NMG Celebrates Its 15th Birthday in Style

NMG Anniversary Cake
Anniversary cake provided by Bob Ries.

At a time when other magazines and newspapers are shrinking or going out of business, the fast-growing Nashville Music Guide threw a party on Sept. 24 to celebrate its 15 years of stellar service to the Nashville music community, and to look forward to an even brighter future.

Naturally, the focus of the festivities at Nashville Center Stage was music, as the Colgate Country Showdown-winning Nash Street opened the evening’s concert. Then came the talented trio Crowding 50, and the Glenda Montgomery Band, led by NMG’s amazing office manager Glenda.

True Blood Band and The Rain Flowers put a fitting nightcap on the evening, which also featured a delicious free buffet dinner with chips and dips, fried chicken, a 15th birthday cake, and loads of other goodies.

“I was excited about the turnout and the opportunity to meet several customers,” said Nashville Music Guide editor and owner Randy Matthews, who purchased the iconic magazine earlier this year from co-founder Dan Wunsch.

The evening was a classic example of Randy’s hands-on approach to everything involving the NMG.

“Since I fried all the food myself, I was unable to meet everyone,” Matthews continued. “I was in the kitchen until after 8 p.m., and then went and cleaned up, and I was shocked and delighted to see Will Clements and his wife in the crowd. I was honored that they drove the 2 ½ hours to the party. I was also very proud of Glenda Montgomery for organizing all the great bands.”Will and Jackie Clements

Nash Street opens up the party!

The Glenda Montgomery Band featured Glenda (lead vocals, guitar), Eddie Stinson (drums), Darrell Miller (bass), and Jon Carlisle (lead guitar). Phil Sweetland sat in on keys; Adam Carlisle is the band’s full-time keys player.

Highlights of Montgomery’s set included her powerhouse, blues-flavored vocals and Jon Carlisle’s dynamite guitar solos on songs including “Time To Get Real,” “Drunken Angel,” “Louisiana,” “No Second Guessing,” “Nobody,” and “Saving My Change.”

Among the countless guests stopping by the party were Tommy Barnes, who co-wrote Tim McGraw’s breakthrough hit “Indian Outlaw” and Little Texas’s No. 1 “My Love;” the dynamic country singer Kalvin Wayne, who has cut over 25 Barnes tunes and also manages the amazing 11-year-old Ohio singer Breanna Romer; songwriter Fran MacLeran, who’s had success both in the Nashville and New York markets in several genres of music; and the veteran producer and manager Jo Crowe, whose new client Circle Of Signs will be performing at Nashville Center Stage in late October.

Crowding 50

Co-founder and NMG consultant Dan Wunsch couldn’t be there in person, but both he and co-founder Brad Fischer were there in spirit. Fischer passed in February at age 73. And on Sept. 24, Dan was in the Czech Republic, leading the “Play Prague” Music Conference and Concert.

True Blood Band

As always with everything involving the Nashville Music Guide, the 15th birthday party featured major contributions from co-editor and accounts manager Kymberly Matthews, and from news and advertising manager Joe Matthews.

Glenda Montgomery Band

Joe spoke excitedly about changes in the NMG Web site, which has already been greatly upgraded the last few months and will feature an even more dramatic enhancement in the next few weeks.

By Phil Sweetland | pianopks@gmail.com

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