed hits like “Downtown”, “I Run to You”, “Just A Kiss”, “We Owned the Night” and “Bartender”, where Kelley joked that he had to drink the whiskey for himself and for Scott since she couldn’t. Before performing one of their first #1s, “American Honey”, Scott relayed the meaning as the “beauty and innocence of childhood before life gets complicated.” They even included a fun, karaoke style version of Dolly and Kenny’s “Islands in the Stream”, and they debuted two new songs off their current album – one being the title cut, “Heartbreak” and the other simply entitled “Army.”
“Dave and I wrote this. It’s about how strong our women are. We’ve got a strong woman here in our midst in Hillary. She’s our work wife. But we also have strong women at home. We get to live this dream and when you know that everything is taken care of at home—my wife—she keeps the train on the tracks and I love that. It’s an ode to them but we’re also sending this out to everyone here celebrating Veteran’s Day” commented Kelley on “Army”.
The tight bond between the band and the three stars was evident during this show, more so than can be observed in a huge arena. And with a stage not much taller than the audience gathered around it and the Nashville skyline as the backdrop, the trio shared memories and showed off their sense of humor. Kelley prefaced the performance of their first single, “Love Don’t Live Here,” by commenting on how much Nashville has transformed in the twelve years since he moved here.
“You probably wouldn’t have wanted to walk down here (downtown) back then because you might have gotten mugged.”
Scott, a Nashville native, told the excited crowd, “It’s amazing to see how much our city has grown and just the different types of music that truly live here and the songs that get written here and the records that get made here. It’s just wild. ” She then added, “I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for ten years ya’ll” to which Kelley joked and said, “Ssshhh!!! They think we’re brand new. I don’t know why you gotta say that. We gotta keep it young. We’re fresh. We are so fresh on the scene!”
And just when you thought Lady A couldn’t get any better, they ended the magical night with a simplified, piano version of “Need You Now” that had the entire crowd echoing back the words, almost louder than the three singing lead onstage. “Need You Now”, released back in 2010, still stands as their biggest crossover hit, hitting the top of the pop and adult contemporary charts as well as country. It was truly a blast to relive the last decade of hits, laughs, and friendships with Lady A!
But how do these performances happen in the first place? Who exactly was invited and how do you get on the list for next time?
We’ve got your 411 right here!
The Lady Antebellum concert was made possible through the Hilton Hospitality Group and their special music program, Music Happens Here. The Hilton hospitality group is one of the leading hotel and resort industries in the world, with more than 5,000 properties in 103 countries and territories. The prestigious company’s portfolio includes Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Doubletree by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, and Conrad Hotels and Resorts. In order to go above and beyond for their guests, they started an exclusive loyalty membership called Hilton Honors, which allows instant VIP benefits such as discounts, choosing rooms, and popular digital access. As part of the benefit package, Hilton Honors launched a music program called Music Happens Here to provide once in a lifetime artist experiences, private meet and greets, and rockin’ concerts. And now, Hilton Honors, in partnership with Live Nation and Spotify, has launched an original music and video travel series under the same name. The Music Happens Here series travels to some of the most culturally defined cities in the world whose rich roots and best kept secrets reveal the music that has been written, recorded, performed, and celebrated here. Nashville joins the ranks of cities like LA, London, New Orleans, and Seattle. You can check out the full series HERE. For more information on the Hilton Honors, visit www.HiltonHonors.com and connect with Hilton on socials through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Be sure and grab a copy of Lady Antebellum’s CMA nominated album of the year, Heart Break. You can find out more at www.ladyantebellum.com. And for video clips and pictures of the show, visit our Instagram at @thecountrynote.