Conservative non-profit organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Nashville hosted their first-ever Songwriter’s Night on Friday in downtown Nashville. The event packed the house at the Bold Patriot Brewing Company.
The lineup for the night included Nashville-based artists Reid Morris, Johnny Cole Murdock, and Parker Hastings. Murdock and Hastings are both current students at Belmont University, and Morris attended previously.
The first 25 students to RSVP were entered in a drawing for early access to the TPUSA Gen Free tour with Charlie Kirk on March 31. The event lasted from 7 to 8:30 p.m. During that time, the artists showcased their original songs, ranging from those currently on streaming platforms and those not yet released.
TPUSA Nashville has hosted other, bigger events in the recent past. In October, they hosted the Presidential Debate Watch Party for previous President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden while Belmont University hosted the Presidential Debate live.
The Tennessee Star spoke with two of the artists, Morris and Hastings, about why they’d decided to participate in this event.
Morris explained that it was refreshing to be able to play music again after a long year of COVID-19 shutdowns. He indicated that he believes country music and conservative values go hand in hand, and he appreciated that.
“It was just really a fun night of getting together with other songwriters and playing good songs and supporting good values, you know?” said Morris.
Hastings shared that he’s come to be friends with TPUSA Nashville President Jeffrey Seraphine during his time at Belmont University. And, similarly to what Morris said, this event was an opportunity to play after the limitations on live music imposed by pandemic shutdowns.
“It’s a chance for me to support Turning Point and it’s also, you now, a chance to play after not being able to play much this last year,” stated Hastings. “It was really difficult [because] first and foremost, aside from being a student, I’m a musician. Not being able to play was just kinda hard[.]”
TPUSA Nashville event organizers informed The Star that the songwriter’s night was so successful that the Bold Patriot Brewing Company will be making it a monthly event.
Disclosure: The author of this article is married to one of the songwriters featured in the event, Johnny Cole Murdock.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
How about that. Good on them.