MusicCityNashville.net: The NFL Draft Gets Rolling with Moon Taxi and Sixwire in Nashville

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The NFL Draft Gets Rolling with Moon Taxi and Sixwire in Nashville

by Rich and Laura Lynch

Nashville, Tennessee is known as Music City but from April 25-27, 2019 it was Football City. Nashville hosted the NFL Draft which was the main event over the three days but music was also a big part of the game plan. Over the course of the selection process many locals performed at the Draft Experience Music Stage at Nissan Stadium-home of the Tennessee Titians. In addition to an eclectic array of artists, fans on that side of the Cumberland River also enjoyed the NFL Experience that featured football related activities such as field goal kicking. In addition to games there was face painting for the children, photo opportunities, radio stations on site, a Hall of Fame Museum and more.

The NFL Draft Gets Rolling with Moon Taxi and Sixwire in Nashville

Moon Taxi got things rolling as the NFL picked their next class of star players.

Each and every year, the NFL hosts the Draft where teams can acquire or recruit new members to their squads. Most often, they chose from the best prospects in the country. The players who are selected during the NFL Draft could be the next stars-which is part of the anticipation, plus in April everyone has a chance at a Super Bowl ring.

In addition to countless NFL legends, musical headliners at the Draft Main Stage at Lower Broad included Tim McGraw on Friday and Dierks Bentley ran the clock down on Saturday. On Thursday, Grammy Award winning CeCe Winans sang the National Anthem with poise and power following Moon Taxi who had played an upbeat set consisting of covers along with their own animated originals. Moon Taxi opened with the reggae tinged "Not Too Late" and the catchy "Run Right Back". "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" (Tears For Fears) worked well as did a montage of Queen that included "We Are The Champions" one of the ultimate sports songs. Excitement was already in the air as Moon Taxi completed their job of keeping the energy high before the first selection was made and Congratulations again to Kyler Murray who was the Arizona Cardinals' top choice.

Sixwire scored six and got extra points for tying in songs to team names and city themes.

Moon Taxi's sound traverses a wide route of genres ranging from county, indie, jam, pop and even prog. The group has done well on the touring circuit building their brand at Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and beyond. Their tunes have been used in commercials and in TV placements for major corporations and sporting leagues. So, this Nashville based band was the ideal pick to kick off day one of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Sixwire also considered "local" played a prominent role as the House Band of the Draft filling in the important positon of performing songs as each team's war rooms were debating their picks at the nearby Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The teams were given ten minutes to make their selection during the first round, seven minutes in the second and five minutes for each round after the second so there was plenty of time for commentary and Sixwire who ran thru a long list of popular tunes.

CeCe Winans sang a rousing version of the National Anthem.

Collectively and as a unit Sixwire has performed with a long list of top talent. Plus, they have been the-go-to-group for numerous TV shows such as Nashville Star, Can You Duet and more. They are a versatile and vibrant roaster of players who are well-respected in Music City and everywhere else. Sixwire has been featured entertainment at the Daytona 500, the NHL All-Star Game, the Bob Hope Classic (Career Builder Challenge), and most recently SUPERBOWL 51, as well as being the house band for the Charlie Daniels All-Star Jam and the ACM Awards After Party All-Star Jam. Based on their track record Sixwire was the winning choice for the event.

Obviously, the Draft was about football first, however the NFL shared the spotlight with Nashville by featuring so much great music on two stages during the three day exhibition. Many of the NFL graphics on the massive Main Stage were music themed. Across the Cumberland River at the NFL Experience live performances by locals was an important part of the Football Fest. The NFL Draft was a fun mix of music and sports. It has been reported that this was the most extensive NFL Draft celebration to date and the vastest-multi-day spectacle for Music City - so one could say the 2019 Draft was like a Super Bowl win for both!