MusicCityNashville.net: BMI Rooftop On The Row Remains the Coolest Party in Nashville with Tenille Arts and Elvie Shane

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BMI Rooftop On The Row Remains the Coolest Party in Nashville with Tenille Arts and Elvie Shane

by Rich and Laura Lynch

After a long hot summer of rooftop sessions, BMI hosted an industry showcase at their headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee on September 27, 2022 just as the cool, crisp air arrived. Still, the evening featured hot live performances from two of their gifted artists - Elvie Shane and Tenille Arts. In addition to flavorful music - food, drinks, swag and networking opportunities were on the bill. Sponsors such as George Dickel Whiskey, Truly and Twisted Tea were pouring out the libations on this fall night.

BMI Rooftop On The Row Remains the Coolest Party in Nashville with Tenille Arts and Elvie Shane

Tenille Arts plays BMI Rooftop On The Row in Nashville.

Kicking things off was the award winning Tenille Arts who recently finished up a tour with Lady A. This attractive rising star made history back in 2020 with her single "Somebody Like That" as it was the first time a song written, performed and produced by all woman topped the Country Charts. Originally from Canada, Tenille current resides in Nashville where she continues to make catchy, compelling music.

At BMI, Tenille was backed by a full band that included a keyboardist who also played cello. He added some serious moments to a mostly upbeat show. Arts' live performance was packed with goodies such as the insightful "Growing Old Young" which touched upon the idea of having to grow up too fast due to circumstances beyond one's control. Her breakup song "I Hate This" was also a winner and she closed a strong set with her historic hit "Somebody Like That".

Tenille Arts and band plays BMI Rooftop On The Row in Nashville.

Elvie Shane was born and raised in Kentucky. At an early age he was singing in church next to his Gospel-loving mother while his father exposed Elvie to more secular artists such as Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle and John Fogerty along with R&B classics like The Temptations and modern superstars like Eminem.

Shane's varied influences found their way into a compassionate being who beautifully blends country, gospel and rock in relatable songs that speak to the heart. Just listen to "My Boy" - his touching anthem to step-fatherhood. Elvie recently released the Backslider album where he paints graceful and gritty pictures of small town life - a reflection of Shane's past and the present.

Elvie Shane plays BMI Rooftop On The Row in Nashville.

At BMI, Elvie with his talented team presented a fine set of music that featured "Country Roads" a fun and feisty tune. Their creative spin on "House of the Rising Sun / Amazing Grace" was a nod to Shane's roots. Of course, he played the song that changed his life - "My Boy".

A bit later, Elvie talked about his Baptist up-bringing which flowed into his opinion that today's country music is overlooking the working class so he played his blue color tribute "Forgotten Man". Shane was charismatic yet down to earth with appealing songs that pulled on the heart strings.

Elvie Shane and band plays BMI Rooftop On The Row in Nashville.

BMI's seasonal concert series is an opportunity for them to introduce their musicians. BMI was founded in 1939 with the goal to represent artists from a wide range of genres. Today, BMI is the largest music rights organization in the USA. BMI promotes the value of music by representing over 18.7 million musical works created and owned by more than 1.2 million songwriters, composers and music publishers. This organization also provides career assistance in the areas of licensing, showcasing, training and more.