Downtown Nashville was absolutely nuts last night as 365,000 people converged to watch the annual 4th of July firework extravaganza. I arrived early to catch Russell Dickerson and Dierks Bentley perform.

This was my first time seeing Russell Dickerson and I found him to be very entertaining. He was very charismatic, hamming it up for the cameras, and having a great time. Originally from Franklin, this Nashville native said he’s always wanted to play the 4th of July bash. And he totally lived it up onstage. He delivered a high energy 50-minute set that included such hits as “Yours”, “Blue Tacoma”, “Every Little Thing”, and “Happens to Me”. At one point a giant figure joined him onstage to dance. He also threw out shirts to the crowd.

I’d seen Dierks years ago at a benefit show at the Ryman, and he was pretty much like I remembered him. Entertaining, but in a low-key way. He headlined last night, so his set was a little over an hour. He opened with “Burning Man”, “Drunk on a Plane”, and “Somewhere on a Beach”. Unfortunately, I was only able to catch the first 30 minutes because I wanted a good spot for the fireworks. But what I saw was good.

Nashville has one of the largest fireworks displays in the country. Every year they seem to get bigger and better. Last year was the first I’d seen of drones incorporated into the show, but there were only a few. This year, the drones started things off aplenty in such shapes as an eagle, planes, worded messages, and even a giant man. The fireworks just kept on popping for 35 minutes, lighting up the sky over the Cumberland River and Nissan stadium with beautiful lights. The finale was the best I’ve seen yet. I didn’t even take any photos or videos of it, because I was too mesmerized watching.

Leaving was a nightmare, but totally worth it. Definitely recommend making a trip to Nashville for the 4th of July if you haven’t ever been.