Here's what happened when Fox & Locke hosted a 'Zach Bryan warm-up party'
Thursday night in Leiper's Fork ended with a bang, but not the kind of bang Zach Bryan fans were hoping for.
Fireworks closed out the evening at Fox & Locke, the popular music venue and bar outside of Franklin, which was selected by Bryan to be one of 23 bars participating in the "Great American Bar Scene" album preview party. With Bryan's Nissan Stadium concert just days away, hundreds of fans flocked to the Fork to get a sneak peek at the new album, and a possible glimpse of the singer himself.
But he didn't show.
Event organizers had watched prior Bryan preview parties and were ready for crowds with overflow outdoor seating and music piped to open spaces surrounding the venue. Crowds gathered, listened to music and played pool in the makeshift pool room outside the venue on a beautiful summer night.
Tickets for seating at Fox & Locke sold out shortly after the "Zach Bryan Warm-Up Party" was announced via the venue's website.
Fox & Locke owner Aubrey Preston said the venue was selected to be part of Bryan's "Great American Bar Scene" preview parties because some of the people Bryan works with live in the area.
"They enjoy the community out here and we've enjoyed getting to know them as they've had this success that's taken off like a rocket," he said. "Zach has visited the neighborhood quite a bit and likes it out here, and we just got a tap on the shoulder saying they thought this would be the perfect place for the exclusive listening party and we thought it sounded like a lot of fun."
No Zach Bryan, but still a great night of music
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While Bryan didn't make an appearance, Nashville-area musicians Jake Matthew, Rachel Summers, Lillie Kolich, Kyle Matthew and Alyssa Flaherty played their favorite Bryan songs including "Motorcycle Drive By," "Something in the Orange," "Hey Driver," and "I Remember Everything."
After an hour of live music, organizers played Bryan's new album "Great American Bar Scene" in its entirety. The album is set to release July 4.
Lacey Jones from Clarksville and her friend Meagan Smith, who came from Bellingham, Washington, for Bryan's Saturday concert, came to Leiper's Fork Thursday night hoping to see Bryan. At about 8:30 p.m., they were still hopeful the singer might make an appearance.
"We still have hope," Jones said. "If we don't see him tonight, we will see him at the concert Saturday night."
Melonee Hurt covers music and music business at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee. Reach Melonee at [email protected], on X @HurtMelonee or Instagram at @MelHurtWrites.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Here's what happened when Fox & Locke hosted a 'Zach Bryan warm-up party'
