NASHVILLE BLOG 7/4/08 Written by Victor Minicozzi This Ain’t Your Daddy’s Fireworks When I was a kid, my brothers and sister and I used to pile in the family station wagon and we would go to the Great Eastern Department Store parking lot and wait for the 15-minute fireworks show every Independence Day. Nashville’s spin on celebrating our country's independence is not a show but an all-day party event and no one knows how to put on an event like Music City. People begin arriving at the Riverfront as early as 8:30am to secure their spot center stage so they can watch and enjoy all the talent, food, and activities Nashville has to offer. Kids and their parents enjoy the Family Fun Zone, an adventure area that includes inflatable slides, a moonwalk, and a bungee jump ride. Live music on the Riverfront Stage began at 2:30pm. Quality entertainment was provided by Courtney Hartness, The WannaBeatles, Les Kerr & The Bayou Band, and last but not least, The Lost Trailers. These artists thoroughly entertained all those in attendance with a wide variety of music. The featured entertainment acts kicked off at 7pm with the singing of our national anthem by the barbershop quartet, Max Q. The immensely talented and, in my opinion underrated, Phil Vassar performed his hit songs and cuts from his new album. The crowd estimated at over 100,000 people watched from the park, boats, rooftops, and any available piece of ground they could find. Phil was joined by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra performing a couple of songs together before embarking on a set of their own which showcased the brilliance and artistry of the musicians that make up the NSO. They would also accompany musical icon, Michael Mcdonald who performed many of his hit records both as a solo artist and as part of the legendary Doobie Brothers. Michael and Phil closed out the musical portion of the show by joining forces on the classic hit, Taking It To The Streets. The crowning achievement of the evening was the massive fireworks display. There were over 25,000 individual fireworks set off in a 25-minute show. That is a stunning 1,000 per minute. The show was choreographed to the music presented by the NSO. The crowd was awestruck by the sheer volume and quality of both the ground and aerial display, which included something I haven’t seen before, a set up of fireworks that floated to the ground attached to parachutes. It is no wonder that Nashville’s July 4th celebration was ranked as the 2nd best in the country according to a recent poll. I think this year's party was the best yet and may result in what most of us around here already know, Music City and its people are already #1. MusicCityVic